Issue no9

may 2017

H I S I S S U E ’S
T E !
FUL L G A M

DON E T S K
Battle for
the Airpor t
BAT OM
SQUAD-LEVEL C INE
IN THE UKRA

Comanchería 13 DAYS
DEBORAH MALMUD’S WE LOOK AT
REVIEW TWILIGHT
STRUGGLE’S
LITTLE BROTHER

ARTICLES Finnish Civil War · Conan · Hands in the Sea · The Great War
Command and Color: Ancients spinoff Scenarios Command and Colors:
Ancients · ‘65 Squad Level Battles · Stonewall’s Sword and more!
christy okane (Order #18094006)
christy okane (Order #18094006)
 eZOC: Editor’s
Zone of Control
BY MARK H. WALKER
It’s Who I Am
My undergraduate degree is in psychol-
ogy. There’s a music minor tucked in
there, but that’s another story. Within
my major, statistics was my favorite
course. Although I can be a head-in-the-
sky, science-fiction-and-paranormal-
stuff kind of guy, I like to measure, calcu-
late, and assesses probabilities. In other
words, I love statistics. A lot of gamers
that I’ve met, and I’ve met A LOT of
gamers, are the same way. So, the mea-
sure, calculate, and assess part of me de-
cided to ask these gamers—the readers
of Yaah! magazine— what they want to
see in Yaah!. Here’s what they/you said.
You don’t care about interviews. Not sure
that I understand why, but then again,
I might. I think our interview with Jor-
dan Weisman was one of the best ar-
ticles we’ve produced in two years. Jor-
dan was most gracious and thoughtful
in his responses. All this from a man,
who by any account is damn busy/suc-
cessful. You see, Jordan founded FASA
(You know, Battletech, Shadowrun,
etc), Whiz Kids (You’ve heard of Heroc-
lix, right?), Harebrained Schemes, and
was named by Seattle Business as one
of the top 25 innovators in Washing-
ton state. Awesome, right? Maybe not.
Several readers asked me (Obviously,
before reading the article.) who is this
Weisman guy? Seems that my inter-
christy okane (Order #18094006)
esting interview is your wasted pages. There’s no mistaking what type of game
is hugely popular with the gaming pub-
Games. You all seem to like the sce- lic, but you guys want wargame articles,
narios we offer. You aren’t rabid over and I have a bit of a problem with that.
them, but you don’t want us to cut them
out. By the same token, readers would Make no mistake, I’m a wargamer’s
rather see complete games than com- wargamer. I can grognard with the best
plete expansions to games that Flying of them. I can also rip through a game
Pig has released. That’s cool by me, and of Days of Ire, Warhammer 40K Conquest,
that’s how we will proceed. Scenarios or Posthuman in a heartbeat, thoroughly
will be offered, but so will a complete enjoying myself. Some of the most cre-
game. But what era? The survey says ative mechanics in conflict gaming are
that the #1 answer is World War II. No coming from games like these. Bottom
surprise there. The #2 answer, howev- line? Our articles won’t change. You’ll
er, might just startle you. If folks can’t get your wargame review, perhaps even
have their WW2, they want their WW3. five or six pages of history describing the
That’s right, y’all seem to like your al- battle portrayed in our issue’s game. But
ternative history. In fact, most Yaah! within our pages, you’ll also find words
readers claim that they enjoy science- on The Others, Imperial Assault, and Riv-
fiction and alternative history gaming et Wars. It’s who we are. It’s who I am.
almost as much as historical contests.
Articles? Yepper, everyone loves our ar-
ticles. In fact, like Playboy, a lot of you
claim you buy Yaah! for the articles (We
know it’s the pictures.) But what type of
articles? Here the gaming industry and
Yaah’s followers offer a strange conflict
of tastes. On one hand, strategy games
such as Scythe and Zombicide garner a
combined twenty-five thousand ratings
on BoardGameGeek. On the other hand,
Comancheria, a popular wargame from
THE major wargame publisher, gets 134.
Yaah! Magazine | 1
 CONTENT
Featured A Solitaire Scenario
Conan Night of Man

34
set-up
4. Armageddon War Musing Greg Porter
Games we love
8. Comanchería Deborah Malmud
14. Finnish Civil War John D. Burt
20. 13 Days -The Cuban Missile Crises Nick O’neil
24. The Others Matt Foster
28. The Great War Dr. Robert G. Smith LTC (RET)
34. Conan Eddie Carlson
42. Hands in the Sea Roger Leroux
53
SCENARIOS
’65 Squad-level Combat in the Jungles of Vietnam
48. Tet Offensive Josh Harris
49. Ben Het Norm Lunde
50. Phase Line Red Norm Lunde
Stonewall’s Sword
51. Low Hanging Fruit Hermann Luttmann
Dead Reckoning
52. Quarantined Mick Sullivan
Night of Man
53. Get to the Chopper! Mark H. Walker
Command and Colors Ancients
54. The 12 Battles of Arthur Chuck Turnista

Issue no.9 / may 2017

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 this issue’s game:
DoneTsk

68
this issue’s game SCENARIOS BONUS
62. Game Preface Ryan Kirk Old School Tactical
68. Donetsk Ryan Kirk 80. Tank on Tank Mark H. Walker
Design by Ryan Kirk, Developed by Art Bennett
Art by Ilya Kudryashov

THE COMPLEAT WARGAMER

79. Waterloo Redux Peter P. Perla

EDITOR ART DIRECTOR PUBLISHER

Brad Smith Guillaume Ries Mark Walker

Yaah! Magazine | 3

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 set-up

ARMAGEDDON WAR
MUSINGS ARTICLE BY GREG PORTER PHOTOS BY MARK H. WALKER

Armageddon barrel of the main gun. Captured tanks being driven by some-
one who had never driven one before. Dump trucks with sheet

ˌɑːməˈɡɛd(ə)n/ metal used as ersatz APC’s. Pickup trucks mounting weapons

whose recoil almost tips them over. A lone fighter running up
behind a T72 and tossing a grenade down the barrel of the main
noun: a dramatic and gun (which had a round in it, ouch). Enough instances of “Allah
catastrophic conflict Akbar!” that you would think shouting it was part of the firing
procedure for a weapon. Battles where two sides are going at
Armageddon War started with a title that Mark had, but no sys- it all day over a several-kilometer front yet the casualty total
tem. I had some thoughts about a system, but no particular set- is negligible. Except of course for the blooper reels of self-inflicted
ting to attach it to. injuries from badly used mortars, technicals and ATGMs.

And so it began.

When Mark outlined the area and scope he had in mind, my

first thought was to head to YouTube and start archiving Middle
East combat footage. With everyone and their cousin mounting
GoPros on their vehicles or helmets, and mobile phone cameras
catching things from unexpected angles, there was an unprec-
edented level of information on how the forces actually fight.
Including a lot of surprises. I saw a pistol pointed at a hostage
to make it look like just a couple people talking, while a guy
behind them with an RPG-7 lined up a shot on a BMP. I saw a
dozen militiamen forming a line, popping out from cover one a
time to shoot an ineffective burst at a distant foe and then go-
ing to the back of the line (the guy with the belt-fed weapon let
off a long macho burst from the hip). Thirty guys hiding behind
a wall and pointing their guns over the top to shoot at a group
across the street who was no doubt doing the same thing...
and calling it a close assault. An armored assault on a rebel-
held apartment complex, where the tanks would pause their
shelling to let highway traffic drive by them. And if you think
about it, civilians for whom an armored assault is not sufficient
grounds to change the route of their morning commute. An-
cient T-55’s being aimed by someone peering down the empty

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 “
ARMAGEDDON WAR STARTED WITH A
“
TITLE THAT MARK HAD
This was the sort of thing that colored my thinking when
working out the stats and mechanics for Armageddon War.
It was going to be a game where you had to hit someone re-
ally hard to put an immediate dent in them, otherwise you
would have to slowly whittle them down, and if you let up,
they would eventually recover their strength. A system where
a unit’s ability to cause harm was dependent on far more than
the list of equipment available to them, and where the range
of equipment would run from the 1950’s through systems
that in 2017 are still only prototypes (Armageddon War is set
in 2028).
christy okane (Order #18094006)
I’ve been playing tactical and strategic games since forever,
and familiar with most of the resolution mechanics and ways of
presenting information on a counter. From the simplest “three
numbers and a unit symbol” all the way out to a dozen or more
numbers crammed onto a 3/4 inch counter or “we’ve given up
on putting numbers on the counter, here’s a separate reference
card for the unit” Can you say MBT? -Mark).
I knew I was not going to get everything for a platoon-level
modern game down to 3 numbers, but I did want to streamline
things as much as possible. Technically, a unit is going to have
only 4 numbers on it, but it also has color coding, can have a
few graphic icons, a letter code and possibly a keyword in its
name (like “Recon”). Before that starts sounding overwhelm-
ing, here’s a counter:
Nice, clean, straightforward. One of the goals of the design and
one of the things I am happiest with is the degree to which you
do not need to reference the rules. Once you understand the
basic concepts you know how many dice you roll against any
target, your strongest and weakest attack types, long, short and
medium range, any special armor and movement characteris-
tics and the technology/quality base of the unit as compared to
enemy units.
The other “avoid picking up the rules” part about Armageddon
War is the dice. Because of the low setup and production costs
for custom game components in China, Armageddon War uses
custom dice instead of a CRT. This is something that would
have been impractical and prohibitively costly several years
ago, but nowadays you are seeing entire games based on noth-
ing but custom dice. All combat results in Armageddon War are
based on the symbols on the dice. These are not as complex as
Ars Victor or Star Wars: Imperial Assault, but they are most defi-
nitely not your ordinary six-siders.
Yaah! Magazine | 5
 set-up

