In a Dark Wood

C3 Module 4 - The Hof Gap

by

This Red Line Games

 I have mentioned before that I am not a big fan of non-historical wargames. By that I mean totally made up or completely distorted history. This would mean a Bulge game that has every German panzer division available at the time, even those on the Eastern Front, for use by the German player. However, I have no problem with games that are totally based on accurate portrayals of what might have been. This would be represented by an invasion of Malta in WWII. As long as those games' OOBs etc. are based upon history and are totally plausible. This game, simulation really, is based upon the solid foundations of what actual troops and weapons were to be used in Germany in 1985 if WWIII broke out. Think of the novels The Third World War, and The Third World War: The Untold Story by General Sir John Hackett. You can add Red Storm Rising, and others, by Tom Clancy. These, besides being excellent stories, are based totally in historical reality. In this, In a Dark Wood follows their footsteps. You are allowed to see and use exactly what was available to each side in this wargame. You get to tell the story of the Giant Russian Bear and his buddies being fought by the smaller but seemingly more advanced NATO forces. So, strap yourself in inside your favorite NATO or Warsaw Pact tank and let us see what story you can tell with these cardboard counters. You can always think of yourself as a bodyguard to Little Red Riding Hood trying to save her from the Big Bad Wolf as you travel In a Dark Wood. Of course, you could also play the wolf.

 This is what comes with the game:

98×85 cm matte plasticized map, covering the US VII Corps Area of Responsibility

7 countersheets, 1200+ 5/8″ matte plasticized counters

40 Action and Event Cards

24 pages full colour Rules Booklet

28 pages full colour Scenarios & Designer’s Notes Booklet

8 pages full colour Examples of Play Booklet

2x Tables booklets

5x Players' Aid Charts

2x 10-sided dice

10x zipbags

 I will go into the game pieces bit by bit later, but I just wanted to say that even before you open the box you get a feeling that you are holding something extremely well manufactured. The foreboding picture upon the front of the box really gets you into the mood to play a game about the possible ending of civilization.

Some of the Components

 This is what Thin Red Line has to say about the game:

"At 0400 Zulu Time, July 24 1985, Warsaw Pact forces cross the Inner German Border and assault NATO positions in West Germany. The offensive against the US VII Corps sector has a first echelon of eight Soviet and Czechoslovakian divisions, and three main objectives: Pin the NATO forces defending the area, inflict as much casualties as possible, and force CENTAG to commit its reserves to the defense.

Taking its roots from SPI’s Central Front and NATO: Division Commander, In a Dark Wood is the fourth module of the C3 series, focused on Command, Control and Communication and pioneered by Less Than 60 Miles - one of the five nominees for the 2019 Charles Roberts Awards as Best Post-WW2, Cold War, & Hypothetical Era Board Wargame.

Several typical wargame mechanics have been reinterpreted, and both sides must fight three equally dangerous foes: the enemy, their own plan and time. Even a simple action can quickly turn into a disaster when facing an opponent using more efficiently the real key to victory: the OODA Loop theorized by John Boyd in the early ‘80s and used today as the basis for several military doctrines.

Military doctrine, tactics and peculiarities for each side are represented, allowing a skilled commander to use his own strength points and exploit the enemy's weak ones. Some examples are:

US VII Corps command problems due to its multinational structure.

West German Auftragstaktik (Mission-Type Orders), giving Bundeswehr a flexibility hardly obtained by other armies.

French incomplete integration into the wartime NATO structure.

Soviet Sappers, first-line assault units used to crack the toughest nuts.

Soviet Assault From March.

The abundant but partially outdated Czechoslovakian artillery.

Warsaw Pact Axis of Advance.

Warsaw Pact vulnerable supply network

5 km per hex, 3 hours per game turn

Regiment / Battalion sized ground units

Detailed Order of Battle set in 1985

Close Air Support and Attack Helicopters

Command, Control & Communication related problems

Electronic and Intelligence Warfare

Artillery interdiction and Counter-Battery fire

Chemical and Nuclear warfare

Specific events for Warsaw Pact and NATO

Random events to further increase battlefield chaos

Two Campaign Games:

"The Main Problem", the Warsaw Pact offensive against US VII Corps.

"One Minute to Midnight", Unrestricted nuclear warfare after days of build-up.

