This year is coming to a merciful close and I am glad for that, although this year has been interesting for sure. I am ready for a new start and for new opportunity in 2021. With our ever faithful GMT Games Monthly Update this month came some new hope in the form of a several new offerings that I am very interested in. These games have injected some life into this old body and I am already reaching out to get some interviews set up.

In case you missed the Monthly Update email, here is a link: https://mailchi.mp/65e6abd04f32/november-update-from-gmt-new-p500s-production-update-company-news-and-more

New P500’s

There were 4 new P500’s added this month including Commands and Colors Medieval: Expansion 1 Crusades Mid-Eastern Battles 1 (which is the C&C Medieval we should have got last year IMHO), Skies Above Britain, Space Empires 4X All Good Things Expansion and Wolfpack. There also were 3 reprints added.

Commands and Colors Medieval: Expansion 1 Crusades Mid-Eastern Battles 1

In 2019, we got Commands and Colors Medieval. We were pretty excited about the game but when it arrived, we were deflated as it really didn’t have the focus that we thought it should have had namely in the Crusades. Well, I am pleased to say that with the Monthly Update we are getting the C&C Medieval we should have got last year. I know that there were reasons for the focus in the first entry but I was simply disappointed as it felt like it was Ancients all over again (nothing wrong with Ancients as I love it) but I was looking for something different.

From the game page, we read the following:

The original plan was to have the Medieval expansions follow a somewhat historical timeline, but to keep in tune with player requests and feedback, GMT chose to jump ahead in time some 500 plus years to the Crusades. Actually reflecting on the decision, this jump makes a lot of sense, since there are marked similarities with many Byzantine battles as featured in the Medieval game and the battles fought during the Crusades gameplay wise, rule wise and transitional-thinking wise.

Yes, there are plenty of knights in shining armor in this expansion, but there are no damsels in distress or dragons to be slain. The Crusade Mid-Eastern Battles I expansion will instead focus on some of the major engagements of earlier Crusader history. In this first Crusade expansion, we showcase at least 16 Crusader scenarios and all the additional unit blocks you need to fight out these battles. New units include: Crossbow Infantry, Foot Knight Infantry, Turcopole Light Bow Cavalry, Heavy Knight Cavalry, and Heavy Military Order Knight Cavalry.

Sounds amazing and I am truly excited about this development. So, with these new volumes of C&C, the tradition is to add something new in that focuses on the fighting of the time. So is the case with Crusades as we read the following from the game page:

The Crusade expansion introduces many new game concepts as well: Impetuous Pursuit, Feigned Flight, Shower Shooting, and Charging Cavalry ability to pass through friendly stationary infantry units, all of which add historical depth and flavor. Still many game mechanics remain constant, like the deck of Medieval Command cards that drive movement while creating a “fog of war” and the battle dice that will resolve combat quickly and efficiently. There are also new and updated Inspired Actions for both the Crusader and Mid-Eastern armies. The stylized battlefield scenario maps still emphasize the important terrain features and highlight the historical deployment of forces in scale with the game system. Like your Medieval core game, the scale of the Crusade expansion is flexible and can vary from battle to battle. Yet to gain victory (and I have stated this many times before), the tactics you need to execute conform remarkably well to the advantages and limitations inherent to the various Crusader and Mid-Eastern army units, their weapons, terrain, and the history.

And just so you know, due to the size of the time period covering the Crusades there will be more expansions to come in the future.

If you are interested in Commands and Colors Medieval: Expansion 1 Crusades Mid-Eastern Battles 1, you can pre-order a copy on the P500 game page for $49.00 at the following link: https://www.gmtgames.com/p-899-c-c-medieval-expansion-1-crusades-mid-eastern-battles-1.aspx

Skies Above Britain

After we played Skies Above the Reich in 2018 we both were hooked on this system and looked forward to the next volume in the series Storm Above the Reich, which has not yet been printed. But, now we see a new volume in this series from Jerry White, now teamed with Gina Willis, that uses the system to cover the Battle of Britain from the Allies perspective as the player now controls a Royal Air Force squadron of Hurricanes and Spitfires fighting off the Luftwaffe as they attempt to bomb southeast England.

