The weather is beginning to warm up, although we had 3″ of snow last week here in Indiana, and critters are beginning to stir. We had Robins in our yard this week and the squirrels are all out looking for those last nuts to sustain them through the final 4 weeks of winter. Spring is approaching and with warmer weather comes more energy and that is typified this month in the plethora of game offerings I was able to dig up on the internet. It is almost as if publishers also awoke from their slumber. This month I found 15 games to share with only two of those being Kickstarters.

If you missed the February Wargame Watch, you can read that here at this link: https://theplayersaid.com/2020/02/03/wargame-watch-whats-new-upcoming-february-2020/

Pre-Order

1. By Stealth and Sea from Dan Verssen Games Now on Kickstarter

I feel like this game has appeared on our blog a lot in the past two weeks, and it really has with several posts leading up to the Kickstarter launch on Tuesday, February 25th. By Stealth and Sea from David Thompson and Nicola Saggini is a solitaire game, with cooperative options, that follows elements of an Italian commando frogman unit during World War II called Decima Flottiglia MAS. Under your command, teams of frogmen will pilot manned torpedoes in attacks against the Royal Navy in the heavily guarded harbors of Gibraltar, Algiers, and Alexandria along the Mediterranean Coast.

The game has 9 missions that can be played as stand alone affairs or can be linked together to form a campaign. From the game, page we read the following:

By Stealth and Sea’s campaign system features all nine key historic manned torpedo attacks by the Decima Flottiglia MAS against the Royal Navy. During the campaign, you can advance your technology and train your frogmen, but the Royal Navy responds to successful attacks by improving their defenses.

The game uses a very cool action selection system and the players can take two actions per turn doing actions such as diving, full movement, repair, turn, detach and attach warhead, scuttle their SLC or escape. Most of these actions require a die roll to beat a set number but players can take a chance or simply use both actions in a single turn to ensure success on a single action.

I played a prototype copy of the game and really enjoyed the various elements and feel the game is well designed, challenging and interesting. Here is a look at my preview video for the campaign:

We also posted a written interview with co-designer David Thompson and a playthrough AAR of a mission to show how the game plays.

If you are interested in By Stealth and Sea here is a link to the Kickstarter page: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/danverssengames/dvg-by-stealth-and-sea

As of February 27th, the campaign has 362 backers who have pledged $18,381 toward its $20,000 goal. The campaign will close as of Wednesday, March 18th at 3:00PM EDT.

2. La Résistance! from Flying Pig Games Now on Kickstarter

If you like fast playing historically themed games, then La Résistance is definitely up your alley.

From the Flying Pig Games website is the following information on the game:

Designed by Mark H. Walker, La Résistance is a simple, yet engaging, dice and card game set during the German occupation of France in World War II. During the occupation, brave French men and women fought against the Nazi conquerors, disrupting their communications, destroying supply warehouses, and ambushing German patrols. La Résistance gives players a chance to lead a band of resistance fighters, working to keep their men and women alive as they also strive to become the most famous resistance leader.

On each turn, a player will roll six dice, placing the dice on mission cards common to all players, he or she attempts to defeat the mission card by matching dice on the card, spending recruits, and using their resistance leader’s special abilities. To win, a player must amass 12 Glory Points or break–by stealing or otherwise removing all rival resistance group members—the other resistance bands. La Résistance mixes elements of popular dice games, such as Yahtzee and King of Tokyo, with “take that” card mechanics and player interaction, giving the game a familiar feel.

The game is historically themed, and a great way to introduce gamers to strategy games. Three to five people may play, so La Résistance is great for game nights and family get-togethers.

We actually played this one at Origins 2019 with Mark Holt Walker and Hermann Luttmann and had a blast! Here is a link to our video interview covering the game:

If you are interested in La Résistance here is a link to the Kickstarter page: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/markhwalker/la-resistance-an-exciting-dice-and-card-game

As of February 27th, the campaign is funded with 202 backers who have pledged $6,732 toward its $6,000 goal. The campaign will close as of Wednesday, March 18th at 11:59AM EDT.