Four Smaller Scenarios:

"Just a Second Away", US 2ACR and 1/3I Brigade meet the Soviet 28th Tank Division.

"Shortcut to Schweinfurt", Soviet 28th Army turns south and clashes with West German 12th PanzerDivision.

"Where the Forest Whispers", US 3rd Infantry Division faces one Soviet and one Czechoslovakian Army.

"Operation Marsh Harrier", the NATO counterattack after the arrival of the French forces."

The Map

 One of the best parts about this game, and the whole Thin Red Line WWIII games, is the immersion factor. Even the emails that get sent out by Thin Red Line Games are meant to get you into the WWIII mind set. This is the post on Thin Red Line Games about the 4th printing of 1985: Under an Iron Sky 4th Echelon:

"Comrade Colonel-General,

Despite the sincere and tireless diplomatic efforts of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union to preserve peace in Europe, the aggressive and provocative actions of the imperialist United States and its puppet regime in Bonn continue to pose an unacceptable threat to the sovereignty of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and the collective security of the Socialist Bloc.

 Accordingly, the Central Committee, with full authority and historical responsibility, has directed the Armed Forces of the USSR to commence OPERATION LADOGA. The fraternal forces of our Warsaw Pact allies stand shoulder to shoulder with us in this historic struggle.

 You are hereby ordered to immediately execute the OPERATION LADOGA Directive."

Warsaw Pact Counters

 

 As I stated earlier, it is only when you hold the entire components to this game in your hand do you really get the full picture of how well they have been crafted.

 We will start with the map. For those of us not in the Old World or the 3rd World it is 24 1/4" X 38 1/4". Even though it is about the usual size for wargame maps it somehow looks bigger. The matte plasticized covering is a nice touch. Nevertheless, woe unto them who comes within 50 feet of one of my wargame maps with a drink! It always surprises me how much of Germany, and Europe as a whole, is forest. The map is really a work of art. It is one of those wargame maps where you wish you had a second one to hang on the wall. It may just be me because I have been pretty much mesmerized by maps since I was a small child. The terrain in each hex, for movement etc, is decided by the 'most favorable terrain type' for the unit. Because the units are not actually taking up the entire 5km of hex it makes sense to be able to choose the actual terrain. This gives the map the ability to accurately portray what is in each hex without, hopefully, having arguments between players.

 The counters are also matte plasticized which will increase their lifetime by a large margin. They are done in the 'NATO' style and also have a dark silhouette in the background to show exactly what kind of troops they represent. They are 5/8" in size so this makes them easier to read all their information. There are over 1200 counters, but the vast majority are markers instead of units. You also get the obligatory roll of zip-lock bags to store the counters. The game comes with two ten-sided die.

 Next, we have the Action and Event Cards. There are two decks for both sides of play. They seem to be made of the same material as regular playing cards. This will help with longevity and bending etc. The cards have both Russian and English for the words Action and Event and a Russian or NATO emblem on the back of the cards. The top part of the cards come with a photo or map and below are the cards uses. The type size is a little small but still readable.

 The Rules of Play booklet is, amazingly, only 23 pages long. It is in full color and is double columns. The size of the type is about normal for wargames. So, the older Grognards might need a young-'un to read it to them. I jest; it is perfectly readable. Then we have the Scenarios and Designers' Notes booklet. This is again in full color and is 27 pages long. The first three pages are taken up by Additional Scenario Rules. Then comes the four scenarios and two campaigns. The designers discuss the forested and hilly map as being an anathema to mobile battle. This is under the title ' No Thanks, We Don't Need More Trees'. One of the biggest challenges for the design team was how to make the NATO command structure, which resembled a 1970s piece of string art, into something coherent for gaming purposes. While still making it historically accurate.

 The game gives you two separate player aids, one for each player, that are done in a fold out manner instead of a booklet. This gives the player pretty much everything they need at their fingertips. This includes the Sequence of Play on the back cover. These are both 11 pages in length. There are tables that have all the abbreviations used by the NATO and Warsaw Pact forces. Just as an aside, the Warsaw Pact has four abbreviations while the UK appears to have about 50 give or take. I am only exaggerating a bit. There are five card stock one-sided player aids. The first two are OOBs for both the Warsaw Pact Central Front and the NATO Centag. The next two are a NATO and Warsaw Pact Time, Command Points, Engineer Points, EW Points, Air Points tracks. The last one is a players' aid Ground Combat Chart. This has the sequence of combat and all of the different modifiers all on one hand sheet. Finally, we come to the Battle Operations booklet. This is in full color and is eight pages long. However, do not be fooled. This booklet should be kept under the players' pillow every night that the game is on your table. From movement to combat and the all-important orders phases, this is a Godsend for the players' health and wellbeing. 