So, the dice work in two ways. First, there are a small number of
things that affect the number of dice you roll, a “dice number
modifier” or DN. The normal way of calculating the dice you roll
is just your firepower less their defense value, but special situ-
ations like adding extra units
army with a technological advantage or training advantage will
be better able to utilize it. This sort of thing is represented by
the small lightning bolt you see on the right side of the counter.
The US advanced infantry (red bolt) has a 1 level advantage over
the ISIL unit, (black bolt) so

“
or flanking fire or infantry the US gets a +1DQ if attack-
hitting unaccompanied ve- ing the ISIL unit, and the ISIL
hicles in urban terrain can get unit gets a -1DQ if attacking
you more dice. And there is
ARMAGEDDON WAR LETS THE TARGET the US unit.
a larger group of things that OF AN ATTACK DO ONE OF THREE
affect the type of dice you The other nice thing about
roll, a “dice quality modifier”
or DQ. Armageddon War dice
“
THINGS. the custom dice is that it
let me minimize a problem
come in green, black and red, and loophole we have all ex-
in increasing order of inten- ploited at one time or another
sity, the potential for damage and do so in a manner that
you can roll. The dice number represent the theoretical poten- does not slow down play. Your opponent’s unit has an “acted”
tial to do harm, while the dice quality represents how likely it is. marker of some sort on it, so you drive up in the open, park and
open fire, knowing that since the target has already acted, they
A simple example: The average infantry platoon has about the can’t do anything about it. Yes, it is a good strategy within the
same aggregate ability to do harm regardless of whose platoon confines of the rules of that game, but as a sound tactic? Not so
it is. much.

It is about the same number of people, their weapons have about Armageddon War lets the target of an attack do one of three
the same range and penetration ability, and so on. However, an things. First, they can retreat, ceding the hex but giving the

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 attacker a -2DQ. You still take fire, but it is
less likely to hurt you. The default option is
that you hold, taking best advantage of what-
ever cover is available. The last option is that
you shoot back. This is a +1DQ for the attacker
because you are sticking your snout out where
it can get whacked, but any shields rolled on the
attacker’s dice are strikes on them, up to a maxi-
mum of your firepower minus their defense and cover. This re-
wards playing things smart. If you shoot from cover, counter-
fire is less effective. If you shoot at a unit that has an Action
status that reduces its firepower, counter-fire is less effective.
And the counter-fire is baked into the attacker’s roll, so you do
not need an extra combat step for it.
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It takes a little while to adjust to the system.
Knowing when to fight and when to run, work-
ing to deny your opponent the chance to use-
fully shoot back, rewarding use of good real-
world tactics, finding the best way to get a
useful level of firepower from under-trained
and under-motivated troops, figuring out how
to take a position when civilians are part of the battlespace and
news crews will be broadcasting the footage before the dust has
settled? That’s what we’re trying to do with Armageddon War.
Mark’s Note. By the time you read this, Armageddon War will be on on
pre-order at www.flyingpiggames.com.
Yaah! Magazine | 7
 games we love

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 History in a Box
PLAYING AND LEARNING FROM JOEL TOPPEN’S
COMANCHERÍA ARTICLE & PHOTOS BY DEBORAH MALMUD
Comanchería: The Rise and Fall of the Comanche Empire has coun-
ters. Lots of counters. There are hundreds of counters rep-
resenting everything from bison to settlements to horses to
tribes, food, and four different colonial enemies. There’s also
a beautiful mounted map. There are dice (though I still haven’t
figured out why the game comes with three of them, all dif-
ferent colors). But after you set up
“
Comanchería, the first thing you must
contend with are the 137 included
cards, where you begin making your
first tough decisions. COMANCHERÍA
Eight different types of cultures are STARTED OUT AS A
represented in card packs of three
levels each. You begin the game with
CARD GAME “ 1875. Each history card remains on the
a free choice of a level 1 culture card.
Only when you have level 1 of a pack
of Culture Cards can you purchase
level 2, and only with level 2 can you get to level 3. These cards
offer various types of advantages and it is a strategic decision
early on whether you will choose something to give you a com-
bat advantage, such as “Warfare” (which modifies the rules a
bit to allow for more aggressive behavior toward enemy tribes)
or “spirituality” (giving an advantage determining ratings of
your tribal leaders). Alternatively, perhaps you’re interested in
a tactical or political advantage with the cards. Those are also
choices.
It’s fitting that the first game decision is a card-based one, as
designer Joel Toppen has said “Comanchería started out as a
card game. You conquered tribes by conquering their “card,”
etc. Early prototypes of this were actually quite fun to play. The
christy okane (Order #18094006)
trouble was that they didn’t “feel” like the history I was read-
ing about. And so I scrubbed this and went to a hybrid prototype
that used cards and a map. I found I didn’t like that one either.
And so I came back to my roots and drew out a simple point-to-
point map and began to draft a game engine that was basically
an enhanced version of Navajo Wars. Gradually we refined the
game until it took on the form of the
published product.”
Cards give the game its historical
contours. The game has four distinct
time periods from 1700-1875, three of
50 years each and the last from 1850-
board with game-wide effects in place
as long as that time period is opera-
tive. Dictating not only the scenario
setup but special rules for enemy ac-
tions and responses as well as the victory objectives for that
time period, the history cards allows modeling of the likelihood
of various enemy behaviors in an unobtrusive way that is char-
acteristic of this elegant design.
Additionally, four different Development Decks provide for
historical events that impact play. Trade alliances, disease,
treaties, the Indian Removal Act, Texas Independence, and
even the American Civil War are all represented. (In case you’re
wondering, initially the Civil War gave the Comanches a chance
to recover and eased pressure on its borders.) Each historical
period also has a “Missed Opportunity” card, forcing the player
to discard any of the unused development cards they have at-
tained. Trust me, that is a painful reveal!
Yaah! Magazine | 9
 games we love
A “War Deck” adds richness to your opponents’ behavior. (I
call them “opponents” because truly this game feels as if you
are playing against various groups of enemies rather than some
design-driven AI.) Each War Deck card can be read for one of two
pieces of information—either a basic movement direction for
an enemy (depending on the scenario, you are facing challenges
from the north, south, east, and west), or as a “war event.”
War events can be surprise attacks, enemies moving faster than
usual, the opportunity to surrender your captives to end a war
early, or the revelation of bad intel which results in a sudden
increase in strength to your enemy (as well as other things). If
this sounds varied and realistic, you’re right, it is—incredibly
so. The 25 war cards were a late addition to the game (and as
such the draw pile spot for war cards is missing from the map),
and their inclusion was a very good decision. They add a great
deal of richness to the gameplay.
Working in conjunction with war counters that are drawn before
a war actually breaks out, the game manages to create the sense
of impending doom. You can literally see your enemies on the
horizon and not know exactly when they’ll be attacking, even
though you know they will. “I really like how Enemy War Col-
10 | Yaah! Magazine
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umns work. This is by far, what I like most,” Joel Toppen says. “In
Navajo Wars, everything stopped and you had to work through a
flowchart process to resolve an enemy invasion. In Comanchería,
the game gives a better feel of simultaneity, that things are going
on concurrent with what I’m doing as the player.”
Does the game already sound chock full of things to do and
think about? Well wait, there’s more!
In addition to extending your territory, you also need to main-
tain your cultural independence. It seems fitting that most of
the times I have lost this game, it’s because my culture has been
compromised. This, combined with the military independence
you must also maintain, is among the many variables contrib-
uting to the success—or failure—of your thriving Comanchería,
your Comanche Territory. The game’s designer has appropri-
ately put a boxed note into the scenario setup reminding you
that it is “IMPORTANT” (his emphasis) to maintain your cul-
ture and military prowess to at least some degree. Loss of both
is catastrophic and very possible—believe me. With so much
else going on, it’s easy to forget to attend to the needs of your
culture. Raiding a neighboring tribe or hunting bison is so much
more appealing.
 We haven’t yet talked about the chiefs (or headmen) in the
game. But what would this game be without some chiefs? There
are two different types here. The Paraibo was a tribe elder who
was looked to for management and leadership of civil matters.
The Mahimiana (sometimes referred to as a ‘war chief’) was
younger and his leadership was looked to for hunts and raids.
In this game, their effectiveness is represented by a “medi-
cine” rating that can be controlled by the player through vari-
ous actions during a planning
“
phase. (“Medicine” here is
used in the sense of super-
natural and other power that
is gained over the course of a THERE’S A NECESSARY
lifetime—not in the Western
sense.) AMOUNT OF ABSTRACTION
The interplay between these
leaders dictates how many
IN THE GAME “ The Comanches were em-
bands (or collections of war-
riors) you can have active at
any given time, as well as how effective other aspects of your
efforts will be. For me, the rules on managing the headmen
were a bit convoluted and resulted in some repeated errors on
my part. This is a small knock on an otherwise well-described
rule set for this complex game.
Comanchería (published by GMT in 2016, who provided a review
copy of the game for this article), is Toppen’s second game, fol-
lowing 2013’s Navajo Wars, though he is far from a newcomer
to the board game world. He’s credited as developer on some
of the most significant games of the past few years, including
Washington’s War, Labyrinth: The War on Terror and Labyrinth: The
Awakening, as well as the first COIN game, Andean Abyss.
His experience shows. One of the many gifts of this game is the
connected nature of the cultural, political, and military aspects
of Comanche life, intertwined to such a degree by the game’s
mechanics that writing a linear description of how the game
works seems to diminish it.
The designer notes reference quite a few sources for the game,
but highlights The Comanche Empire by Pekka Hämäläinen (Yale
University Press, 2008) as the book that most influenced the
design. Indeed, reading this Bancroft Prize-winning history,
one sees the designer’s genius in bringing to life an academic
narrative of frontier-borderland studies.
Taking on the role of the Comanche people as they spread their
influence and power throughout an increasing area, you play out
the narrative Hämäläinen has so convincingly written. It’s im-
portant to bear in mind that by 1800 the Comanche numbered
christy okane (Order #18094006)
around 20,000—twice as many as any other native peoples on
the Southern Plains and more than Hispanics who lived in New
Mexico and Texas. “Comanches were key players who often forced
the would-be colonizers to compete for their military support and
goodwill and navigate their initiatives and intentions,” he writes
in The Comanche Empire. Playing the Comanche, you can also see
how, as Hämäläinen has said, “the fate of indigenous cultures
was not necessarily an irreversible slide toward dispossession,
depopulation, and cultural
declension. As the history of
the Comanches illustrates,
almost diametrically opposite
trajectories were possible.” In
this game, you’ll need to play
extremely well to win, but win
you can.
pire-builders who colonized
and displaced thousands of
Apaches and other tribes. They fought back the Spanish north-
ern expansion and increased their empire over many decades.
Their equestrian-based hunting way of life thrived for many
years and as the player in this game in charge of managing the
Comanche, you have a lot to handle.
THE SOLITAIRE MECHANIC
Most wargamers focus on theme/historical period when decid-
ing on a game. As a solitaire wargamer willing to learn about
almost any historical period, for me one of the central deciding
factors in game purchase and enjoyment is how the AI is en-
acted. In this game, it’s quite simply brilliant.
With four enemies coming at you—Spain, Mexico, USA, and
Texas—not to mention a variety of tribes who can become allies
(but not for long) or enemies, you might be wondering whether
there is a 20+ step procedural chart to carry out their actions.
Far from it. Hands down, Comanchería utilizes the best solo AI
instruction mechanic I’ve ever seen. And I’ve seen a lot.
Raids, wars, trading actions, encroachments, settlements, and
even the establishment of peace are all represented by counters
that are assigned to one of four enemy areas. With a simple die
roll you decide which enemy will be active that turn and execute
their orders by moving down a column of counters. Other die
rolls during the game randomize the columns, and a simple (re)
placement mechanic for used counters ensures that you’ll never
be doing the same actions more than once in a row even if the
same enemy is activated. With hundreds of possibilities, the
enemy instructions are carried out by the player in a manner of
minutes. It is, truly, unique and lightens what could be a big bur-
Yaah! Magazine | 11
 games we love