3. Great Campaigns of the American Civil War: Hood Strikes North from Multi-Man Publishing

We have gradually become more and more interested in gaming the American Civil War and with each game that we have played (most recently played Antietam 1862 from Worthington Publishing) have gained a greater appreciation for the amazing games out there on the subject. The latest design in the Great Campaigns of the American Civil War (GCACW) series is Hood Strikes North.

From the game page, we read the following:

Hood Strikes North depicts the desperate offensive undertaken by General John Bell Hood’s Army of Tennessee in November 1864 through central Tennessee in an effort to capture Union-held Nashville. Union forces defending the critical Nashville-Chattanooga corridor, led by Maj. Gen. George Thomas (“The Rock of Chickamauga”), were initially scattered and ill-prepared to meet Hood’s thrust. But under Thomas’ prudent and patient leadership, the Rebels were stopped at the gates of Nashville and then thoroughly defeated by a Union offensive in mid-December.

Hood Strikes North will include a single map, two countersheets, and limited special rules, thereby making it a highly suitable game for newcomers to the Great Campaigns of the American Civil War series. The game is designed by Joe Balkoski (the original GCACW series creator), Chris Withers, and Ed Beach. Based on mid-19th century Tennessee county maps, the game map will adhere to the high graphic standards of its predecessors, with map design executed by artist Charlie Kibler—whose work on the series dates back to its creation in 1992.

If you are interested in Hood Strikes North you can pre-order a copy for $75.00 from the Multi-Man Publishing website at the following link: http://www.multimanpublishing.com/tabid/59/ProductID/375/Default.aspx

There are also options for ordering a copy of a reprint of Stonewall Jackson’s Way II.

4. Next War Supplement #3 from GMT Games

We have not played any of the Next War Series but we hope to correct that in 2020 as Alexander owns Taiwan and I just got a 2nd Printing of Korea. From the game page, we read the following about this new supplement:

This third Next War supplement will contain the following items:

• An expansion map containing the rest of Kaliningrad and a larger portion of Lithuania including the strategically important railroad connection.

• Optional expansion map which depict the islands of Bornholm and Gotland as hex based maps as well as rules to integrate them into the game.

• Two counter sheets containing additional and updated counters for most of the nationalities in Poland including:

  • New and additional ground OOB for Russia
  • Typhoons w/ Meteor
  • Additional ground units for Poland
  • Belgian F-35s
  • US F/A-18s w/ AMRAAMs
  • Belarus Su-30s

• Additional counters for other games in the series including:

  • Indian S-400s
  • PRC DF21s/26s
  • Updated ROK Order of Battle for Next War: Korea (either edition)

• Additional counters and Player Aid Cards for revamped Cyber Warfare rules.

• A few optional rules.

If you are interested in Next War Supplement #3, you can pre-order a copy for $18.00 from the GMT Games website at the following link: https://www.gmtgames.com/p-843-next-war-supplement-3.aspx

5. Tank Duel Expansion #1: North Africa from GMT Games

We have played Tank Duel and appreciate the system and how it attempts to replicate some of the crunchy minutia involved in tank on tank combat including range, penetration, armor, facing, etc. We had a good time with the game but have not been able to play it enough to gain a full appreciation of the design…but we will get there! Now comes an inevitable expansion for a game that has been very well received by the wargaming community as it is seen as a somewhat updated version of the classic Up Front with the main focus on tanks. From the game page, we read the following:

Tank Duel Expansion #1: North Africa takes the popular Tank Duel system to the desert! North Africa introduces new desert terrain and rules for dust, deep sand, armored cars, heat and haze, and more. British and Italian tanks join the fight, alongside even more German AFVs: Panzer IV Ausf. E, Marder II, Panzer III Ausf. F, Sd.Kfz. 232 Rad-8, Semovente da 75/18, M13/40, More Tigers!, M4A2 Sherman III, Cruiser Mk. IV A13, Matilda Mk. II A12, Crusader Mk. II A15, Valentine Mk. II, Churchill Mk. IV and Valentine Mk. VIII.