From the game page we read the following:

Skies Above Britain is a solitaire game depicting a Royal Air Force squadron of Hurricanes or Spitfires waging a desperate effort to disrupt and destroy German daylight bombing raids over southeast England in the summer of 1940. The player’s individual aircraft—each represented by a stickered block—must locate the incoming raid, intercept it, and evade or defeat swarms of escorting German fighters that usually outnumber you and whose pilots have superior experience and tactics. The game simulates the dogfighting and fighter-vs.-bomber action at an individual aircraft level using a card-assisted system that simulates key tactical decision-making without losing the feel of fast-paced aerial combat. A player can fly scenarios representing an individual patrol or use the patrol generator to create an endless variety of realistic individual patrols, multi-patrol campaigns, or larger campaigns covering the entire Battle of Britain. Each patrol will take a half hour or more to play, while a campaign can last anywhere between 6 and 28 patrols. 

I am very excited about this one as we will finally get to fly as the Allies in this very cool system.

If you are interested in Skies Above Britain, you can pre-order a copy on the P500 game page for $65.00 at the following link: https://www.gmtgames.com/p-897-skies-above-britain.aspx

Space Empires 4X: All Good Things Expansion

We love Space Empires and have had a great time playing that one, especially when adding in the various expansions that have been published. Each of the expansions to date have added new content that has deepened the game play, and frankly added time to the overall play experience as well, but have been good improvements. This expansion is the third and final entry in the Space Empires Series and is designed to complete the game while adding in even more options that add to the game’s replayability. This expansion will contain no board and you will have to own the original game to able to play. Ownership of Close Encounters and Replicators Expansions is not required but is recommended. 

From the game page, we read the following:

Combined Rule Book, Combined Competitive Scenario Book, and Combined Solo/Co-op Scenario Book: Since this is the final expansion, all the rules and scenarios over the four different games will be compiled in one place.

Solo and Co-Op: Refined solo and co-op rules.

A New, Alternate Empire (two copies): Not as different as the Replicators, it has the same economics as a base empire, but some of the ship classes have different stats and abilities. Some of the ship classes are also completely replaced with new classes. This will:

Allow you to play Space Empires as a 6-player game without Replicators or a 7-player game with them.

Even in a 2-player game, you can now play it 5 different ways.  

Variable, but balanced home systems: Everyone has the same home system for balance reasons. However, you will never know for sure exactly what will be in your home system from game to game.

Scenario Cards: 30 or so cards, and 1 or 2 could be flipped to change the overall galaxy conditions for the game. A couple of these are from the scenario book, but most are new.

Missions: Missions are Resource Cards that can’t just be played but require you to complete something on the map to gain a larger benefit. More work, but more reward.

Deep Space Planetary Attributes: The NPA planets in deep space will now have a bit of personality. Some will be harder or easier to take. Some will really be worth fighting over as they will have different abilities and bonuses.

Crew Cards: Notable crewmen that bring bonuses will be on some of your ships. Sometimes they benefit just one ship, sometimes a group, and sometimes a fleet.

Facilities Game: Two new facilities will be added to complete the facilities game.

Much, Much More: Extra cards of every type, Starbases, Defense Satellites, Cyber Armor, New Terrain types, additional terrain to support larger scenarios, a 4″ box to give you more storage options, and more! 

This looks to be stuffed to the gills with interesting content and surely earns the name All Good Things.

If you are interested in Space Empires 4X: All Good Things Expansion , you can pre-order a copy on the P500 game page for $65.00 at the following link: https://www.gmtgames.com/p-898-space-empires-all-good-things.aspx

Wolfpack: The North Atlantic Convoy Struggles October 1941-March 1943

Mike Bertucelli designed a good one in Tank Duel from 2019 and we have enjoyed our plays of that game. This Wolfpack game has been rumored for a while and I have seen various images on the internet over the past year or so and have been very interested in the final product.