den in playing this complicated a game solo. A lengthy procedure

on this would kill this game as there is little worse than spending
75% of your game time on the “other person’s” turn.

Toppen told me, “The Enemy Instruction mechanic was an in-

novation in Navajo Wars. Because of the increased number of
enemies the Comanche faced, and the fact that they came from
all directions, I had to modify that mechanic somewhat. Using
History Cards to help regulate which enemies are more active
in which historic periods, I refined the mechanic used in my
previous game to better suit the history of the Comanche. It
might sound strange but it’s what I like to call a “God idea.” It
just came to me and it works very well to create the effect I was
seeking.” Indeed, it does and for this player—in a game full of
excellent ideas—this is top of the list.

As you would imagine, there’s a necessary amount of abstrac-

tion in the game. Take for example, “Passage of Time,” which
can either be an optional or mandatory operation. This encom-
passes events that would take place over time such as creation
of new bands of warriors, development of new Rancherias (Na-
tive American villages), and the retirement or death of leaders.

Another game effect—and one that was a thorn in my side—

is the ravaged/recovery rule. Representing a partial success at
raiding an enemy tribe (but not eliminating it), ravaged coun-
ters serve several purposes. For one, they inhibit other tribes
from raiding and encroaching. “The terror that Comanche war-
fare inflicted often had the effect of discouraging encroach-
ment or provoking retaliation,” Toppen says. “The absence
of a ravaged counter means that the fear of the Comanche has
waned in neighboring tribes and those tribes might decide to
test the Comanche in battle.”

That sounds great but I could never gain consistent ground

when I was playing. “Why is it so hard to get ravaged counters
to ‘stick?’” I asked him. (If a certain number of them don’t ac-
cumulate, you can’t eliminate enemy tribes.) Toppen’s answer:
“Well, some enemies proved to be more resilient than others.
The Tonkawas were still around in the 1870s while the plains
Apaches were mostly driven out of the region by the end of
the 1700s. And so yes, it represents to a degree the ability of
a raided people to recover.” That’s quite a lot to represent in
one simple token. yet Toppen has managed to do it, and do it
effectively without fiddly rules that could bog down the game.

His designer notes to Comanchería state, “When I set out to de-

sign this game, I had three goals: make the game less complex
and more approachable than Navajo Wars, make the game play
faster, and make the game ‘feel’ like Navajo Wars while repre-
senting the Comanche people and telling their story.”

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 I ask the designer if he had anything to add to those thoughts
for this article and he replied, “Comanchería is more about war
and conquest. Navajo Wars is more about survival and resiliency.
Both are good ‘stories’ to be experienced as a gamer. Both have
a resource management aspect. But if the player is more inter-
ested in combat, Comanchería is more of a wargame.”
As I said, I haven’t yet played
Navajo Wars but to me this
game is far from a battle-fest. THERE’S A NECESSARY
(The rules for battle take up
less than one page in 20 pages AMOUNT OF ABSTRACTION
of rules.) You’re constantly
worried about whether or not
you should conduct a raid on
IN THE GAME
a rival tribe or conduct trade
with an ally; about whether to
spend culture points to bolster your aptitude in an aspect of cul-
tural development; about whether to send horses or tribal lead-
ers or goods to trade out with your warriors; about when to spend
one of your precious development cards to move a Rancheria or
groups of warriors for free; increase the longevity of your lead-
ers; or conduct an extra trade action (among many other things).
There’s just so much going on here and the combat part of it feels
just that—a part of much bigger concerns.
Each action and operation in the game and each agonizing deci-
sion about what to do next feels like a piece of a puzzle. Yet this
game plays like a game and not a simulation or puzzle where
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there is one key way to figuring it out or winning.
For those wondering what’s next in the “First Nations” series,
Toppen says that “’Red Cloud’s War’ is coming right along. It
will be different from my other two games in that it focuses on
a military campaign in 1866-67 in Northern Wyoming over the
“
course of 13 months.” Will
solitaire gamers have some-
thing new to rejoice about?
“To that I’m going to stay
silent for now and simply
tell people to wait and see.
It’s gonna be good,” Toppen
“ says. “I’m trying something
really new here and don’t
want to say too much at this
time.”
Solitaire or not, the next Joel Toppen design is going to be worth
the wait. For now, gamers new to Comanchería have something
deep to sink their teeth into. On my end, Navajo Wars has just be-
come a Must Buy.
About the author
In the real world, Deborah Malmud is a non-fiction book edi-
tor of neuroscience, psychology, and education books. She is
also the voice of “Geek Gamers,” a YouTube channel devoted to
discussion of strategy and wargames. Reach her at citygeekgam-
ers@gmail.com or youtube.com/c/GeekGamers01.
Yaah! Magazine | 13
 games we love

FINNISH
CIVIL
WAR ARTICLE & PHOTOS BY JOHN D. BURT

New game topics are very attractive to a gamer like myself; I’m
always interested in learning about new events and trying them
out- after all, how many times can you play Market Garden,
Bulge, or Gettysburg? (In my case, about once every two years.)
So I was quickly drawn to the game in Paper Wars issue 84, the
Finnish Civil War, designed by Brian Train.

