We are approaching nearly two months in quarantine and I am assuming that many of you have finally got around to playing some of those games languishing on your “shelves of shame”. If that is the case, you will be on the look out for more games to collect dust on those shelves so here is a look at 12 new games that I found this month that you might be interested in.

If you missed the April Wargame Watch, you can read that here at the following link: https://theplayersaid.com/2020/04/01/wargame-watch-whats-new-upcoming-april-2020/

Pre-Order

1. A Hot Dry Season: Operation Attleboro in Warzone C from Legion Wargames

A Hot Dry Season: Operation Attleboro in War Zone C is an operational-level game dealing with the National Liberation Front (NLF) Dry Season Offensive in the III Corps Tactical Zone (III CTZ) in November 1966 and the subsequent counterattack by forces under the command of Military Assistance Command, Vietnam (MACV). Operation Attleboro was a meeting engagement in War Zone C that grew into the largest operation involving US Forces conducted in South Vietnam at that time. To the Central Office for South Vietnam (COSVN – the NLF Strategic command in that area), Operation Attleboro was unexpected early contact by a force attempting to conduct an offensive that snowballed into a desperate defense and fighting withdrawal to protect precious logistic and command capabilities essential to their future operations in III Corps Tactical Zone (III CTZ).

From the game page we read the following:

AHDS is the first entry in a new series, Campaigns in Vietnam, which features a “Ground-Up Build” system. While sharing core concepts and “DNA” in resolution of play and movement/combat mechanisms, each title is built from the “Ground-Up” allowing specific tailoring of concepts and rules mechanisms in an attempt to accurately evoke the very different Campaigns fought during the Vietnam War from 1965-1975 and faithfully incorporate the dynamic changes in force structure and composition, weapons and ISR capabilities, specific operational goals and difficulties, and terrain and regional variances unique to Vietnam and the Vietnam War.

We recently posted an interview with first time designer Patrick Mullen on our blog and you can read that at the following link: https://theplayersaid.com/2020/04/27/interview-with-patrick-mullen-designer-of-a-hot-dry-season-operation-attleboro-in-war-zone-c-from-legion-wargames/

If you are interested in A Hot Dry Season: Operation Attleboro in War Zone Cyou can pre-order a copy from the Legion Wargames website for $70.00 at the following link: http://www.legionwargames.com/legion_HDS.html

2. Pacific War: The Struggle Against Japan, 1941-1945 from GMT Games

Both Alexander and I love Empire of the Sun and really enjoy Mark Herman designs. Now I know that Pacific War is not EotS but it definitely was a precursor and led to its design and development. Unfortunately, I did not play the original Pacific War as I was 12 years old and focused on other things (baseball, football) and other games (mainly Dungeons & Dragons and other role playing in my teens). So, this one interests me because it will be a new experience for me.

From the game page we read the following:

Pacific War is a Strategic wargame that takes you from the attack on Pearl Harbor to the climatic summer of 1945… from Australia to China… from Burma to Hawaii… from the defense of Wake Island through the invasion of Guadalcanal culminating in the desperate battles to defend the Japanese Home Islands.

Strategic wargame that covers the entirety of the Pacific Theater of World War II…pretty big game, both in scale and distance. For a game to cover the entire theater, it has to be deep and have various systems to cover all of the different types of actions. Here is an answer on this aspect frog the game page:

So, what will change in the new version? The structure and feel of the design will be unchanged, so if you played it in your youth, you already know how to play. That said, a devoted number of players have been playing this game for 35 years and I have incorporated the best of their feedback into this new and final edition for this title. I am going over each scenario and updating them with information that I did not have available back in 1985. For example, I now have several Japanese translations of their official records that were only published in the last few years. Toward this end, I am adding at least six new campaign and strategic scenarios, so you can experience the entire panorama of the war in a long afternoon .

The key question that I consider when buying a new game is will it hit the table? The owners and reviewers who created the game’s reputation were excited that Pacific War had a layered set of scenarios that incorporated fifteen-minute solitaire learning engagements, two hour battles (such as Coral Sea and Santa Cruz that were used in a decade of tournaments), two to eight hour Campaigns (such as Malaya, Guadalcanal and Breaking the Bismarck barrier), and of course the Strategic scenarios that cover the entire war from a single year to the entire war. Will you ever play the entire war? It’s unlikely (to date I have only done it three times). However, Pacific Waris an operational level game and the Campaign scenarios are the heart and soul of this game system. Most play in an afternoon to completion. So, will it hit the table? Only you can answer that question, but from a time and learning perspective this game will support any time commitment you wish to make, to include the 100+ hour Strategic Scenario.