From the game page, we read the following:

Wolfpack is a tactical, historical game depicting the struggles between the German submarine Wolfpacks and the allied merchant convoys of WWII. The game is set in the vast North Atlantic from late 1941 to early 1943. Wolfpack is a 1-4 player solitaire/team game. When playing solo, the player will command 2 – 4 submarines. In a team game, players will command 1 – 2 submarines depending on the number of players. The convoy merchant ships and escorts will be controlled by an AI system. In Wolfpack, players will assume the role of a German WWII submarine commander. Players will need to work together to achieve victory.

The game also includes a campaign system where players will track the progress of their crews during the campaign, linking multiple patrols together to gain as much experience as possible. The more tons of allied merchant ships that are sunk, the more experience points players will have to spend on improvements to their crew’s performance.

If you are interested in Wolfpack: The North Atlantic Convoy Struggles October 1941-March 1943, you can pre-order a copy on the P500 game page for $52.00 at the following link: https://www.gmtgames.com/p-896-wolfpack.aspx

Cataclysm: A Second World War 2nd Printing

Cataclysm: A Second World War is a sandbox style game about politics and war in the 1930’s and 40’s, designed for two to five players. The three primary ideologies of the time contend to impose their vision of order on the world. The Fascists (Germany, Italy, and Japan) seek to overthrow the status quo, which favors the Democracies (France, the United Kingdom, and the United States), while the Communists (the Soviet Union) look for opportunities to storm the global stage. The game uses a Chit Pull Mechanic that unleashes purchased units on the board, provides for various political actions through the interesting flag system and causes calamities that the players must deal with.

We reviewed the game on our blog and you can read that review here: https://theplayersaid.com/2018/12/03/a-first-peek-at-cataclysm-a-second-world-war-from-gmt-games/

If you are interested in Cataclysm: A Second World War 2nd Printing, you can pre-order a copy on the P500 game page for $57.00 at the following link: https://www.gmtgames.com/p-902-cataclysm-2nd-printing.aspx

Commands and Colors Ancients 7th Printing

Commands & Colors: Ancients allows you to re-fight epic battles of the ancient world. Here the focus is on the two rivals for power in the Western Mediterranean – Carthage and Rome. Will you, as Hannibal, triumph over larger Roman armies; or as Scipio Africanus, will you beat Hannibal with newer tactics of your own?

Units in both armies can only move and fight when ordered. The command playing cards supply those orders, providing an element of luck that creates a fog of war and presents players with both challenges and opportunities. You must maximize your opportunities by playing your command cards judiciously. How well you handle the diverse units, their weapons, and the terrain, will determine victory.

If you are interested in Commands and Colors: Ancients 7th Printing you can pre-order a copy on the P500 game page for $45.00 at the following link: https://www.gmtgames.com/p-900-commands-colors-ancients-7th-printing.aspx

The Last Hundred Yards 2nd Printing

The Last Hundred Yards is unlike any tactical wargame published to date. It introduces innovative systems intended to model Small Unit Behavior in Combat during WW2. It is fun, fast-paced, and provides a very good simulation of what it was like to command combat units at the platoon or company level. The game is purposely designed to deliver a brisk yet intensive gaming experience that forces many decisions upon you as you take command of an infantry company in Western Europe after the D-Day landings.

This game made my Top 10 Wargames of 2019! list and the most interesting new element found in the game is that casualties as well as time is accounted into your victory conditions. This causes you have to have to make a move and try your best to make progress or you risk losing based on time. I really enjoyed this mechanic as it reminded me of the superior issues in Nemesis ’44 from Legion Wargames.

I also really found the initiative system to be interesting as the player that wins initiative will be able to do pretty much what they want while the other player will only be able to react. It can be difficult to explain this but if the active player conducts actions such as fire, maneuver, or recover) with the units of the active platoon, after all units of the active platoon have completed their actions, units of the non-active player may react to units of the active player if units of the active player conducted actions in their LOS. This in LOS requirement takes away the God’s eye view of the battlefield and I really liked that as it made for some tense situations where you know what is happening but your men don’t.