Civil War in Finland?? Who knew?

Finland had been a part of the Russian Empire since 1809. When
the Russian Revolution of 1905 broke out, Finnish national-
ists began rising to the surface, clamoring (and fighting) for
independence. During the First World War, these nationalists
joined with the Germans training for the day when the Rus-
sian Empire would fall apart. After the abdication of the Tsar
and the advent of the Bolsheviks into power in November 1917,
the Finns felt their time had arrived. However, not all agreed;
some felt that a socialist government, like what Russia now
had, was more to their liking and the country split apart. On one
side, the Nationalists, with Baron Gustav Mannerheim at their
head, began developing a National Army, supported by militia
known as the White Guard. Opposing them were the remnants
of the Russian Army, supported by their militia, not surpris-
ingly known as the Red Guard. From January 1918 through May,
the two sides fought for control of the southern portion of the
country. The Whites were bolstered by the return of national-
ists from the German Army, as well as additional German units,
while the Reds were weakened by the signing of the Treaty of
Brest-Litovsk, which lowered Soviet support for the Red faction
in the war. Ultimately, the Whites won out.

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 CIVIL WAR IN “
FINLAND??
WHO KNEW? “
That’s the history, what about the game?

The game map is a nice, visually appealing

22” x 17” view of southern Finland, shown at
20 kilometers (12.5 miles roughly) per hex.
It stretches from Vassa in the northwest
to Petrograd in the southeast, mostly for-
est green with light blue lakes. The villages,
towns and cities are the primary targets con-
nected only by railroads. There is an upper
track that allows players to follow the red
and white morale, as well as the “peace process”, which be-
comes very important in the game.

The main company and battalion combat units are shown in

five colors representing the five factions: White Guard, Finn-
ish National Army (FNA), Red Guard, Soviet Red Army (SRA),
and the German Army. Units are rated for attack, defense, and
movement, with battalions back printed with lower values.

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 games we love
The companies and battalions are drawn from a pool of such
units and vary in their ratings: companies from 0 – 2 attack
strength and battalions from 2 - 5, for example. Both sides also
have some guerrilla units- they don’t have values, so are use-
ful only in creating some movement problems for the “other”
side. Some of the units are marked for “shock”, meaning they
are better trained than most. If enough of these shock capable
units are employed in combat a special combat results table is
used. Note the word “main” up there: Brian has also included a
brigade level version of the game, with its own counters. More
on this version later.
The rulebook is embedded in the Paper Wars magazine and,
given that Brian had been publishing this game on his own, is
very complete. Although you will have to flip through the rules
a lot initially (like when checking on peace negotiation events),
once you get into the game, it’s relatively straightforward –
you’ll just have to deal with a lot of variability both at the start
of the game and later. The magazine also had players’ notes
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from Brian, plus part of the historical discussion – the rest was
inadvertently left out but is available online.
The game sequence for each weekly turn goes through event
table, reinforcement/replacement, and operations phases,
and ends with a recovery phase. The 2D6 events table provides
events which can raise morale of either side, saddle one head-
quarters with no supply, or impact reinforcements of move-
ment. During the event phase is also when peace negotiations
take place, with each side rolling 2D6 and subtracting the Red
roll from the White roll: a positive result is added to the Peace
Track, which starts at 0. At various levels on the Peace Track,
things happen, and generally, the Reds will not like it. For ex-
ample, at level 8, either the German 27th Jager Battalion ar-
rives, or the White player can take six FNA companies that ar-
rive at Vassa; at 12, the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk is “signed” and
the Red Army no longer receives reinforcements.
In the reinforcement phase, both players get several randomly
 drawn companies from their faction; the number is based on
morale and is different for each side. At morale level 10 for ex-
ample, the White Player receives three FNA company points
and one White Guard militia company. The FNA points can be
used in several ways. First, they can draw one company per
point randomly; they can use a point to “upgrade” one FNA on-
map company to a battalion (randomly drawn). Alternatively,
they can use a point to buy a headquarters unit, an artillery
unit, or (optionally) an ar-
MORALE ON“BOTH SIDES
mored train unit. Headquar-
ters are important as they
put units in supply for com-
bat and allow units in adja-
cent hexes to combine for an
attack. Artillery provides a PLAYS A MAJOR PART OF
die roll modifier for combat.
The Red faction at morale THE CIVIL WAR
10 would receive one Soviet
Army company and four Red
Guard militia companies. The
Reds cannot upgrade to battalions, but can purchase headquar-
ters, artillery, and armored trains. Since the Reds don’t start
with any headquarters on the map, a word to the wise Red is,
“buy them quickly.”
Both sides can also get additional replacements based on ca-
sualties from the previous turn. Attack factors are added up
and cross-referenced with a side’s morale to see how many re-
placement points are returned. It’s not much, but when you’re
up against it and suffering a lot of losses, every replacement
point can be vital.
The operations phase is another randomizer. Both Red and
White factions get three operations markers (less if morale is
low.) These are drawn one at a time, with the side picked get-
ting to do an operation. There are three operations- they can
either move in one of two ways, or they can perform combat
with adjacent enemy units. Movement is either overland (hex
to hex with no Zones of Control here!!) or railroad mode. Over-
land movement is about as familiar to most gamers as any.
Terrain costs, but will change mid-game when the spring thaw
arrives to make lakes and streams more difficult. Did I men-
tion no Zones of Control? Guerrilla movement is simply picking
them up and moving somewhere within five hexes. Stacking
depends on terrain and ranges from three units in swamps to
twelve in cities. Railroad movement allows a number of units
equal to the side’s morale to move along railroads as far as they
want as long as: 1) they stop when entering an enemy guerrilla
unit’s hex, 2) a hex adjacent to a regular enemy unit IF there’s
already a friendly unit there, or 3) a hex that isn’t adjacent to an
enemy unit. Players choose their operation for the phase and
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can choose any of the three multiple times. Ideally, you would
use your three operations to: 1) railroad close to a target city/
town, 2) move adjacent, and 3) attack. Alas, the operations draw
is generally not “ideal.”
Combat is odds based by adjacent forces. As noted above, you
need a headquarters to keep from attacking at half strength
and to have adjacent stacks of friendly units attack together.
Some very nice touches
from Brian, especially given
the large number of poorly
trained militia units in the
Guards – well done! Towns
and cities affect final com-
bat columns and the result
“ in most cases is an attacker/
defender company loss. The
kicker is the BBX or Escalat-
ing Bloodbath result, where
the attacker first loses units
with attack strength equal to the weakest defenders DEFENSE
strength, and then the defender must lose that amount of de-
fense strength from his units. The attacker can continue doing
that until either he or the defender run out of units!
If more than half of a side’s units are shock capable, the shock
table can be used for the combat, which adds the possibility of a
Defender Panic result, which eliminates the defender and makes
those units ineligible to return or be considered in the replace-
ment phase.
Here’s an example: Two stacks of Red units, totaling twelve at-
tack points in three SRA and seven Red Guard militia companies,
attack the town of Picksämüki defended by eight defensive points
of White units, including a 3-3-4 battalion of FNA, plus one FNA
and three White Guard militia companies. Both sides have head-
quarters and the Whites have an artillery unit. Base odds are 3-2,
reduced by the town to 1-1. If the combat die roll is a 2, reduced
by the White’s artillery to 1, the result would be a loss of three
companies for Red and two for White, and the town would stay in
White’s possession. If however, the result was a bloodbath, then
combat resolution is a bit more complex, as follows:
• The weakest defense factor in the town’s defense is a 1-1-5
militia unit. It’s lost and a single 1-1-2 Red Guard is also
eliminated. Combat could stop here, but with so many
more Red Guard units available, the Reds can (and should)
continue combat results:
• The next weakest defense factor belongs to a 0-2-2 White
Guard Militia. It’s eliminated, and the Red player must now
lose at least two attack factors – either by eliminating two
1-1-2 Red Guard or a single 2-2-3 SRA company.
Yaah! Magazine | 17
 games we love
The Red attacker can keep going. He’ll lose more units but he
could end up emptying the entire town of defenders and still
have units to take possession.
Morale on both sides plays a major part of the civil war. You can
gain (or lose) morale through taking (or losing) towns and cit-
ies, by special events and through losses in battle. Morale can
affect operations and reinforcement. City or town capture lets
the victor decide whether to raise his own morale or drop the
enemies. Nice touch.
Variability – and thus replayability – in the game comes from
the random chit draw for operations, the blind draw of rein-
forcements in which you never know exactly what you’ll be get-
ting, the Peace Talk die rolls, and the random events table. If
that wasn’t enough, Brian adds more variability in the game’s
setup. Almost all White and Red regular, militias and guerrilla
forces are established with die rolls. The Whites start with three
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FNA companies, plus 3 + 1D6 White Guards and 0-5 guerrillas.
The red faction gets 4D6 Red Guards, up to nine SRA compa-
nies, and 0-5 Guerrillas. Thus, you could start the game with
seven white units and 38 red units. Add that both sides roll 2D6
for their starting morale (adding 6 to the total). In short, every
game starts differently, but usually the Red faction starts with a
numerical superiority, and must use it before the peace process
mandates significant White reinforcement and Soviet with-
drawal. As noted earlier, the only disadvantage the Red faction
starts with is the dearth of headquarters, making any turn one
attacks half strength.
Victory is based on towns (eleven) and cities (four – all in the
Red zone initially) controlled by each faction, with each city
counting as three towns. The ratio of town points provides a
level of victory from marginal to smashing. Surprisingly, driv-
ing an enemy’s morale to zero is not a victory condition.
In general, the Reds must start aggressive, while the Whites