Tank Duel: North Africa includes ID Counters allowing you to assign any ID Number to each tank, enabling players to combine the tank boards from multiple Tank Duel sets in order to create new tank match-ups, or have 4 Tigers mix it up! North Africa also comes with brand new scenarios, including new historical scenarios for you to test your crews. Tanks and terrain from North Africa can be combined with some scenarios from Enemy in the Crosshairs to give you even more ways to play Tank Duel!

6. Tank Duel Tank Pack #1 from GMT Games

More of a good thing is always better though I think so there will be even more tanks to choose from with the announcement of Tank Pack #1.

From the game page, we read the following:

Tank Duel Tank Pack #1 adds 8 new tanks to the popular Tank Duel system. These tanks can be mixed with the existing tanks and used in scenarios from both Tank Duel: Enemy in the Crosshairs and Tank Duel Expansion #1: North Africa. Two of each of these new tanks are included in Tank Pack #1: KV-1, T-26, M3 Lee, M3 Stuart Mk II (“Honey”), Panzer IV Ausf. F/2, Panzer III Ausf. G, Sd.Kfz. 234 “Puma” and Panzer 38(t) Ausf. C.

Tank Pack #1 also appears to include additional rules for armored cars, tanks with multiple turrets and light ordnance. But that is not all. In addition to the new tanks, 8 all-new scenarios are included. Also as is the case with some of these type of expansion card games, you can combine 2 Tank Packs with the above mentioned Tank Duel Expansion #1: North Africa to enable 4 of each type of tank to battle.

If you are interested in Tank Pack #1, you can pre-order a copy for $25.00 from the GMT Games website at the following link: https://www.gmtgames.com/p-860-tank-duel-tank-pack-1.aspx

7. The Great Crisis of Frederick II from VUCA Simulations

We have not played many games covering the Seven Years’ War in Europe but I am sure that is about to change as VUCA Simulations (formerly Furor Teutonicus who released Crossing the Line: Aachen in 2019) has released a new game called The Great Crisis of Frederick II. From the game page, we read the following:

Players will reenact the European military campaign of the Seven Years’ War (1756-1763). The combatants are alliances centered around Prussia and Austria; each side fights to consolidate their great power status in the region. The game map covers almost the whole central European theater of war, including the sites of the major historical battles. The game runs either until December 1763 or until victory conditions are fulfilled.

Each turn is split into phases in which only one army can act and uses a Chit-Pull Activation system to decide which army goes first.

There are also 32 Tactics Cards, which are divided into a Prussian Deck and an Austrian Deck. Each card has conditions on when and how it can be used. The cards with numbers in their titles are used in field battles.

I don’t know much else about the game play but as for presentation and quality of production, these guys know what they are doing and the game simply looks beautiful. You can download the most recent form of the rules and get a better idea about how the game plays from its pages. It looks interesting and will frankly take us into a new era and that is always a good thing in my book.

If you are interested in The Great Crisis of Frederick II you will have to wait until March 24th to order a copy from the VUCA Simulations website at the following link: https://vucasims.com/products/the-great-crisis-of-frederick-ii

New Release

1. Paper Wars Issue #94 Fall of Siam: Burmese-Siamese War 1765-1767 from Compass Games

I really like wargame magazines as they are a good mix of interesting historical articles, strategy guides and reviews of existing games and typically offer a pack-in game. Paper Wars new issue has all that and more and the featured game is Fall of Siam: Burmese-Siamese War 1765-1767 designed by John Poniske.