If you are interested in The Last Hundred Years 2nd Printing you can pre-order a copy on the P500 game page for $43.00 at the following link: https://www.gmtgames.com/p-901-the-last-hundred-yards-2nd-printing.aspx

Charging & Shipping

The following information for Charging and Shipping was copied directly from the Update:

November Batch – GMT charged the following games on November 4th. These are the last new P500 shipments of 2020. They are shipping to P500 customers now.:

Fire in the Lake Tr’ung Bot Update Pack
The Last Hundred Yards Volume 2: Airborne Over Europe

Next Charge. There will be no other new charges in 2020. The next charge will be in early January 2021. More details about exact dates will be contained in the December Monthly Update.

New P500’s on the Horizon

The past few months I have been doing much better with my guesses for the New P500’s on the Horizon segment but this month is not going to be as good for me but I think that I have maybe 2.

Here is a brief tease for P500 additions lining up in the coming months. Note that this is not a comprehensive list, so I will switch these up a bit from month to month. Over the coming 1-6 months, I anticipate that we will add:

A new title in the Battles of the American Revolution Series – I think that this one is White Plains. Book it!

A game themed around British Politics – I have not been able to find anything intel on this one but I hope that it is set during Churchill years. That could be really interesting!

A game set in Ancient Rome – could this one be Mark Herman’s the Assassination of Julius Caesar that will cover the Roman Civil War period?

New content for Fields of Fire – I don’t know anything about this but Alexander sure will be excited about it.

Another new expansion for C&C Medieval – Crusades Part Deux.

How did I do Gene? I think I got 2 correct. Did I get 2?

Conclusion and Summary of My P500 Orders/Tracking

As I always tend to end these posts, I will post a summary of where my P500 games stand as of November 30th. I routinely check the status of each of my games and also will show the change in orders as compared to the last time I wrote them down on October 25th.

Bayonets & Tomahawks – 1,080 [+22 orders, made the cut!] – I love a good game about the French & Indian War. Read my interview with designer Marc Rodrigue about B&T! Getting really close now. At the printer with no shipping date.

Plains Indian Wars – 524 [+1 order, made the cut! thanks to a mystery donor] – A great game that looks at the inevitable wars between the expanding United States and the proud Native American tribes of the west. Read our interview on the game with John Poniske. We posted a few videos on this one to help push it on up toward the P500 goal. Review video and How to Play video. How far this one has come. After being announced as being in danger of being removed from the P500 if orders didn’t pick up an anonymous donor has bought the remaining +/- 100 copies to get this one printed. It seems to have dropped off the Production Outlook section of the Monthly Update as it has been saying Nearing Art Department Readiness.

Flashpoint: South China Sea – 714 [+7 orders, made the cut!] – Another new entry in the Lunchtime series that was announced last year and for which the first entry is Fort Sumter. The South China Sea is a source of great concern for the West and this game looks at the struggle between China and the rest of the world over influence and control in this contested quadrant of the world. We were lucky enough to meet up with the designer Harold Buchanan at GenCon 2018 and got to play and shoot a video interview on the game. In the art department and shipping in approximately 5-9 months.

People Power: Insurgency in the Philippines, 1983-1986 – 891 [+8 orders, made the cut!] – Volume XI in the COIN Series, this game is another introductory level game set in the Marcos years in the Philippines. New additions, such as key personality cards and an Election Cycle, are sure to make this game a unique addition to the series. Here is our interview with designer Kenneth Tee. We also posted the first few cards in our series of Event Card spoilers for the game including #51 Aquino Dead, #31 The First Lady, #12 Another Beirut, #72 Rolly Kintanar, #9 Call for Unity, and #53 Alejo Santos to give you some more historical and game play background into the design. Developer Jason Carr gave an update on InsideGMT a few months ago as they have revised the design. I might need to reach back out to Ken to discuss again in an interview. Nearing art department readiness.

Atlantic Chase – 1,219 [+37 orders, made the cut!] – Simulates the naval campaigns fought in the North Atlantic between the surface fleets of the Royal Navy and the Kriegsmarine between 1939 and 1942. It utilizes a system of trajectories to model the fog of war that bedeviled the commands during this period. This leads to my affectionate nickname for the game “Ticket to Ride: North Atlantic” as you will see lines of ships on the map much like the lines of trains in that game. Alexander posted an interview with Jerry White last year that you should read. Great looking game! At the printer with no shipping date yet.