stall them to build up stronger FNA battalions. Guerrillas are
good for the stall process as they can deploy on rail lines to
disrupt the “go anywhere” rail movement. But the Reds must
push. In one recent game, the Whites were down to their last
three battalions and one headquarters, holding out in the town
of Jyväskylä with the Reds closing in. The Peace Track stood at 2.
At the beginning of the next turn, however, the Peace die rolls
showed White 10, Red 4, jumping the Peace Track to 8, bringing
in a large FNA contingent, which, in the first two White opera-
tions, sent a big force to capture the city of Tampere, and sud-
denly, the Reds were on the defensive.
Brian has also added some optional rules to add to the flavor of
the situation. Militia with a “0” attack factor must stay within
a hex of the city/town/village where they start. Players that
capture village/town/cities can “purge” the place, meaning no
enemy reinforcements can appear there if unoccupied (nasty,
but then so were most “civil” wars!) Mannerheim can be used
as a White leader – but may resign if Germans are brought in to
help. I rate these options highly and recommend their use as
soon as you’re comfortable with the game process.
For those time-challenged gamers, Brian also added a second
version of the game- the Brigade version. Same map, same vic-
tory conditions, same operational segments, completely differ-
ent units and combat system.
The brigade units for FNA and SRA are now back-printed to
show disrupted status; White and Red Guard brigades are noted
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as ?-?-2. During combat, a D6
is rolled for the attack or de-
fense strength of the Guard
brigade, and it can change
every combat phase. So that
stout brigade that defended
with a “6” could easily attack
(or defend again) with a “1.”
Combat is a “fire” system
based on the number of at-
tack/defense points, with the
results being no effect, a Loss,
or at higher odds, a Panic. Re-
sults are applied simultane-
ously. A Loss will disrupt a
regular brigade, or eliminate
a disrupted or Guard brigade.
In a panic the sufferer will
lose the number of units involved in the action.
Example replay of the battle of Picksämüki: In this case an FNA
brigade and one White Guard (?-?) brigade with artillery are de-
fending against one SRA brigade and three Red Guard militia
(?-?) brigades. Rolling for the values of the militia brigades, the
attacker and defender strengths become: attacker = 4+ 3 + 1 + 5
or 13; defender 5 + 2 or 7. The Reds would fire on the 12-13 col-
umn except for the town, which lowers it to the 9-11 column.
Their attack roll is a 7 lowered to 6 by the White artillery, which
is a miss. The Whites roll on the 6-8 column and roll an 8, add-
ing 1 for their artillery, which is a Loss. This can be taken by
eliminating one of the Red militia brigades or by “depleting”
(aka flipping to the reduced side) the Red Army Brigade. That
ends the combat.
Brian’s brigade system certainly plays faster, but we found it
was also duller to play. We stayed with the company version.
Overall, we found this a fun little game that plays fast and furi-
ously, especially the company level version. The “action” tends
to be the same each time, with the Reds pushing hard with one
eye on the Peace process and the White making up for it later
– if they survive. But how each side approaches its goals can
vary greatly. The variable forces at the start add to the interest,
although the extremes of the die rolling will generally call for
an immediate “do-over.” Brian has put a lot of feel in the game,
making this excursion into the forests and lakes of southern
Finland highly recommended.
Yaah! Magazine | 19
 games we love

13 DAYS
THE CUBAN
MISSILE CRISES
OR HOW TWO GUYS MADE
TWILIGHT STRUGGLE A BIT
MORE MANAGEABLE

ARTICLE & PHOTOS BY NICK O’NEILL

Even the most casual of gamers will know of Twilight Struggle

from GMT Games, the three-hour epic that sat atop the rank-
ings on BoardGameGeek for many years until it was finally
toppled by Pandemic Legacy. As I write this, it still sits there at
number 3 in the charts, usurped by only two bundles of newer,
shinier cardboard, no mean feat for a game over a decade old in
a field where developments and refinements seem to happen
every other week. Twilight Struggle is a representation of the en-
tire Cold War for two players, a card-driven game in the same
kind of mould as 1960: The Making Of The President. While almost
universally recognised as one of the finest games out there, its
play time and reputation have always kept it beyond the reach
of casual gamers, and its labelling as a war game has probably
driven it even further away from the lighter end of the market.
Enter 13 Days: The Cuban Missile Crisis, an ambitious attempt to
provide the thrills, spills and (probably most importantly) the
tension of Twilight Struggle but all tied up in a forty five minute
time span, lighter and easier to play but still with the kinds of
tough and balanced decisions that have worked so well over the
years for its distant older cousin. Where Twilight Struggle en-
compasses the epic span of the Cold War over the latter half of
the twentieth century, 13 Days wisely narrows its field of vision
to a single episode in that ongoing standoff, namely the week
and a half of the Cuban missile crisis of 1962. Paring down the
scope of the game is a wise decision, and picking this particular
incident works well, as it enables the designers to include the
threat of imminent nuclear destruction in this smaller game,
an element that makes Twilight Struggle such an immersive and
taut experience.
The game’s two designers are beginning to make something of a
name for themselves in the gaming community. Asger Harding
Granerud is responsible for the highly regarded cycle racing game
Flamme Rouge, while he and his co-designer Daniel Skjold Ped-
ersen have recently collaborated again on the recently released
Frogriders. Each of their games appears to do something differ-
ent from the last, so these two seem to be happy to tackle new
problems and ideas with each successive release and pretty much
everything they have put out thus far plays solidly and effectively.
13 Days comes in a small and very portable box, but astonish-
ingly when you open it you will quickly realise that it could have
been even smaller. Make no mistake, this is a mini Twilight
Struggle in a physical sense as well as in terms of gameplay, and
that means that it is also an eminently portable reduction of
Twilight Struggle. Making the box even smaller would have re-
sulted in losing some of the evocative photographs that adorn