If you are interested in Pacific War: The Struggle Against Japan, 1941-1945 you can pre-order a copy for $79.00 from the GMT Games website at the following link: https://www.gmtgames.com/p-865-pacific-war-the-struggle-against-japan-1941-1945.aspx

3. The French & Indian War 1757-1759 from Worthington Publishing Now on Kickstarter

I have always had a fascination with the Colonial period in American History and the run up to it as it formed the way the original 13 colonies in America were formed. I have played several French & Indian War games such as Wilderness War from GMT Games, 1754 from Academy Games among others. I really like the genre and I was excited when I saw The French & Indian War from Worthington Publishing e going on Kickstarter a few weeks ago.

From the game page, we read the following:

The French and Indian War is a strategic game on that conflict in America during the peak war years of 1757 to 1759. One side commands the British and its allies while the other commands the French and its allies. The object of the game is for the British player to control enough key locations in New France to win the war. The French goals are to protect New France while pursuing its own strategy of gaining territory in the American colonies.

The game uses point to point movement and wooden blocks to represent the units. There are actually two different ways to play the game. One with a traditional I-Go-U-Go system and the other with hidden movement.

The game also uses custom dice as pictured below.

If you are interested in The French & Indian War 1757-1759 from Worthington Publishing you can pre-order a copy from the Kickstarter campaign website at the following link: https://worthingtonpublishing.us3.list-manage.com/track/click?u=b4db5423499871bbadfee8379&id=97e95a45b4&e=6826dc3a0c

As of May 1st, the game has raised $20,185 of their $2,500 goal with 257 backers. The campaign will end as of Saturday, May 2nd at 4:30pm EDT.

4. Dawn’s Early Light: The War of 1812 from Compass Games Now on Kickstarter

I love the Card Driven Game mechanic and find it absolutely fascinating how it can lead to very interactive, tense and tight games. Each system uses the mechanic differently and I am always interested to see how new iterations use it to enhance game play and create the tension. Similar to the French & Indian War from Worthington this one hits the sweet spot for me as it deals with the early years in American history with the War of 1812.

From the game page we read the following:

Dawn’s Early Light: The War of 1812 is a two-player card-driven grand strategy game: a quick-playing, high-level abstract recreation of the entire conflict encompassing the territorial, naval, political, and economic competition between the two sides. Players will appreciate the high-production quality of the components which includes a MOUNTED game map and large, 5/8″ size punch-out counters.

Players take the role of the United States or Great Britain over a four-year period spanning the war and its prelude, with game cards for events and operations that offer players the tools to remix the entire scope of the conflict. Events such as “Andrew Jackson,” “Old Ironsides,” “Laura Secord,” “Tippecanoe,” and “Dinner at the White House” recreate the characters and moments that shaped the war, while operations such as recruiting, campaigning, privateering, raiding, and shipbuilding let players take it in their own direction. Each side earns victory points for capturing the enemy’s towns and territory, outcompeting them at sea, and outmaneuvering them in politics and public sentiment.

The game is designed to be played in about 2 hours and offers some really interesting opportunities in the outcome. I also like the look of the board and notice that the score track is one of those back and forth affairs, which I really like. You will also notice that there are tracks for Public Opinion, Economy and Diplomacy and my guess with this is that certain cards will be unable to be used for the event unless you have met the prerequisite number on one of these tracks.

If you are interested in Dawn’s Early Light: The War of 1812 you can pre-order a copy from the Kickstarter website at the following link: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/compassgames/dawns-early-light/faqs

As of May 1st, the game has raised $3,526 of their $2,000 goal with 50 backers. The campaign will end as of Friday, May 15th at 10:19pm EDT.

5. Sedan 1940 (Expansion for We Were Not Cowards) from Conflict Simulations Limited

About a year ago, we did an interview with Ray Weiss on a new game for his company CSL called Imperial Bayonets: Liberty for Lombardy. Since that time he has expanded the series and is now offering an expansion for Sedan 1870 called Sedan 1940.

From the game page we read the following:

Sedan 1940 is a battalion and lower-level tactical game focused on the decisive action at Sedan led by Rommel in 1940, encircling the majority of the French army by driving through the Ardennes and surprising a contingent of less than stellar French divisions. The system focuses on combined arms, combat effects can vary depending on the units in a stack (also called a force). In addition, units have variable strength points, making it impossible for players to attempt to game the CRT.

Forces are activated by chit pull, activating whole divisions at a time. An additional chit allows the German player to activate the division of his choice a second time to represent their increased OODA loop. The sequence of play is unstructured, allowing movement, overruns, fire-combat and close assaults to occur as chaotically as they did historically. Unit types range from armor, infantry, artillery, anti-tank/air, engineer, and motorized units.