Expansion or Extinction: A Triumph & Tragedy Series Game – 650 [+3 orders, made the cut!] – If you liked Triumph & Tragedy, you will like this game…only it is in space! We were fortunate enough to play a game at WBC 2018 with the designer Stuart Pierce and also shot this video interview with him. We also posted a written interview with him on our blog in February 2019 which was really good. Nearing art department readiness.

Commands and Colors: Samurai Battles – 1,438 [+77 orders, made the cut!] – A reprint of a former game that looks amazing as I love any type of game focused on feudal Japan. We have been playing lots of C&C Napoleonics and Ancients recently and are really anticipating this title. At the printer with no shipping date yet.

Storm Above the Reich – 797 [+31 orders, made the cut!] – A follow up effort to the wildly successful Skies Above the Reich. A solo game focused on depicting a Luftwaffe squadron of Fw190s struggling to deter and destroy the relentless daylight raids over Germany during World War II. At the printer with no shipping date yet.

Dominant Species: Marine – 1,527 [+37 orders, made the cut!] – If you like Dominant Species, and I sure do, you are bound to love this take on the genre as marine life fights it out beneath the primordial waves! At the printer with no shipping date yet.

Rebel Fury: Five Battles from the Campaigns of Chancellorsville and Chickamauga – 821 [+9 orders, made the cut!] – We really enjoyed Mark Herman’s Gettysburg game found in C3i Magazine #32 and when I heard about Rebel Fury, I jumped on it immediately. Low complexity system with some really great elements to simulate fighting in the American Civil War. Nearing art department readiness.

Clash of Sovereigns: The War of the Austrian Succession, 1740-48 – 650 [+6 orders, made the cut!] – As I have said we love CDG’s and this one is on a different subject than we are used to. Very intrigued by this one and have added it to my P500 for now. Need more info though. Nearing art department readiness.

Banish the Snakes – 646 [+13 orders, made the cut!] – A cooperative game that simulates Ireland in the 5th century, while the Roman Empire was collapsing in the west and Ireland was turning to the Christian religion. Players represent Saints Patrick and others (up to six of you) who set out to convert the pagans on the island. You must work as a team to convert the people of Ireland before the barbarians completely overwhelm Britain. We love good and interesting cooperative games. We published an interview with designer Kevin McPartland earlier this year.

No Retreat! Battles: 1942 – 453 [+7 orders] – A game that looks at battles for an individual year during World War II. Game offers solitaire rules for a few of the included battles, of which there are 5 in this edition. We posted an interview with the designer Carl Paradis late last year.

COIN Series Volume XII China’s War: 1937-1941 – 1,282 [+29 orders, made the cut!] – Brian Train is back on the COIN wagon as he specializes in counterinsurgency. Love his other two games in the COIN Series (A Distant Plain and Colonial Twilight) and look forward to this one as I have always had a great interest in this part of World War II. We posted an interview with Brian Train late last year. Nearing art department readiness.

Fall of Saigon – 1,649 [+25 orders, made the cut!] – We love Fire in the Lake and this expansion delves into the period of the Vietnam War from 1972-1975 and really boils down to a play game with the US and VC involved but their role is minimized. We played the game at WBC and posted the following video with Mark Herman and Dan Pancaldi from No Enemies Here. We have also posted a written interview with co-designer Volko Ruhnke. Nearing art department readiness. We just finished up a series of 12 Event Card spoilers for the game with the development team. Here are links to the posts: #S11 Le Duan, #S2 War Powers Act, #S14 Four No’s, #S22 Resolution 21 and #S20 Delta Drought, #S42 “The War Has Begun Again”, #S33 Main Battle Tanks, #S74 Coup! Nixon Resigns, #S48 Ngo Quang Truong, #S69 Family Syndrome, #S49 The Final Dagger and #S75 Coup! Saigon Stands Alone.

The Last Hundred Yards Volume 2: Airborne Over Europe – 913 [+63 orders, made the cut!] – a follow up to the hit The Last Hundred Yards focused on airborne troops. You can’t go wrong with that. We posted an interview with designer Mike Denson a few months ago. Currently shipping per the update.