From the order page we read the following about the game:

The relationship between the two ancient Asian superpowers of Burma (currently Myanmar) and Siam (currently Thailand) was long, bloody and well documented. Burma and Siam clashed constantly, involving at least 17 separate conflicts that in turn resulted in at least six sieges of the Siam’s capital, Ayutthaya, over a 300 year period. Twelve of these conflicts ended in Burmese victory. The 1767 siege of Ayutthaya ended in the great capital’s total destruction. The Fall of Siam attempts to give players the opportunity to face each other with historically similar armies under similar circumstances. The Fall of Siam is a two-player, hex and counter game lasting approximately two hours. It involves elephants, Chinese intervention and siege rules. The idea sprang from a visit to the ruined city in 2017.

If you are interested in Paper Wars #95 which includes the pack-in game Fall of Siam: Burmese-Siamese War 1765-1767 you can order a copy for $46.95 from the Compass Games website at the following link: https://www.compassgames.com/paperwars/issue-94-magazine-game-fallofsiam.html

2. The World Undone: 1914 East Prussia from Conflict Simulations Limited

Ray Weiss appears to be be back in the saddle designing games again after some adventures in relocation and is offering a new game for sale called The World Undone. From the game page we read the following:

The World Undone: 1914 East Prussia (TWU) is a new operational, division level WW 1 system inspired by the brilliant late John Young’s The Marne. What results is an extremely simple, nuanced, and quick playing, immersive simulation of the first big German victories of WW1. Play is broken down into a simple Move-Combat-Move-Combat phase for each side, with units participating in the first combat phase unable to move or fight during the second. The game covers August 13 to September 13th covering both the battles of Tannenberg and the Masurian Lakes. Separate CRTs are used for German and Russian forces to reflect differences in quality and doctrine. This is an extremely low complexity game that I hope will be able to draw new players into wargaming, and remind old players why they started gaming in the first place. The World Undone will be a 3 part series covering East Prussia, Galicia and the Western Front (maybe Serbia/Austria too).

Victory is determined through a simple Clausewitz-inspired Victory Point ratio system determined by control of towns, important objectives, and casualties. Scenarios cover Tannenberg, Masurian Lakes, and a ‘Campaign game covering both operations. Variants allow for additional replacements to change the balance of things. The Russian player can win automatically by taking Konigsberg, while the German player can win automatically by eliminating a percentage of Russian SP. Players can combine the Galicia, East Prussia and Serbia Games together to simulate the entire Eastern Front in 1914.

If you are interested in The World Undone: 1914 East Prussia you can order a copy for $34.99 from the Conflict Simulations Limited website at the following link: https://www.consimsltd.com/shop/the-world-undone-1914-east-prussia

3. Eternal City’s End: Italian Resistance in Rome after the Italian Armistice September, 1943 from High Flying Dice Games

I love a good solo game and if that solo game is covering a lesser known or gamed topic, mores the better. So is the case with a new game from High Flying Dice Games called Eternal City’s End,

From the game page we read the following:

This solitaire or two player game portrays a series of “what ifs” based upon the historical situation following the Italian Armistice that was signed September 8, 1943. Starting from the historical positions of the Italian and German formations, one player, as the Italian, must try to save Rome from falling into German hands before the arrival of American paratrooper reinforcements to support them in rescuing the Eternal City from Nazi occupation. But this game can also be played with a German opponent, or from the German perspective as an alternative solitaire play game trying to secure the Eternal City before the arrival of the American paratroopers. Historically, the Germans declared Rome to be an “open city” after the surrender of their former Italian ally. The game allows players to explore several historical “what ifs” in this game by Roberto Chiavini.

If you are interested in Eternal City’s End you can order a copy for $20.95 from the High Flying Dice Games website at the following link: http://www.hfdgames.com/roma.html

4. Amerika Bomber: Evil Queen of the Skies from Compass Games

As you know, Gregory M. Smith is an evil genius when it comes to designing very good solitaire simulators for an array of periods and wars. He has designed games on submarine warfare, airwar during both World War I and World War II and now he takes his system and talents to a post WWII alternate history subject on the German bombing of America in 1947-1948 with Amerika Bomber: Evil Queen of the Skies.