 So, there you have it. This is my poor attempt to show exactly what you get with the game and how well manufactured all of the separate pieces to the game are.

NATO Counters

 Okay, so we have dispensed with the part of the review that just uses our senses. Now we have to get into the parts of the game that we use our mind for. That being said, I would make sure that you have a monster wargame under your belt, or at least one that has a good number of rules. To be honest, these games rules are pretty streamlined for what they have to try and simulate. In this game you have in your power and arsenal all that the commanders of the different sides had at their disposal in 1985. From Airpower to Spetsnaz (special designation or spetsial'noye naznacheniye) and everything in between, Oh and tanks do not forget the tanks. These are just some of the things that the game simulates:

Command and Control

Posture: March Assault/Tactical/Road/Recon/Screen/Close Support/Combat Support etc.

Engineers

Close Air Support

Artillery

"You will Issue Orders to your HQs by expending Command Points and using Order Chits, wait for the units to Execute the Order by placing a Time Marker on them. Then wait for them to Complete the Order"

Stacking

Delayed Movement

Forced March

River Crossing

Supply

Weather

Chemical Warfare

Nuclear Warfare

Warsaw Pact Card

 I know it is a bit long. However, I did want to post the Sequence of Play so that you would know exactly how involved the games is.

 Each Turn is played using the following sequence:

 

1. Weather Phase

 1.1 Warsaw Pact rolls for Fog and Precipitation (29.1).

 1.2 Both sides Ground or Unground Aircraft (29.4).

2. Events Phase

 2.1 Both sides receive Air, Electronic Warfare, Engineer and

     Command Points reinforcements (33).

 2.2 Both sides roll for Events (34).

3.Air Points Phase

 3.1 Both sides roll on the Air Points Table and adjust Current 

     Air Points (19.3).

4. Side 1 Action Phase

 4.1 Orders Reveal Phase

 4.1.1 Reveal Order Chits in the current Turn slot and adjust Max 

       CPs accordingly (14.5).

 4.1.2 Place Current CP markers in the same slot of the 

       corresponding Max CP marker (14.5).

4.2 Orders Execution Phase

 4.2.1 Complete Order Execution (14.7).

 4.2.2 Execute each Revealed Order Chit (14.6).

 4.2.3 Execute Authorized and Unauthorized Posture Changes 

       (6.1.2, 6.1.3).

4.3 Orders Issue Phase

 4.3.1 Issue new Orders (14.4).

4.4 HQ Reconstruction Phase

 4.4.1 Both sides reconstruct destroyed HQs (12.5).

4.5 Engineering Phase

 4.5.1 Prepare River Crossings (9.2).

 4.5.2 Build Defensive Works (31.1).

 4.5.3 Mine Bridges (32.1.2)

 4.5.4 Build Ribbon Bridges (32.2) and Panel Bridges (32.3).

 4.5.5 Allocate Sappers (37.1).

 4.5.6 Deallocate Sappers (37.2).

4.6 Attrition Removal Phase

 4.6.1 Relocate Supply Hubs (30.3.1).

 4.6.2 Rotate units Resting from previous Turn (11.4).

 4.6.3 Execute Resupply (11.3), Rest (11.4) and Refit (11.5). 

4.7 EW Points Phase

 4.7.1 Allocate EW Points to HQs (24.1).

 4.7.2 Deallocate EW Points from HQs (24.2).

4.8 Bombardment Phase

 4.8.1 Both sides attempt to gain additional Intelligence (25).

 4.8.2 Both sides execute Bombardment (20) and Interdiction 

       (21).

4.9 Movement Phase

 4.9.1 Execute Movement and Combat (8, 15).

4.10 Housekeeping Phase

 4.10.1 Remove Breakthrough, Interdiction and Intelligence 

        markers.

 4.10.2 Remove Engaged and Half-Engaged markers from 

        Phasing Units.