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TWILIGHT STRUGGLE ENCOMPASSES THE EPIC SPAN OF THE
COLD WAR OVER THE LATTER HALF OF THE TWENTIETH
CENTURY, 13 DAYS WISELY NARROWS ITS FIELD OF VISION
the outside, but it is still surprising that the decision was not
taken to make the game fit into even smaller spaces. The board
is small, economically but evocatively designed, and despite its
dimensions it still carries all the information that players will
need, including the score track, while the small cubes, tokens
and cards are of good quality as well. There is a small rule book,
which is not only clear and full of examples, but also includes
a complete example play through of the game, always useful,
while a second booklet provides some historical background for
christy okane (Order #18094006)
the Cuban Missile Crisis and explains the decisions behind the
events on the various cards in the game. Setting up the whole
game on the table only makes the smallest of demands on play-
ers’ time and space – so far so good.
Once the game is set up, it is clear, just in case you did not know
already, that 13 Days is a card driven game, just like Twilight
Struggle, and it is through the play of these that the two players
will seek to control the various areas of the board and advance
their own aims. After seeding the board with some influence
cubes and shuffling the two card decks, players are dealt three
Agenda cards each, marking them on the board with their flags,
and select one in secret to become their agenda for that round.
Right from the start of the game players will be attempting to
work out which one of the three indicated agendas their op-
ponent is pursuing, narrowing down the range of possibilities,
while simultaneously trying to inject as much misdirection into
their own play as they can.
Once the agendas have been selected players are dealt five Strat-
egy cards each, and it is through the play of these for influence
or events that the similarities with Twilight Struggle are most ap-
parent. Some of these cards belong to the player sides at each
other’s throats, the US and USSR, while others are neutral and
bear the UN designation. Any card may be played as a Command
to add or remove influence cubes from a single battleground,
but if the card bears your opponent’s affiliation then they have
the option to trigger the event on the card before you can move
any cubes. Players may also play neutral cards or those of their
own affiliation as Events rather than Commands. It needs to be
mentioned that a small number of cards went to print with in-
“
“
complete information on them, but a little bit of intuition and
common sense (or a visit to the internet) is all it takes to work
these out, and they provide only a small inconvenience rather
than breaking the game. In reality, players will barely notice it
when they are up and running, but it is worth pointing out.
Events have the power to alter the DEFCON track, and adding
or removing more than one cube as part of a Command action
will do the same. This threat sits in the background of the game
Yaah! Magazine | 21
 games we love
from the very start, escalated at the ever-present start of ev-
ery round of the game, even the first, so players will be skirting
around the edge of apocalyptic disaster from the start. If any
player marker is in Zone 1 at the end of a round or if all three of
a player’s markers are in Zone 2 then a nuclear war is triggered
and that player immediately loses the game, and it is encourag-
ing (in a sense) to know that it is possible for both players to
lose if they are reckless enough to trigger mutual destruction.
Having the DEFCON track sitting there in the background does
just enough to place severe restrictions on what players can do
with their cards, so they need to be balancing multiple and of-
ten conflicting demands every turn, and every attempted leap
ahead means that the other
“
side’s trigger finger gets just
that little bit twitchier. Once
each player has had four ac-
tions, the remaining two THE GAME FEELS LIKE A
cards, one per player, are
tucked face down underneath BALANCING ACT FROM
the board and will have an ef-
fect on the final scoring if the THE VERY START “ as I have mentioned earlier,
game is not ended by nuclear
war before then.
However, it is not all about advancing your own agenda for the
round. Players will also be vying to secure the most influence in
three battlegrounds of world opinion – television, alliances and
the United Nations. After each round the player who is ahead in
each of these three areas secures a bonus, after which players
check to see if they have managed to resolve their own personal
agendas that will give them specific advantages. These will in-
fluence the DEFCON track as well as Prestige (which is effec-
tively the score tracker for the game), but the simple fact that a
player can never be most than 5 Prestige points ahead of their
opponent after scoring means that there is always the possibil-
ity, however slight, of being able to turn things around.
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If players manage to make it to the end of round three without
nuking themselves or each other, then it is time for the final
reckoning. The cards that have been tucked underneath the
board are revealed and their US and USSR cubes counted up, the
player with the higher total gaining two Prestige points, after
which the winner is declared. Ties go to the player with the Per-
sonal Letter card, which swings back and forth during the game
as players use it to increase their influence.
I’ll come clean and say straight out that I enjoy 13 Days very
much indeed. It is tricky for me to get longer games and war
games to the table, and it is unlikely that Twilight Struggle will
ever be played in our house,
let alone receive the mul-
tiple plays it deserves really
to shine. 13 Days is a different
proposition, however. The
game feels like a balancing
act from the very start, and,
every decision brings with it
some kind of trade off. The
trick for players is to try to
ensure that they trade off
slightly less than their opponent does. Those six markers on
the board (three for each player) will indicate where each side
might be focusing their efforts, but working out what your op-
ponent’s ultimate aim is for the round takes skill, a little luck,
and some magical mind reading as well. It is all about feint and
counter-feint, leaning this way and that, and rolling with the
inevitable punches.
Being a card game it is inevitable that players are sometimes
going to find themselves on the receiving end of an unhealthy
dose of bad luck, but the trick is a well-designed game is to al-
low players at least the chance to be able to mitigate the worst
of it. In 13 Days if you end up with a hand full of your oppo-
nent’s cards then you are going to need to hunker down and
enter damage limitation mode, but skilful play can still mini-
mise the damage such a draw can do. At other rare times you
will be able to go on the offensive and it will be your oppo-
nent’s turn to try to evade your nuclear kisses – enjoy these
moments when they come.
There are a few negatives that I need to mention in the spirit
of fairness. Firstly, the box is too big and with smaller pack-
aging its portability and economy of scale would have been
made much more apparent. Do not be put off by the notion
that 13 Days is going to be a table hog though – on the con-
trary, it fits nicely into a cafe game collection, especially as
the board contains pretty much all of the information players
 might need. Secondly, as mentioned there are some very small
printing errors in the early edition, although these are not
game breakers and it only take a little common sense to work
out what is meant. The only other real flaw with this game – if
it can be considered a flaw – is that it is not Twilight Struggle. It
unashamedly and openly flaunts itself as a quicker playing and
streamlined alternative to that classic, so it must be considered
on that basis, and I would say it is a success, acting both as a
Twilightish Struggle for those who just cannot go without their
fix but only have an hour to spare, but also as a possible route
into the bigger game for those who are interested but lacking
the armoury to go immediately all-in. Like its bigger brother
it gets better with familiarity and playing against a similarly
skilled opponent is hugely rewarding.

As it happens, Granerud and Pedersen are going even further

this year, distilling 13 Days down to its purest essence in the
forthcoming 13 Minutes, the microgame take on Twilight Strug-
gle. Amazingly, this will still aim to retain the feel of Twilight
Struggle, but only ten of thirteen supplied cards will played in
each game. It sounds completely mad, but here, clearly, are two
designers who think that they are on to something and given
what they have achieved with 13 Days I would not be surprised
to find 13 Minutes managing to retain the elements of its much
bigger siblings and simultaneously bringing something new to
the microgame genre, which can be disappointingly shallow.

Hardcore wargamers and those who routinely spend four or so

hours crouched over hex maps and looking up subcategories of
subcategories of rules for fun may well find 13 Days just a little
too light for their tastes, but even they should at least give it
a go, and I genuinely believe that this is a game that has the
potential to go down well with a broad range of players. Those
for whom Ticket To Ride represents the deeper end of the spec-
trum or for whom conflict is a complete turn-off should give it
a miss, but most gamers, especially those looking for a decent
quickish head-to-head play, would benefit from trying it out.
13 Days: The Cuban Missile Crisis is an impressive and polished de-
sign with much to commend it, and certainly worth a play, but
especially by devotees of Twilight Struggle.

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 games we love

THE OTHERS
SEVEN DEADLY SINS NEVER LOOKED SO GOOD

ARTICLE & PHOTOS BY MATT FOSTER

It’s been a long, long time since gaming with miniatures was
the exclusive province of history buffs and assorted fans of
wargaming. The number of popular medium -and large- run
games nowadays that feature miniatures is nothing short of
amazing to many of us grognards who cut our gaming teeth
with painstakingly recreated ranks of French voltigeurs or Ro-
man legionaries.
For confirmed addicts to the plastic crack (like me), these are
heady days. Varied themes, innovative game systems, vivid
supporting graphics, and imaginative miniatures are all con-
spiring to breathe new life - and new money - into the minis
gaming genre. It’s a good thing, I suppose, that a majority of
contemporary minis gamers are likely handier at spelling “Ta-
tooine” than “Austerlitz”. As long as it keeps the spice flowing,
it doesn’t matter that most of the current crop of minis games
aren’t even remotely connected to anything historical. Uncork
enough creativity and some good games are going to result.
The Others, published by CoolMiniOrNot (CMON), checks off

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 all the boxes required, and then some, to serve as a top-notch
example of the current generation of miniatures-based action
games. The game features a bucketful of well-sculpted minia-
tures, generally excellent production values, and a clever game
system that meshes neatly with The Others’ dark, horror-in-
spired theme.
I call it an “action game” because the work of designer Eric
Lang produces gameplay that’s not quite a skirmish game, but
not exactly an abstract tactical game, either. There’s plenty of
shootin’ and stabbin’ and burnin’ going on, but the area-based
system avoids a lot of the
“
minutiae commonly found
in games that dig down into
man-to-man (or man-to-
thing, in this case) combat. FOR CONFIRMED ADDICTS
The over-arching structure TO THE PLASTIC CRACK
is a classic one-versus-ma-
ny setup. One player takes (LIKE ME), THESE ARE
charge of the vile forces that
embody one of the Seven
HEADY DAYS. “ (close combat specialists),
Deadly Sins (everybody read-
ing this knows what those
are, right? Right? Sure you
do). The other players - up to four of them - play individual he-
roes comprising a team of operatives from FAITH, the Federal
Authority for the Interdiction of Transdimensional Horrors.
The Bad Guys are trying to pull off Bad Things to hasten the
corruption of the world; the Good Guys are trying to stop them.
THE PLAYING STUFF
The game board for each “story” (grognard translation: “sce-
nario”) is arranged from a set of area-based tiles representing
parts of the unfortunate city of Haven, which the ultimate gang
of Bad Guys, called The Hell Club, has made the epicenter of its
unholy efforts. Haven is “a large metropolis on the southern
coast of England”. As a quick note: I’ve never particularly con-
sidered Southampton the Smoldering Hellmouth of Global Evil,
but then again I’ve also never figured out why Godzilla always
stomps the stuffin’ out of Tokyo.
christy okane (Order #18094006)
The Sin player chooses one of the Sins to play. The game’s
original title was The Others: 7 Sins, but the official moniker was
chopped back to just The Others because only two of the seven
Sins are included in the retail starter box. Kickstarter pledges
got the other 5 Sins (available as expansions at retail), along
with a bunch of other stuff.
Each Sin has a different set of gameplay effects and powers, and
its own set of special monstrosities (in order of nastiness): six
Abominatons, a Controller, and an Avatar. The Sin player also
selects six of the more generic Acolytes (the lowest level evil
minions), which are typically
city-folk of some sort - po-
lice, firemen, doctors - with
their guts hanging out and/or
tentacles waving around.
A complete team of FAITH
operatives has seven mem-
bers: a Leader, two Bruisers
two Snipers, and two Fixers.
The FAITH players choose
three or four (depending on
the number of players) of
the seven heroes as their starting crew. Each hero has one or
more skills/abilities, and the upgrade cards that turn up during
gameplay usually provide the most benefit for a specific type of
hero. Once the FAITH starting lineup is selected, the remaining
heroes are set aside as the reserve; when a hero on the board
meets his/her doom, a reserve hero is brought into play. If a
hero is killed and all reserves have been exhausted, the game
ends in a victory for the Sins player.
The game is played in Rounds. During a Round each hero gets
two turns, each of which allows the hero one move of 1 or 2
board spaces and a single action - either fight or resolve a game
effect called a “crisis”. A hero can either move first or take their
action first. In the course of a turn, a hero can also take a “City
Action”, which provides one or more helpful buffs (like healing
or upgrades).
When a hero activates for a turn, the Sin player can play a single
Sin card, usually causing something unpleasant to happen. Af-
ter a hero has finished a turn, the Sin player can then play one
of their limited number of Reactions, which allow a monster to
move and fight. Note carefully: the various Sins critters in play
don’t get turns of their own; they only get Reactions.
It’s important to recognize the essential asymmetrical na-
ture of gameplay, which is a big difference that sets The Others
apart from most of the rest of the fighting-with-plastic-bits
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 games we love