From the game page we read the following about the game:

Amerika Bomber: Evil Queen of the Skies is a solitaire, tactical level game which places you in command of a hypothetical, yet historically-based bomber aircraft during a frightening look at what might have been in World War II. Each turn consists of one sortie, during which the player will fly a mission to bomb the mainland of the United States. As the player progresses, he may choose to upgrade to even more advanced bombers in this alternate history game. Amerika Bomber is based on the popular, action-packed B17: Queen of the Skies system and pays homage to Glen Frank’s original system, but with streamlined routines and a few twists. It builds a strong narrative around the pilot as you look to earn skills, rise in rank through promotion, receive awards and survive a dangerous year above America.

These solitaire air games from Greg are just fantastic as we have played and really enjoyed Nightfighter Ace and are anticipating the follow-up effort Interceptor Ace. I really enjoy the skills aspect of the game and “leveling” your pilot as they progress through sortie after sortie gaining experience points to be spent on new skills. We were able to do an interview with Greg late last year on Amerika Bomber and you can read that here.

If you are interested in Amerika Bomber: Evil Queen of the Skies, you can order a copy for $60.00 from the Compass Games website at the following link: https://www.compassgames.com/preorders/amerika-bomber-evil-queen-of-the-skies.html

5. The Hunted: Twilight of the U-Boats, 1943-45 from GMT Games

Another solo game from Gregory M. Smith, The Hunted sees the end of the German U-Boats as they have turned from the hunters to the hunted. It seems like this game has been in the works for an eon and I know that there are many gamers out there who love this system and are excited to have the final volume in their hands.

From the game page, we read the following on the background for the game:

The Hunted is a solitaire tactical level game placing you in command of a German U-Boat during WWII. This is the long-anticipated sequel to the award-winning, multiple-print edition release The Hunters, and picks up the action where The Hunters left off. You command one of many U-Boat models available starting in 1943 and look to successfully complete U-Boat operations until the end of the war. Not only is this a standalone game, but fans of The Hunters will enjoy having the capability to easily combine both games to span all of WWII and experience the career of a U-Boat commander from 1939 until 1945.

The game play is brutal and it will be difficult for the player to survive until the end of the war as capital ships and even aircraft are more common and will make life miserable. Like the other game in the series, the goal is to sink Allied shipping.

While your mission is to destroy as much Allied shipping and as many Capital ships as possible, players will find it extremely challenging to “go the distance” and survive the entire war. The second half of the war has not been sugar coated; the brutal aspects facing U-boat commanders in the final phases of the war make surviving your attack difficult at best. True to history, your challenge is to accomplish what only a few could achieve — to make it to the conclusion, as happened historically.

The Hunted is purposely designed to deliver a brisk yet intensive gaming experience that forces many decisions upon you as you take command among the major German U-Boat models in service during WWII, and try to survive until the end of the war. All major U-Boat models are accounted for, with every level of detail, including period of service, armaments, crew make-up, damage capacity, and more. Fans of The Hunters will enjoy the same nail-biting game system, but fraught with many more challenges to withstand the advances the Allies have made in anti-submarine warfare. If you ultimately survive until 1945, you will surrender at port, having done your part on the front lines.

We were able to do an interview with the designer about 18 months ago and you can read that at the following link: https://theplayersaid.com/2019/03/25/interview-with-gregory-m-smith-designer-of-the-hunted-twilight-of-the-u-boats-1943-1945-from-consim-press-and-gmt-games/

If you are interested in The Hunted you can order a copy for $55.00 from the GMT Games website at the following link: https://www.gmtgames.com/p-590-the-hunted-twilight-of-the-u-boats-1943-45.aspx

6. Brief Border Wars from Compass Games

As I think you know, we really like Brian Train designed games. He is a very thoughtful designer that always is pushing the envelope on what insurgency and counter insurgency means. He also is fairly prolific and seems to always have at lest 2 or 3 games in the design hopper. Now comes a  quadrigame with lots of goodness included with four different conflicts neatly packaged into an itty bitty box (well probably not that small but it sounded good!).