 4.10.3 Flip used Helicopters upright (18).

 4.10.4 Remove Delayed markers placed in the previous Turn from 

        Phasing Units (8.4.1). 

5. Side 2 Action Phase

 5.1 Side 2 becomes the Phasing Side and all the steps of 

     Phase 4 are repeated.

6. End Phase

 6.1 Check for removal of Persistent Gas (26.2.2)

 6.2 Check for removal of Nuclear Contamination (27.4).

 6.3 Advance Turn marker on the Time Track.

NATO Card

 So, by now you have either run away screaming for Stratego or some other much simpler game, or you are drooling like my Bassett Hound in anticipation. I drool a lot anyway (the dentist tells me it is a good thing, my wife does not agree) so you cannot judge by me. I will tell you though that games like these were what I was hoping for from a very young age. What I have said about other deep games also applies to this one. You will get out of it in direct proportion what you put into it. Yes Virginia, there is a lot of reading and comprehension, hopefully, involved in playing In a Dark Wood, actually any game from Thin Red Line. The orders and timing along with your unit's posture makes it seem like you are playing three-dimensional Chess, and in a significant way you are. Your unit's attrition and the destruction of an HQ can put your perfectly planned operation on a gurney struggling to live. Just as in chess, you will have to think a few turns ahead if not more. You will also have to have a plan B, C, and D ready in case things do not go your way. On the other hand, you will have to be mentally nimble enough to exploit calamities that occur to your opponent. As the NATO player your job is to play for time until support comes, or time has run out for the Warsaw Pact player. The Warsaw Pact player has a pretty hard job in front of him. The realities of the map make a sudden thrust with armored units a very tough proposition. Think of it as 1944 and you are the Germans trying to get through the Ardennes in the middle of winter. The threat of both Chemical and Nuclear Warfare are also a constant threat to be aware of. So, you have to keep all of the above plates spinning in your head along with mundane things like supply. In a Dark Wood, and its brothers, is a lot like taking a Polar Plunge. The only way to get through it and actually enjoy it is to dive right in. 

 Do not take me the wrong way. There is a ton of stuff in this game. However, the designer has done a marvelous job with the rules and the sequence of play to make playing the game as manageable as possible. 

Scenario

 Thank you, This Red Line Games, for allowing me to take this trip back to my youth and the unsettled political world at the time. It is very hard to believe that 1985 was 40 years ago. I also want to thank them for allowing me to review this excellent wargame. The game was designed by Fabrizio Vianello, and he also did the graphic design. He has designed or helped design the following games about WWIII:

1985: Deadly Northern Lights

1985: Sacred Oil

1985: Under an Iron Sky

The Dogs of War

Die Festung Hamburg

Less Than 60 Miles

In a Dark Wood

 The first three are at the Division/Brigade/Battalion level with 14km per hex. The last four are part of the C3 series and are at the Regiment and Battalion level with 5km per hex. The print runs on these games are small so if you can get into the reprint queue, do yourself a favor and go for it. You will not regret it.

 He also designed the game 'The Fate of All' about Alexander the Greats campaigns and the First War of the Diadochi, my personal favorite for ancient wargames. See the review below. Hint: we need more Diadochi scenarios please I am begging you!

All of the games of this series laid out

Robert Peterson

Thin Red Line Games

In a Dark Wood: C3 Module 4 - Hof Gap

My review of Thin Red Line Games 'The Fate of All':

The Fate of All by Thin Red Line Games - A Wargamers Needful Things

 Urban Battle: Main Square: Trial Version

by

Forsage Games

 Forsage Games is a European game maker based in Belgrade, Serbia. This is some information about the company:

"Forsage Games was founded in 2004 by game designer Predrag Lazovic. Predrag created his first game in the 1992-94 period. The game was finally published in 1996 in Serbia under the name “Saratoga” as a part of a set with two of his more simple games. In the following years, several publishers from Serbia published a dozen of Predrag's games. Among them were games of various types and for different audiences: family games, children’s games, warfare and sports simulations, etc.

From 2004 all games were published by Forsage company or in collaboration with other publishers. Until today over 60 games have been published. They have been produced according to local standards because their primary markets are Serbia and the region. Since 2013 Forsage Games has been producing games by European and American standards.