THE GAME ISN’T JUST “

MOVING AND SHOOTING AT
THE OTHER DUDES “
games on the market. The game isn’t just moving and shooting
at the other dudes. In order to win, the FAITH heroes have to
accomplish mission objectives - they have to Do Stuff, not just
Kill Things. The Sin’s main goal, in simplest terms, is to mess
with the heroes. Sometimes that involves killing them (when
the opportunity arises), but it’s just as important to cause de-
lay and aggravation, because the longer it takes to complete the
mission, the more Sin effects stack up against the heroes. Once
enough Sin effects are in play, the heroes have a hard time do-
ing anything constructive. At which point they become a lot
easier to kill off.

Conversely, the key for the heroes is to accomplish their ob-

jectives as quickly as possible. There’s a little item called the
Apocalypse Track that basically serves to keep track of the
rounds - and also serves to list nasty new Sin effects that come
into play as the rounds marker advances. As a mission wears
on, more and more effects appear to hammer on the heroes.
The heroes can lay down some awesome hurt in combat (espe-
cially with the right upgrades), but many times they’ll discover
that taking the time to potshot at random bad guys is exactly
what the Sins player wants them to do. A tight focus on objec-
tives is usually the best course of action, with the heroes piling
into combat only when necessary.
Because of the increasing Apocalypse effects, card plays from
the Sins player, and the typical spawning of bad guys in the
worst possible locations, the FAITH team more than has their
hands full. In addition to staying focused on objectives, they
also have a couple of critical resources to manage. Each hero
has only five life points (wounds) and can take only a limited
amount of Corruption points before Bad Things have a chance
to happen to them. Those very same Corruption points, how-
ever, are used to enable some of the heroes’ most impressive
abilities - so inside each mission, each of the heroes also does
a dangerous little dance with Corruption points to balance be-
tween ultimate baddassery and abject, soul-eating failure.

THE GAME STUFF

There’s no shame in admitting that at least half the appeal of
these things is the quality of the miniatures and the associated
artwork in the box. It’s also worth noting, however, that a lot of
the minis games that start out on Kickstarter (like The Others)
easily populate campaign pages with appealing concept art and
promising CAD renderings, but end up delivering products that
don’t quite match their lofty ambitions.

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Such is not the case with The Others. This game is absolutely
gorgeous, and there’s a LOT of it to appreciate.
The core box (i.e. the “retail” version) contains 47 miniatures:
8 heroes (because one of the seven heroes is a werewolf, with
both human and wolf-version minis); avatars, controllers, and
6 abominations for each of two Sins (Pride and Sloth); 24 cor-
rupted acolytes; and 5 minis for the members of the Hell Club.
The miniatures are top-notch sculpts, amazing little works of
art in themselves, and the production quality is simply out-
standing. Also, inside are some sculpted plastic markers for
wounds, a bunch of custom dice for combat, some colored
snap-on bases for the hero minis, 10 city tiles, 70 cards, and
assorted punch-board dashboards, tokens, and markers.
The Kickstarter Edition of The Others extends well beyond the
contents of the retail version. There are 6 additional hero fig-
ures and two additional bad guys, with associated extra cards
and dashboards. The Kickstarter version also included the Beta
Team expansion with 5 more heroes, 12 more corrupted aco-
lytes, 5 city tiles, more dice, and a dozen more upgrade cards.
christy okane (Order #18094006)
Apparently, even throwing in 6 more city tiles and a pair of cus-
tom dice bags wasn’t enough, because the Kickstarter version
also included expansion boxes for all 5 of the remaining Sins—
that’s 40 more than minis—plus more Sin cards.
More expansions were available in the project as optional buys.
Those included the Apocalypse Box, with 6 mega-monsters (and
two heroes); Gamma Team and Delta Team (each with 5 heroes
and 12 acolytes); the Sons of Ragnarok (7 more heroes); and Men
of FAITH (5 more heroes).
It was certainly an ambitious undertaking for a Kickstarter
game, and whether it rates as a successful project or not is no
doubt very subjective. The Others shipped about 8 months later
than the projected finish date, and some shipments (mostly for
European backers) ran afoul of the container line chaos inflict-
ed on worldwide shipping as a result of the Hanjin bankruptcy.
It was a daunting fulfillment challenge to begin with—more
than 10,000 backers pledged nearly $1.5 million—and the in-
ternational shipping delays only added to the usual problems.
Shipping and fulfillment issues aside, CMON has turned out an
entertainingly thematic, competitive game that features some
truly outstanding miniatures work. Gamers with an apprecia-
tion for the horror genre who don’t have The Others near their
table are missing a trick. And, while hard-core wargamers and
fans of contemporary skirmish games (Imperial Assault, for
example) both may find The Others a bit unconventional, I think
they’ll discover that the game offers a host of enjoyable tacti-
cal challenges. It requires some attention to detail in planning
ways to accomplish objectives, and provides plenty of opportu-
nities for dirty tricks as the game rolls along.
And besides, what self-respecting plastic crack addict doesn’t
need to have miniatures this good-looking as part of their col-
lection?
Yaah! Magazine | 27
 games we love

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 DAYS OF BATTLE

THE
GREAT
WAR ARTICLE & PHOTOS BY
DR. ROBERT G. SMITH “SMITTY”, LTC (RET)

For America, this is the centenary of our entry into World War
One. On 6 April 1917, America stepped out of the security of the
New World and into the trenches and the antagonisms of the

Old War, to try to help the Democratic Powers defeat Prussian

militarism. In less than one and a half years, Imperial Germany
had cracked. All the old monarchies fell by the time the war was
concluded. However new dangers arose—the threat of Bolshe-
vism that arose out of the ashes of the collapse of the Tsarist

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 games we love
regime was the most obvious. Sadly, the peace that was ham-
mered out by the victors at Versailles helped set the stage for a
rematch, as this harsh treaty only served to fuel antagonisms
and unrequited desires in the states that lost—or the victor
states that perceived that the Treaty of Versailles treated their
“rightful” claims with disdain.
While at the World Board Game Championship in August
2016, we saw the game The Great War (TGW) by the Plastic
Soldier Company (PSC). I knew of PSC, but thought they
were a miniatures company. Although the game was fund-
ed via Kickstarter and released in 2015, at the time we saw
TGW it was the 100th anniversary of two key battles for the
British Empire in World War One. Within a month’s time,
the British fought both Jutland and began the Battle of the
Somme. I read the box, saw that TGW was patterned after
Richard Borg’s Command and Colors system, and took a gam-
ble. The game is attractively packaged, but perhaps is a little
misleading as it shows tanks on the cover. If you are like
many gamers, you buy it and say, “Wait a second... There
are no tanks in this game”. However, the tanks are avail-
able for separate purchase in an expansion kit, and every-
one needs tanks.
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COMPONENTS
TGW’s components are a very strong aspect and one bound to
disappoint and vex the player. You have the standard nice big
playing map, with BIG hexes. The map is actually two-sided.
To make up different battlefields, you have the interchange-
able tiles. I recommend this to make future set-up easier with
the tiles- the tiles that only have trench lines on them go in
one baggie. The tiles that have other terrain go into a differ-
ent zip-lock bag. This prevents you from getting to the end of
constructing your battlefield and needing to start flipping tiles
over to find say the missing mine crater (as I had to do). The
tiles’ artwork is first-rate and all the trench lines connect. The
interior packaging and storage is non-existent. They could take
a lesson from how Academy Games packages their games with
that great new interior storage lid. You also have Wire markers
that upon destruction by artillery flip over to show a crater side.
You have one nice artillery marker and HQ tokens that operate
as the game currency. The card decks for both Command and
Battle are sturdy, and will hold up to repeated playing.
Then we come to the game’s biggest weakness—trying to re-
move the soldiers from the HARD plastic sprue. Unless you
have sprue cutters, removal is a real pain and you will dam-
 age some units, meaning you then need to re-glue pieces that
break. Unlike the soldier figures in Battle Cry, these are a hard
plastic. Cutting them with an X-Acto knife works, but it takes
much longer than I anticipated. It’s not a showstopper but it
was aggravating, a reaction a company doesn’t want with its
first foray into the board game field. As a possible replacement,
you can go and shop over at the Plastic Soldier Review, who
have an extensive listing of WWI figures. However, even with
sprue cutters I still found it a
nological leap in defensive firepower. Yet it manages to accom-
plish this feel for the subject in a playable fashion. It is easily
a game a 10 to 12-year-old can play and do well at, as the game
forces you to think for this turn and the next.
The game mechanics are simple. You set up your forces, draw
HQ tokens (i.e. the game currency), and your hand of Command
and Combat cards. Your Command cards allow your troops to
shoot, move or conduct spe-