Each day turn is approximately 3 hours while night turns are 6 hours for a total of 19 turns, using the map from We Were Not Cowards, each hex is approximately 500 meters. Units accrue Cohesion Hits as a result of combat which reduces the combat potential of any given unit until they are Disordered and combat ineffective. Units primarily have two formations, Mobile and Deployed, mobile units have more capacity for movement but are weaker in combat, while deployed units are the opposite. Sedan 1940 will offer a fresh look into another one of the most decisive battles in recent military history in the vicinity of Sedan!

If you are interested in Sedan 1940 you can pre-order a copy for $19.99 from the CSL website at the following link: https://www.consimsltd.com/shop/sedan-1940

Warning: You will need a copy of Imperial Bayonets: We Were Not Cowards: Sedan 1870 to play this game.

6. Domination from PHALANX Coming to Kickstarter Soon

We played this game upon its initial release when it was called Mini-WWII published by Formosa Force Games. Since that time, the game has undergone some updates and is now poised to go onto Kickstarter with a new name called Domination. There is no firm date yet for hte Kickstarter to start but here is a link to a preview page: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/phalanxgames/372479594?ref=1p1s1n&token=bfe7811b

You can check out our video review for Mini-WWII to get an idea for how the game plays but I am not sure how it will change: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SojMk90-Wmw

New Release

1.  The Second World War: Barbarossa from The Knowledge Company Games

Big wargames are fun. They are space eaters and time consumers but they are always a good time. I saw people unboxing this one over the past few weeks and just had to add this one to the list this month. TSWW: Barbarossa deals with the entire Barbarossa campaign from June 1941 to December 1941.

From the game page, we read the following:

With 20 superb maps (18 at 15 miles to the hex, 2 at 75 miles to the hex), and 7,840 excellent counters it will be the most complete rendition of the entire campaign that we can produce.

Inside the box (Players will have a choice of box art on a first come first served basis) will also be version 1.6 of the TSWW Game system rules and charts, full orders of battle and appearance for the Axis Allied, German, Soviet and Western Allied forces that fought in the desperate campaign both to win on land and to resupply the beleaguered Soviets, as well as a comprehensive series of At Starts in their own booklet. Charts are comprehensive and cover each element of the game as necessary, and have been revised for this release.

There are a few different editions of this game available on their website for vastly different prices ranging from 120 Euros to 435 Euros.

If you are interested you can order a copy from the The Knowledge Company Games website at the following link: https://www.tkc-games.com/shop/games/europe/barbarossa/

2. 1985: Deadly Northern Lights from Thin Red Line Games

World War III games are hot right now! I don’t need to tell you that. I received a copy of Less Than 60 Miles, which is the 1st module for this fictional 1985 tussle between NATO and the Warsaw Pact in Germany, last year and have clipped the counters and read the rules but we have not had a chance to play yet. I am really interested in trying the system out and getting into it. I will admit that I am a fair bit intimidated but we will figure it out. The system debuted in 1985: Under an Iron Sky and was followed by Less Than 60 Miles and now the fighting moves to Scandinavia.

From the game page, we read the following:

1985: Deadly Northern Lights covers the Warsaw Pact offensive against the Nordic countries during the dramatic events of World War Three. Norway, Sweden, Finland and insular Denmark are in the cross-hair, facing the full might of Northern Fleet, Baltic Fleet and two Soviet Military Districts.

Both sides have only a fraction of the ground forces available in the Central European Front and must overcome the problems dictated by scarce lines of communication and by the harsh environment.

Every aspect of a modern aero-naval campaign is covered: naval and air combat, electronic warfare, nuclear and chemical weapons, special forces, standoff strikes, supply convoys, coastal defenses, mine warfare, amphibious invasions, and more.

If you are interested in 1985: Deadly Northern Lights you can order a copy for 163 Euros from the Thin Red Line Games website at the following link: https://trlgames.com/1985-deadly-northern-lights/

3. At All Costs! The Great War in the East from Hollandspiele

At All Costs! is the Eastern Front follow-up to Tim Taylor’s innovative and critically-acclaimed 2013 WWI card-driven wargame To The Last Man! This one has been on my list of anticipated wargames for a few years now and finally has been released. We posted an interview with the designer Tim Tayor a few years ago and you can read that at the following link: https://theplayersaid.com/2017/05/22/interview-with-tim-taylor-designer-of-at-all-costs-the-great-war-in-the-east-from-hollandspiele/

From the game page we read the following:

As in [To the Last Man!], players utilize Offensive Cards to conduct operations, and use other cards to augment their campaigns, or to hinder those of their opponent. Casualties can be resolved by removing units, or by discarding cards in hand for their “Ersatz” value. The strength and nature of your enemy’s armies are hidden, creating opportunities for feints and surprises.