Brief Border Wars is a quadrigame or set of four mini-games on short border conflicts of the 20th and 21st century, using a card-driven system that models the chaotic, stop-and-start nature of these impromptu wars.

The four conflicts include:

• El Salvador vs. Honduras, 1969 (also known as “The Football War”)
• The Turkish invasion of Cyprus, 1974
• China vs. Vietnam, 1979
• Israel vs. Hezbollah, southern Lebanon, 2006

From the game page, we read the following about each of the four battles contained in the game:

“The Football War”

El Salvador vs. Honduras, 1969. This is one of history’s shortest wars, clocking in at about 100 hours. People often joke that this was was provoked by one side losing a soccer match: in fact, like most wars, the war was the climax of years of political and economic pressure. The El Salvadoran government reasoned that a war with Honduras would unify the country politically by seeming to avenge the mistreatment of the hundreds of thousands of El Salvadoran immigrants in Honduras and diverting citizens’ attention from other problems. The war, while short, did not provide a solution to anything: about 2,000 people, mostly Honduran civilians, were killed; no land changed hands; infrastructure in both countries was damaged; both countries spent scarce money rebuilding their forces; and economic ties between the two countries were disrupted completely. In the game, both forces are largely similar – El Salvador has a slightly larger ground force, while Honduras has a bit more airpower – and both must contend with rugged terrain and poor roads in their efforts to seize or hold Honduran territory.

Operation Attila

The Turkish invasion of Cyprus, 1974. Greeks and Turks have co-existed uneasily on the island of Cyprus since Classical times. In 1974  a coup d’etat by “EOKA-B”, a violent organization seeking unity with Greece, overthrew the Cypriot government and was the trigger for the Turkish military to intervene on the island, ostensibly to guarantee the safety of Turkish Cypriots living in small enclaves across the island. The invasion, codenamed Operation ATTILA, saw two distinct bursts of action: first, on 20-23 July when Turkish forces established a beachhead then drove a narrow corridor to the capital of Nicosia; and second, when peace talks and world opinion seemed to be swinging against Turkey, a second invasion on 14 August which ended several days later with Turkish control of about 40% of Cyprus. In the game, the Turkish player has a small number of professional units to seize and dominate as much of the island as possible, opposed by a larger number of Cypriot irregular forces.

Third Indochina War

China vs. Vietnam, 1979. The Chinese government claimed that this brief war, purposely limited in its aims, was launched to “teach Vietnam a lesson”… officially to punish it for its poor treatment of ethnic Chinese in Vietnam, its occupation of the Spratly Islands, and its invasion of Cambodia at the end of 1978. The real incentives behind this first war between two Communist countries were rather more obscure and remain so to this day. The conduct of the war exposed many severe problems of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army, which had not fought a war for 30 years. The Army performed very poorly against the determined Vietnamese People’s Army, then one of the largest and most battle-experienced military forces in the world, backed up with a large force of determined local militia and guerrillas.

Particularly galling for the Chinese player is having to contend with two widely separated, non-communicating  battle fronts.

Second Lebanon War

Israel vs. Hezbollah, southern Lebanon, 2006. The Hezbollah (Party of God) movement is effectively the governing power in southern Lebanon, bordering on the state of Israel. The Second Lebanon War began in July, 2006 after a long series of provocations and retaliations between the two powers: the action begins around July 20, 2006 which marked the beginning of increasingly large incursions by Israeli ground troops after eight days of intense aerial bombardment. The time covered by an entire game may represent up to three weeks, ending in a ceasefire on August 14, 2006. The Israeli player’s main objective is to seek out and destroy the Hezbollah rocket and missile units raining destruction on their territory, while balancing the need to avoid mobilizing too many reserve forces.