Besides Predrag, on the creation of some of the games collaborated Stefan Kovljanin, Wojka Ketvok, and Dragan Lazovic. Stefan is the co-author of several games: Airtrace, Football, Basketball, Tennis, etc. Wojka was the lead designer for several family and children's games, such as Pretty girl and Pony express. In recent years, all the games have been radically improved in terms of rules and design and Dragan Lazovic gets the most credit for that.

Recently, our company has had a breakthrough in the global market, thanks to multiple successful Kickstarter campaigns. Games that have had their campaigns, as well as some others, are successfully being sold all over the world. We cooperate with several companies from Japan, the USA, China, France, Ukraine, Poland, Hungary, etc., which sell our games in larger or smaller quantities in their home countries. In the future, Forsage Games will prepare many more projects for Kickstarter and international market."

 I first read about Forsage Games and their Age of Dogfights WWI. Reading about this game led me to getting in touch with them. When I contacted them, they also wanted me to review their Tank Chess game (the link is below). If you look at Tank Chess you can see the family DNA that led to the creation of Urban Battle. If you read the history of Tank Chess you will see that the designer has been working on this same game since the 1990s. Not that there was anything wrong with the earlier designed games. He just wanted to keep tweaking and working on the idea in his head that has led to Urban Battle. Sort of the way that Leonardo kept the Mona Lisa with him to look at it and to work on it further. Although you can see where Tank Chess has led us to Urban Battle, you should not think that it is a simple cash grab with a new name and few new rules. Far from it. This is what Forsage Games has to say about the game:

"Urban Battles is a game whose concept goes back to Panzer Strike: France 1940 and later Tank Chess. Each playing piece represents an individual tank or armored unit. Set up takes no more than 1-3 minutes and is scenario dependent.

Urban Battles is designed for two players. The goal of the game is determined by each Mission, provided in the Brochure. Each Mission has several game setups.

Three modes of play are offered for the gamers tastes:

Basic Mode – a relaxed and fluid game with the influence of luck via dice

Absolute Mode – no dice with a greater tactical and strategic feel to gameplay

Realistic Mode – the game now drills down to realistic firing angles via more detailed lines of sight requiring a ruler or some type of straight edge."

 This is what comes with the game:

One small map - 25 1/4" X 9 1/2+"

One large map - 25 1/4" X 18 3/4"

100 molded plastic vehicles or 3D printed with moving turrets ( 19 different types)

Rulebook

Mission Booklet

Flags and Antennas

3 Die 

Activation Markers

2 Player Aid Cards

 The game consists of two pieces of mounted map. The larger is twice the size of the smaller. So, if you wanted you could just use the smaller map for quicker battles and the larger map piece for a longer and more detailed battle. Using both of these together gives you as large an area as most wargame maps do. The map is a top down view of exactly what the box says, an urban area to fight over. The preproduction version that I was sent contains two different kinds of game pieces. The first is the less expensive molded plastic vehicles. However, these are very well done and you can easily see the type of vehicle it is and there does not appear to be any flashing that I could find. The second option is of 3D printed plastic pieces. These are slightly larger than the less expensive kind. They also have rotating turrets for the actual tanks. This is just a few of the pieces that both sides have:

Reconnaissance Vehicle

Ligh/Medium/Heavy Tank

Super-Heavy Tank

Assault Gun

Tank Hunter

Light/Heavy SP Howitzer

Heavy SP Mortar (think SturmTiger)

SP Rocket Launcher

Amphibious Tank

Armored Recovery Vehicle

Half-Track

 The game comes with two light card stock Player Aids. These have everything that the player needs for his foray into the game. These list the following for each type of piece:

Armor

Speed

Effectiveness/Worth

Firepower - in all three game modes

Weapon Mount Turret/Hull - for facing rules

Flags and stands

Die and gaming accessories

Vehicles

Player Aid

  The Rulebook that I was sent is ten pages long. It is in full color and has play examples on each page (please remember this was a preproduction game I was sent). It gives the rules for all three modes of play. The next booklet is really a list of different missions for the game. It is nine pages long and the illustrations are in black & white (this will probably change). There are ten different missions. However, The missions have at least two different versions, some have four, of the setup and play of that mission.

 For a preproduction game I am very impressed. Most of the game's pieces and the booklets were all built by the designers at home. Going by their other games I would assume that they will be of high quality.