But this is not just a change of scenery. The character of the Eastern Front is quite different than the struggles in the west, and over years of development, Taylor has adapted the original system to reflect the nature of these campaigns and the qualities of these combatants. Additionally, the core rules are supplemented by advanced, optional, and historical rules that will allow you to recreate the dramatic collapse of Austro-Hungary and the overthrow of Tsarist Russia, to explore alternative pre-war battle plans and doctrines, and even a set of rules that will allow you to link At All Costs! with its predecessor in an epic struggle for Europe.

If you are interested in At All Costs! The Great War in the East you can order a copy for $75.00 from the Hollanspiele website at the following link: https://hollandspiele.com/products/at-all-costs

4. Old School Tactical Volume III from Flying Pig Games

Played and loved both of the previous volumes of Old School Tactical and I have really been looking forward the new Volume as it focuses on the Pacific Theater of World War II.

From the game page we read the following:

Old School Tactical (OST) Vol III brings the popular OST system to the Pacific Theater of World War II. Fight in the jungles and on the beaches against both the Imperial Japanese Army and Naval (Marine) units. Unlike other OST soldiers, the fanatical Japanese have no Gut Check number, preferring death to dishonor. The Japanese also come with the new tank-killer units and, of course, rules for the famous Banzai attack. The Americans answer with canister rounds for their Stuart tank, the famed Marine firepower and discipline, and plenty of armor and artillery support.

The game ships with 16 scenarios, including Alligator Creek (Henderson Field),Edson’s Ridge (Guadalcanal),In the Coconut Grove (Bougainville), First Clash (Guadalcanal), and more. New units include  Chi-Ha and Ha-Go tanks, Japanese Sappers, Type 99 LMG, Type 92 HMG, Type 89 Mortar, and more. On the American side there are LVTs, flamethrower tanks, Marine rifle units, Army rifle units, 37mm ATG (yeah, it fires canister), to name just a few

If you are interested in OST Volume III you can order a copy for $90.00 from the Flying Pig Games website at the following link: https://flyingpiggames.com/products/old-school-tactical-vol-iii

5. The First Jihad: The Rise of Islam 632-750 from White Dog Games

Over the past few months I have ordered a few games from White Dog Games and all I have to say is that they are fantastic. Last month, I saw this game too late to add it to the April Wargame Watch but am excited to bring it to you this month. The First Jihad: The Rise of Islam 632-750 is a solitaire wargame focused on simulating the rise of the first Arab Caliphate, which spread the new religion of Islam across wide areas of the Middle East, Africa, Asia and Europe.

From the game page we read the following:

The player controls the forces of fourteen empires and kingdoms against the invading Arab (Muslim) armies, with the aim of pushing these invaders back before they are successful in driving all the player’s armies to the edges of the world and converting his populations to Islam.

If you are familiar with the States of Siege style of solo games, there are tracks that lead to a center point and the player is defending against these areas. In this one, the focus is on an “inside-out” States of Siege-style solitaire game where the player is trying to attack.

If you are interested in the The First Jihad you can order a boxed edition for $55.00 from the White Dog Games website at the following link: http://www.whitedoggames.com/the-first-jihad

6. Seeing Red: The Raid on Kronstadt Harbor, August 18, 1919 from HighFlying Dice Games

High Flying Dice Games has some really interesting and very affordable wargames. Each month, they have a new release or two and this month appears to be a very interesting solo game called Seeing Red: The Raid on Kronstadt Harbor, August 18, 1919.

From the game page we read the following:

Seeing Red is a solitaire game on the British Royal Navy’s raid on the Kronstadt naval base during the Russian Revolution. Even before the armistice with Germany ended the fighting along the Western Front in WWI, British, French and US forces were deployed to attack Soviet controlled Russia to undermine and perhaps overthrow the Communists from power in Russia. One of the more daring Allied attacks occurred when a British flotilla of Coastal Motor Boats (CMB) was dispatched to raid the Soviet occupied naval base of Kronstadt. The raiders were supported by aircraft launched by the world’s first aircraft carrier, HMS Vindictive, making this one of the first combined air/sea attacks in military history.

Soviet warships based at Kronstadt safeguarded St. Petersburg (soon to be renamed Leningrad), and were severely contesting Allied warships in the Baltic. The harbor was considered one of the most heavily fortified ports in Europe, and many in the British Admiralty considered the raid a suicidal gamble. The active player takes on the role of the commanders of the British ships and aircraft. You must endeavor to overcome the Soviet defenses and night-time visibility to inflict as much damage as possible before being killed, captured or fleeing, and then escaping with those vessels and aircraft that survive.

The game is not officially released yet but should be in the next week or so. I will update this post with that information once I have it.

Thanks for reading the post this month. I found some really good looking games and as always had a good time putting them together. Please let me know what I missed this month so that I can do some research on those games.

-Grant