Ancient Civilizations of the Middle East – 652 [+19 orders, made the cut!] – if you like a bit of chaos and some randomness in your lite civilization building games, then this series will be right up your alley. We have posted an interview with designers Mark McLaughlin and Christopher Vorder Bruegge. Nearing art department readiness.

Conquest & Consequence – 719 [+22 orders, made the cut!] – The Pacific Theater of World War II using the Triumph & Tragedy system. We love block wargames and this one is going to be good. We recently published an interview with designer Craig Besinque. Nearing art department readiness.

SpaceCorp: Ventures – 1,452 [+53 orders, made the cut!] – We really enjoyed the space exploration in SpaceCorp and this expansion will add unique enterprises via fourteen HQ mats, each putting a player in control of a different corporation, agency, or institution with its own capabilities and missions. I am working on an interview with the designer John Butterfield and hope to have that on the blog this month. At the printer with no shipping date yet. Here is a look at the final cover:

The Weimar Republic – 1,117 [+25 orders, made the cut!] – we love CDGs and this one looks really interesting. The game focuses on the political struggle in interwar Germany. Four factions compete for dominance: the democratic Coalition, the Soviet-backed Communist Party, Hitler’s National Socialists, and the far-right Radical Conservatives. We posted an interview with the designer Gunnar Holmbäck earlier this year. Nearing art department readiness.

Red Flag Over Paris – 614 [+20 orders, made the cut!] – a game similar in style and mechanics to Fort Sumter but that deals with the Parisian revolutionaries taking control of the French Capital, leading to the beginning of the Paris Commune, a socialist and popular government that would rule the City of Light from March 18 to May 28, 1871. The tension escalates between the Commune and Versailles until the tragic events of the Bloody Week. We posted an interview with the designer Fred Serval last year. We also started a new series of event card spoilers called History Behind the Cars with the first entry being #1 Victor Hugo followed by #2 Les Cantinières, #3 Les Amis de l’Ordre,#4 Georges Clémenceau, #5 Otto Von Bismarck and #6 Louise Michel.

Congress of Vienna – 857 [+37 orders, made the cut!] – a diplomatic Strategy CDG for one to four players which is based on Churchill but that deals with the Napoleonic Wars and their end between 1813-1814. We posted an interview with designer Frank Esparrago a few months ago.

Into the Woods: The Battle of Shiloh – 1,006 [+25 orders, made the cut!] – The eighth installment of the Great Battles of the American Civil War (GBACW) series, which is an amazing accomplishment in this day of new systems and new games grabbing most of the attention. This one is a big game as it does include 1,120 counters and two huge 22″ x 34″ double sided maps along with 10 scenarios. I will be reaching out to the designer for an interview but hope that the developer Bill Byrne is involved as he did an interview with me covering Death Valley. In the art department and shipping in 5-9 months.

Tank Duel Expansion #1: North Africa – 823 [+30 orders, made the cut!] – Tank Duel moves to the North African desert with new terrain and desert rules and allows you to take on the role of the Germans, using their Panzer III’s and IV’s or the British in their Churchill’s, Valentine’s, Matilda’s and Crusader’s. Nearing art department readiness.

Tank Duel Tank Pack #1 – 813 [+30 orders, made the cut!] – 8 new tanks added to the Tank Duel system including KV-1’s, T-26, M3 Lee’s and Puma’s. Nearing art department readiness.

Almoravid – 832 [+37 orders, made the cut!] – Volume II in the Levy & Campaign Series that focuses on 11th century Spain and the battle between the Moors and Christians. We posted an interview with designer Volko Ruhnke a few months ago. Nearing art department readiness.

Twilight Struggle: Red Sea – Conflict in the Horn of Africa – 1,451 [+52 orders, made the cut!] – follow up to Twilight Struggle but this time focused in East Africa, the Arabian Gulf, and the vital sea lanes stretching between them. Nearing art department readiness.

Pacific War – 2,088 [+47 orders, made the cut!] – 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. A super sized deluxe remake of the classic game from 1985. Nearing art department readiness.