                                                                                   

 The game has been designed from the ground up to be two different things. The first is to be an introductory wargame to help entice fledgling grognards. The second was to add to the game to make it a good fit for tyros and for grognards by adding to the rules etc. I believe that Forsage Games has succeeded in both areas. While it masquerades as just a beer and pretzel game, it actually allows the player to grow from a new wargamer to a more advanced one by just acquiring one game. Will Urban Battle make you ready for four maps and 2000 counters? Absolutely not, but it can take the newbie by the hand and lead him down the slippery slope of wargaming. Thank you Forsage Games for allowing me to kick the tires on Urban Battle. I find it an excellent game to bring someone into the fold. 

 I will also have a review of Forsage Games Age of Dogfights WWII coming up.

Robert Peterson

Urban Battle: Main Square

Forsage Games

My review of Age of Dogfights WWI by Forsage Games:

Age of Dogfights: WWI by Forsage Games - A Wargamers Needful Things

My review of Tank Chess by Forsage Games:

Tank Chess by Forsage Games - A Wargamers Needful Things

 Verdun 1914

The Opening Moves

by

Christina Holstein

 The first major battle on the Western Front in 1914 was called the Battle of the Frontiers. The French threw their troops with abandon to reconquer Alsace and Lorraine. Unfortunately, they fell right into a German trap. The German High Command had believed for years that this is what the French would do. This book shows those early battles on the southern and middle of the Western Front in 1914. It also shows how close Verdun and all its forts almost fell at the beginning of the war. While this would not have been a mortal blow to France, it would still be a large propaganda victory for Germany and a blow to French morale.

 The first part of the book (pages 1 - 64) are a history of those first battles. The author takes you through the Battle of the Frontiers and the Battle of the Marne. The book then goes into the actual fighting for the forts and Verdun in 1914. As an overview of the early war battles it is an excellent primer. The amount of maps that you can peruse, and actually read, is an excellent change from many military history books. It is also full of pictures of the various points and of the soldiers that the pages discuss. You will be shown the Verdun salient and the reasons behind the German attack in 1916. 

 This is the first Battleground book from Pen & Sword that I have reviewed. From page 65 onward, the book becomes a tour guide for all of the areas of the fighting in 1914 along with all of the numerous memorials, gravestones, and other points of interest. However, in those pages there is still a ton of history that you will be taught. The tour portion of the book also has maps and the stories behind all of the things you will be seeing.

 I must admit that I was a little hesitant when I received the book. I had hoped to visit the Verdun area at some time for its early history and for the 1916 campaign. However, when I saw that more than two thirds of the book was about the different tours that you should take, I was a bit nonplussed. I was interested in reading a military history of the area during the early battles of WWI and not a sightseeing tour. I am not ashamed to admit that I was totally wrong in my snap judgement. This book is as good a military history book that I have read. Yes, it does focus on touring the area but every page has a lot of history for the reader. You get maps of not only what tours you should take, but it has even more maps about the fighting in the areas that you would visit. If you do plan to visit the Verdun area, this book is a must have for your trip. If you are just interested in the history behind the 1914 battles you cannot go wrong with getting this book, even if you never plan on visiting. The incredible amount of maps and pictures of the area alone will help you to understand the fighting that raged here. Thank you, Casemate Publishers, for allowing me to broaden my horizons with this Battleground book.

Robert Peterson

Book: Verdun 1914: The Opening Moves

Publisher: Pen & Sword

Distributor: Casemate Publishers

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

 Wings Over the Reich Expansion 'The Battle of France'

by

OBD Software

  OBD Software has been around for a long time. They hit the big time with their first game, 'Wings Over Flanders Fields'. Originally, it was really just a mod from the Microsoft Combat Flight Simulator 3. Wings Over Flanders Fields has garnered many plaudits over the years since it release and is in many of the 'top 20-25 simulations of all time' lists. This is what OBD Software has to say about Wings Over the Reich:

"‘WOTR’ is an immersive WW2 Combat Flight Simulator for PC, that brings you full-on immersion in the greatest air battle that has ever been, the ‘Battle of Britain’, and now with WOTR Expansion, the earlier ‘Battle of France’ too! Immerse yourself via the new dynamic campaign systems, all developed by OBD specially for WOTR uniquely for both for BoB and BoF Be thrilled and absorbed in the frantic dogfighting in early WW2.Choose to fight for Britain, Germany or France (with the BoF expansion), in desperate fights to stop the early German advance!  With stunning immersive WW2 environments, OBD’s unique unmatched single player dynamic campaign system, beautiful lighting and scenery, superb unique weather systems, and the finest WW2 Artificial Intelligence pilot system for thrilling air combat! Now with the incredible “Battle of France" Expansion to take it further WOTR aims to be the definitive BoB and BoF WW2 flight simulator for PC! WOTR is unashamedly designed for single player, because gameplay matters!"