It also appears that each game is small (40 to 50 counters each) and with a short play time (one to two hours), and using a common set of basic system rules and a deck of special cards to control movement and combat. Each game also features rules additions and variations to reflect the nature of each conflict. This type of standardization should make the game very playable and easy to pick up which I think makes this one a real value.

We recently published an interview with the designer and you can read that at the following link: https://theplayersaid.com/2020/02/17/interview-with-brian-train-designer-of-brief-border-wars-from-compass-games/

If you are interested in Brief Border Wars, you can order a copy for $52.00 from the Compass Games website at the following link: https://www.compassgames.com/preorders/brief-border-wars.html

7. Rifles in the Peninsula from Tiny Battle Publishing

We really have enjoyed this series from Tiny Battle Publishing. Our first foray into the series was Rifles in the Ardennes and then Rifles in the Pacific. Now we see the series spreading out to other conflicts and taking us to the Napoleonic Wars.

From the game page, we read the following about the system and the basics of how it works:

The RIFLES System allows the recreation of small combat engagements (five to ten units per side), using an abstract map that represents the main features of the terrain like trees, buildings, hills. Placement of terrain features is guided but is never the same on each game, always creating new tactical challenges. The enemy strategy and the fog of war is recreated with the use of random Event Markers and “Activation Tables” that drive the enemy units toward their objective.

With the addition of Rifles in the Peninsula new rules are introduced  to cover the very unique aspects of the Napoleonic Wars including mounted troops, formations, and the impact of the longer reload time of the weapons of the period (pistols, muskets, and rifles). The different attributes of the units (combat factors, quality, special traits) are included with the addition of differing unit types including grenadiers, voltigeurs, cuirassiers and dragoons. The major change to the game is in the Campaign game. From the game page, we read the following:

The Campaign game has been greatly redesigned and is now based on the timeline of the main campaigns of the period. The new Glory Track will represent the career of the Leader of your units, your avatar in the game, and your rank will have a direct influence on the game. Each year of the campaign includes four to six main “scenes”: a scene can trigger one Mission on the battlefield or a Campaign Event. Twelve different Missions are available, covering classical military duties like reconnaissance as well as iconic battle episodes like the capture of a gun. Campaign Events are resolved without the need to setup the battlefield and cover episodes like barrack inspections, field maneuvers and of course duels. As a bonus, an optional mini-game The Duel (inspired by the movie, The Duelists) has been included in the package: this mini-game allows players to re-create a saber duel with a more personal perspective, providing an additional level of immersion in the historical period.

If you are interested in Rifles in the Peninsula you can order a copy for $36.00 from the Tiny Battle Publishing website at the following link: https://tinybattlepublishing.com/products/rifles-in-the-peninsula

8. Husky 8 from DDH Games

This last entry, I really know very little about. Either the game or the company but I am going to tell you I think the game looks amazing, as do their other games on their site.

From the game page, we read the following:

“HUSKY 8” is the third game in the series that began with the Charles S  Roberts Award Winner,”JUNE ‘44”. The game recreates the second largest  invasion ever – and the largest at the time: Operation Husky. In July 1943, 3,200 ships carrying eight Allied  divisions plus elements of two Airborne Divisions assaulted across a  100 mile front. Facing them were roughly 235,000 Italian and German defenders.

The game itself looks really fantastic, from the map, to the counters and the cards and charts. I just don’t know much else. I also really like that the game is focused on an Italian battle from World War II as there seems to not be that many on the subject.

If you are interested in Husky 8 you can order a copy for $33.00 from the DDH Games website at the following link: https://ddhgames.co/shop?olsPage=products%2Fhusky-8-hsk-81

That’s it! That is all I got. Just 15 amazing looking games for you to review and investigate until you find one that tickles your fancy. Please let me know if you know of any other good wargames out there being offered up new on pre-order this month, on Kicktarter or now available for purchase. Thanks as always for following along.

-Grant