Border Reivers – 636 [+24 orders, made the cut!] – made by the designer of Here I Stand and Virgin Queen, this CDG is a bit different as it uses meeples. Each player rules over one of the Marches as leader of one of the six major riding families of the border: Grey, Fenwick, Dacre, Maxwell, Kerr, or Hume. Your goal is to increase the wealth and fame of your clan throughout the reigns of Henry and Elizabeth to end the century as the most famous Border Reiver of all time. Players gain VP’s from successful combats, amassing large herds of livestock, and by elevating their Notoriety above the other players in the regions of the map.

Salerno ’43 – 1,272 [+64 orders, made the cut!] – the next operational World War II game from Mark Simonitch begins a new three game series that covers the Allied invasion of Italy.

Drop Zone: Southern France – 191 [+8 orders] – Dan Fournie takes us into a wargame focused on airborne operations in France after D-Day. We posted an interview with Dan last month.

The Last Hundred Yards Volume 3: The Solomon Islands – 500 [+54 orders, made the cut!] – the 3rd volume in this amazing tactical series that focuses on the Solomon Islands.

Unconditional Surrender: Western Campaigns – 463 [+31 orders] – this game is kind of a light introductory version of the Unconditional Surrender system that focuses on the Western Front of World War II.

Tanto Monta: The Rise of Ferdinand and Isabella – 640 [+72, made the cut!] – a CDG that covers the period from 1470 to 1516, the height of the Age of Discovery and the years leading immediately into the period covered by Here I Stand: Wars of the Reformation, 1517-1555. We will be reaching out to the designer Carlos Diaz Narvaez soon for an interview.

Hubris: Twilight of the Hellenistic World – 486 [+183 orders] – covers the fifty five years from 220 to 165 BCE, i.e. roughly from the Third Syrian War and its famous battle of Raphia between Antiochos III and Ptolemy IV, to the Third Macedonian War and the battle of Pydna between Perseous of Macedon and the legions of Consul L. Aemilius Paullus, as well as the subsequent bizarre episode of the Circle of Popilius on the beach of Eleusis in Egypt. We will be reaching out to the designer Morgane Gouyon-Rety soon for an interview.

COIN Series Volume XIII Red Dust Rebellion – 1208 [+330 orders, made the cut on the first day!] – is the first COIN Series game not focused in history as this one tells the story of the Martian revolts of the 2250’s and the rise of Martian nationalism. I will be reaching out to the designer J. Carmichael for an interview soon.

Commands and Colors Medieval: Expansion 1 Crusades Mid-Eastern Battles 1 – 508 orders, made the cut!

Skies Above Britain – 402 orders

Space Empires 4X: All Good Things Expansion – 644 orders, made the cut!

Wolfpack: The North Atlantic Convoy Struggles October 1941-March 1943 – 353 orders

I also wanted to include at the end of this post our reviews/interviews/unboxing videos of recent GMT games that we have played and enjoyed:

Unboxing Video: Beneath the Med: Regia Marina at Sea 1940-43

Unboxing Video: Red Winter: The Soviet Attack at Tolvajärvi, Finland, December 8-12, 1939

Video Review: Beneath the Med: Regia Marina at Sea 1940-43

Unboxing Video: Versailles 1919

Video Review: Labyrinth: The Forever War, 2015-?

Fall of Saigon: A Fire in the Lake Expansion Event Card Spoilers with Co-Developers Jason Carr and Stephen Rangazas #S75 Coup! Saigon Stands Alone

Interview with Dan Fournie Designer of Drop Zone: Southern France

This brings us to the end of another Monthly Update and gives us all plenty of games to dream about playing. GMT is a machine and just keeps finding great designs to publish on interesting topics. I look forward to what 2021 might bring us and to playing the most recent shipment of games that we received including titles like Caesar: Rome vs. Gaul, All Bridges Burning: Red Revolt and White Guard in Finland 1917-1918, A Time for Trumpets: The Battle of the Bulge, December 1944 and Next War: Vietnam. We have plenty of games to get played over the next few months.

-Grant