Curtiss H-75A2

 This is their thoughts on the expansion The Battle of France:

"Invasion Begins: Experience the intensity of 1940's blitzkrieg warfare as Germany launches a surprise attack through the Ardennes, catching the Allies off guard. You are at the heart of the action in an unprecedented dynamic campaign crafted by OBD, known for their record-breaking work in combat flight simulators. Dynamic Campaign System; Choose your side - Germany, Britain, or France - and immerse yourself in a rapidly changing battlefield. Our new campaign engine brings to life the swift and tumultuous Battle of France like never before. Witness history as the Germans carve their path along the Somme valley, bisecting French forces and cornering the BEF and French 1st Armies at Dunkirk. Evacuation of Dunkirk; Take on a pivotal role in history, flying Spitfire squadrons from England to assist in the famous Dunkirk evacuation. This is where heroism meets strategy. Seamless Integration: Your journey doesn't end here. Seamlessly transition from the Battle of France to the Battle of Britain, continuing your pilot's career across these iconic campaigns. It's one continuous war story. New Additions:Scenery: Explore new airfields, admire the updated grass textures, and marvel at the detailed Dunkirk area, complete with landmarks like the Mole and the Lighthouse. Flyable Aircraft: Test your skills in the Curtiss Hawk 75-A2, BF109E3, and others. For Battle of Britain enthusiasts, the cannon-armed Spitfire MkIb (Early), Spitfire MkIb, and Spitfire MkIIa await.AI Aircraft: Engage with the Bloch MB152, Morane MS406, Potez 63.11, Fairey Battle MkI, and Blenheim MkIV. Ground Realism: Witness German tanks advancing into France, capturing bridges and airfields. Observe the main armies moving across the battlefield in a real-time simulation of war. More to Explore: Dive deeper into the game's features in the 'News' section. Please ensure you check the 'Requirements' on the Support page before purchasing, to fully prepare for this unparalleled combat flight experience. For WOTR Fans: With numerous enhancements and additions, this is a must-have for any enthusiast of the series. Wings over the Reich: Battle of France offers a unique blend of historical accuracy and immersive gameplay."

 So, as you can see, Wings Over the Reich has a lot of pedigree in its DNA. About the only gripe that flight simmers have had about WOTR is the fact that originally you only had three planes you could fly. The Battle of France expansion adds a lot to the mix, and not only in the plane department. This is a list of the flyable and AI only planes in WOTR with the addition of The Battle of France:

British Flyable

Hurricane MkIa

Spitfire MkIa 

Spitfire MKIb (early)

Spitfire MkIb 

Spitfire MkIIa

British AI only

Fairey Battle MkI 

Bristol Blenheim MkIV

French Flyable

Curtiss H-75A2

French AI only

Potez 63.11

Bloch MB.152 C.1

Morane M.S.406 C.1

German Flyable:

BF 109-E3

BF 109-E4

German AI only:

JU88-A1 

JU87-B1 

Do17-Z2 

He111-H2

Bf 110 C4 

 Now I know that some German plane lovers might be upset about the flyable list. However, OBD Software is all about historical reality in their games. In the air war over the Western Front in 1939 and 1940 the plane list is completely correct for the time. This is for single seat fighters only at the moment. A big caveat to the list is what they have done with, and continue to do, Wings Over Flanders Fields and all of the plane and other additions that have come down the pike. So, I completely believe OBD Software when they say that more goodness is on the way. Please remember, this is not a big PC game studio like Microprose was and might be again. This is really two dedicated flight sim enthusiasts, with some help at times. I must stress that the biggest thing to me in both of their games is the length that they will go to make sure of their historical accuracy. We have had tons of combat flight sims over the years that gave us only eye candy with nothing underneath. OBD Software is really different. Yes, they have beautiful eye candy, but underneath the tip of the iceberg is the real meat and potatoes of the games.

 I have to say that I do drool over flying a FW 190 of any kind in these digital skies. I would also cut off a finger for a flyable BF 110 in WOTR. However, I truly believe that in this case good things will come to those who wait.

 Battle of France, to me, is another step forward for OBD Software to catch up WOTR with its older brother WOFF. The addition of the Battle of France in 1940 gives the flight simmer a new and huge amount of history to immerse themselves into. Now the Curtiss H-75A2 is not in any way shape or form near a Dewoitine D.520 (although Eric Brown did describe the Dewoitine as "It was a nasty little brute. Looked beautiful but didn't fly beautifully."). While flying your Curtiss you are slower and rather weaker than your direct counterparts the BF 109s. However, you do have maneuverability on your side. The 1940 versions of the German bombers are easier to handle than their beefed up later versions. Use your maneuvering capability to evade the BF 109s and get at the German Stukas or other bombers. If you are forced to fight a BF 109, do it on your terms if possible. Your turning rate is much better, and your climbing rate is pretty good. The Curtiss reminds me of a Japanese KI -43 Hayabusa. The Curtiss is really maneuverable, and relatively easy to fly, but it lacks any armor and has a pretty weak punch. In other words, it is very historically accurate. 

 Please take the above advice with a large salt lick. I have been flying computer flight sims since the early 1980s and have all of the bells and whistles that come with the hobby. Name a PC flight combat sim and I have flown in it. Unfortunately, my abilities as a pilot in no way equals my love of the genre and knowledge of the actual history of air combat. I can state that WOFF and WOTR are two of the most immersive flight combat sims ever produced. Just flying around in them is a pure joy.

 Thank you, OBD Software, for allowing me to review this excellent expansion for WOTR. Unfortunately for you, it has really only sharpened my appetite for what else you have in your rabbits' hat.  

 All of the pictures were from WOTR with The Battle of France expansion added.

Robert Peterson

Wings Over the Reich

The Battle of France Expansion

Wings over Flanders Field

These are links to two reviews that we did on Over Flanders Field and its expansion Between Heaven and Hell:

Wings Over Flanders Fields Between Heaven & Hell II by OBD (Old Brown Dog) Software - A Wargamers Needful Things

Wings Over Flanders Fields UE Review - A Wargamers Needful Things

 Science of Arms

The Art of War in the Century of the Soldier 1672 - 1699

Volume 2

by

Stephen M. Carter

 This volume continues where Volume I left off. Here, there are 146 pages of an idiot's guide to cavalry during this time period. From its duties in the army as a whole to its use on the battlefield and everything in between is shown the reader. The book even has insights into how to quarter your cavalry for the winter. Training your troopers is gone into in depth.

 The next 50 pages or so goes into, and just as in depth, about how to train, handle, and use your artillery. This part goes into all of the myriads of different artillery sizes and guns that were in use at the time and each one's specific use. For the military modeler and wargamer this information, as is the two volumes as a whole, is invaluable.

 The last 140 pages or so was, to me, the best parts of the book. This takes the reader and explains exactly how to use your army. This goes from the mundane to how to fight a campaign. The chapters in this part of the book are:

Starting the Campaign

The Army Command

Maxims on Moving the Army

Maxims on Lodging the Army

Maxims on Forcing Passages

Maxims for Defensive Marches

Maxims on Standing Camps & Garrisons

Maxims on Guarding Places

Maxims on Offensive Marches

Giving Battle 

 The last chapter also has a two-page illustration of an army in the line of battle with all of the frontages of the different troop types. It not only informs you of what to do if you won the battle, but also how to deal with a defeat. 

The frontpiece also has a wonderful picture or engraving of Louis de Bourbon Prince de Condé (The Great Condé). 

 This is a marvelous two book series on the complete ways that armies were raised, trained, and fought in the late 17th century. The author has done so many of us a wonderful service by releasing these in a clear and easily read manner. These volumes are for any reader who is interested in military history, a wargamer, or someone who does historical modeling. Thank you, Casemate Publishers, for the chance to review this excellent addition to the military history genre. 

Robert Peterson

Book: Science of Arms: The Art of War in the Century of the Soldier 1672-1699 Volume 2 

Author: Stephen M. Carter

Publisher: Helion & Company

Distributor: Casemate Publishers