“
very painful experience. If I cial abilities. The detailed de-
had been a mother who pur- scription tells you what spe-
chased this game for my son cial conditions are attached
and discovered that it was THEN WE COME TO to the card while the graphic
so user-unfriendly, I would tells you what section(s)
have been livid. Poor ergo- THE GAME’S BIGGEST the card pertains to for your
nomics, a first-class failure. forces. For example, you
WEAKNESS—TRYING TO choose a card that reads 2-2-
RULES
The rule book is long and
REMOVE THE SOLDIERS 2, meaning you can conduct
two actions per section with
decently illustrated. How-
ever, it suffers from a lack
FROM THE HARD PLASTIC troops. You can move up to
two hexes, but doing so for-
of good organization
overall structure. I’m always
and
SPRUE “ feits your ability to conduct
combat. You can move one
less than thrilled when I get hex and fight. You can then
a rulebook that has no In- play a Combat card. There are
dex. Yeah, it’s a Command two types of combat, Ranged
and Colors type game, which means it’s simpler. I get that, but and Close Assault. After combat is over you collect end of turn
that’s no reason not to have a useable rule booklet. For ex- HQ token or in lieu of that take a new Combat card. Retreats
ample, the game dice are illustrated early on, but their impact and bonus combat are conducted if someone played a Combat
and functionality is left for you to find scattered throughout the card that allows for a tactical response. Movement is straight
rules. Maybe you will find it. Instead, you need to go to Board- ahead as you can’t slide off or do lateral movement here.
GameGeek (BGG) and look under the files to find something
useful there. That’s not what we expect is it? Moreover, at this Before playing the Somme Hawthorn Ridge Mine Explosion
juncture, the company should have proactively gone up and ad- scenario, I read up on it in Prior and Wilson’s book The Somme.
profes-
dressed these themselves by putting out an amended profes I personally think it is the go-to book on the Somme. My goal
sional product. One can hope that PSC will post a set of new was to get some sense of the historical aspects of that section
living rules, as clarity and some organization is needed in areas. of the battlefield on that hot July day in 1916. How did it play
There is simply no real excuse for somebody in this digital age out? What were the forces like? Did it feel close enough? Not
when it is so easy to do things the right way. (It’s not quite as easy only did TGW pass, but in my historian’s mind, it
as you might think. -Mark) got a solid A.

GAME PLAY TGW gives a passing nod to the

The Great War and the Command and Col- logistical aspects of WWI. In the
ors system are a good match. In fact, cards, there is a shell shortage
World War One is a perfect adap- some-
card, a great reference to some
tation to this system. The game thing that happened and was a
reflects the tactical rigidity com-
serious issue for all the com
and inability to move rap- batants at one juncture or
idly, with a communication another. In fact, the shell
system that had not yet shortage in 1915 ensured
caught up to the tech-
- the Russians forever lost

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 games we love
the initiative against the Germans. In England, the shell short-
age ended the real power of Lord Kitchner and brought David
Lloyd George to the Prime Ministership. I like the passing nod
to logistics that TGW continues with in terms of game play. The
real impact of logistics is handled by the HQ chits. Think of HQ
chits as the game’s currency that are spent for certain types of
actions. To use certain cards, you must pay an activation fee.
To use artillery and expand its base of fire, you spend HQ chits.
To maximize the HQ card in the deck, a bounty of HQ chits can
“
be the difference in one turn
between victory and defeat.
With that card and enough
chits, you can devastate in an WHAT YOU DISCOVER IS
assault. That card will allow
you to replicate the first day THAT TANKS WEREN’T A
of the Battle of the Somme
where the British Army suf-
fered 60,000 casualties in
WAR-WINNING WEAPON “ perimented with allowing the
one day.
Artillery at first glance seems undervalued in TGW. We know
of the weeklong softening up barrages and the hurricane artil-
lery firestorms. So why not add more artillery to make it more
realistic? The problem with that is until latish (sic) 1918, planes
weren’t equipped with radios to adjust artillery fire based upon
spotted movement from the air. That type of coordination
wasn’t simply available to the artillery in 1918. Moreover, al-
though artillery did cause a lot of casualties, it often failed due
to faulty fuses or simply by the shells burying themselves in
the mud (it’s why every year we read of some poor French or
Belgian Farmer getting killed by unexploded ordnance that has
resurfaced). Therefore, the sense, in terms of playability, is that
32 | Yaah! Magazine
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the game has it right without much of a tradeoff to the histori-
cal truths.
As a variant once you’ve played a few times, try allowing side-
ways movement. I had no trouble using this, as you often read
in small unit actions how leaders would try to move to the flank
or use the terrain to give them the best chance of achieving their
mission. Doing so gives the British a bit more flexibility when
I have used it. I don’t allow it for retreats as that didn’t seem
right. I have also experiment-
ed with the British getting a
free artillery barrage prior to
opening movement with four
dice, with the option of add-
ing one additional barrage for
two HQ tokens. I also have ex-
British to count their Victory
medals for making and taking
a trench as so far (like in WWI
actual) they often don’t get that far. For the Somme scenario as
well, I give the British as their opening move card the one that
allows two actions per section. I have also experimented with al-
lowing them to do this for the first two turns with the stipula-
tion that a unit that moved with the first card can’t move again.
But just when you think this is a Command and Colors-light game
that is sort of like the First World War, you draw the Bugles and
Whistles card that allows you so much tactical latitude when you
choose to play the card, allowing you order a general advance
like the one at Amiens on the 8th of August, 1918. That one card
alone should sell the jaded player that the game has more depth
than is first apparent.
 THE TANK EXPANSION KIT
Well you knew we were going
to talk about it right? It took all
of two weeks until we ordered
the expansion. It’s well worth it
in terms of added play value and
giving you a greater sense of the
realities of World War One. In the
expansion, you get six highly de-
tailed and pre-assembled 1/100th
scale World War One British and
German tank models, and two
crappy German artillery pieces that
are difficult to assemble. The Brit-
ish tanks are always “male” model
tanks. Like the game pieces in TGW, the plastic for the
other pieces is simply dreadful to work with in terms
of removal and assembly, to include the eight-gun
crew figures. Again, you are left with the sense that the
overall TLC factor was overlooked here. However, we overall
liked enough of what we saw that we ordered further the ex-
pansion pack of Whippet Tanks.
What you discover is that tanks weren’t a war-winning weap-
on, as much as it grieves me to admit that ugly fact. What you
find out is your armored “fist” often doesn’t get much out of
the starting gate. They break down with great frequency and
are hard to recover. The game has it pretty close to right - they
are neither too powerful nor too weak here. Like in WWI, if you
lead with them, you will lose them early on. The Panzer Pushers
need to grasp that tanks here are a supporting arm, and if used
correctly in that mode are a combat multiplier for your infantry.
But the bogging down rule is such you may never wish to hear
christy okane (Order #18094006)
any case or tense of the word bog again. But in my mind
bogging down includes a whole host of
things - the engine shaft
breaks, the crew gets ill or
overheated . . . and trenches
were hard on them. In fact,
even at the Battle of Amiens, 2
years after working with them,
mechanical issues meant often
50% of your tank force was out
of the battle just for mainte-
nance and trying to navigate the
battlespace. For me, the rules
replicate this well enough with-
out becoming so house rule ori-
ented that we put the game away
because it only works with excep-
tion after exception.
Of course, the Expansion rules add
“tankschrecken” (Did the English call it that? -Mark), the panic
that tanks created when first employed en masse. It’s interest-
ing that tank fright occurred again as well in the early days of
World War Two. It’s well handled here. Those who think that it
was over and solved miss the fact that it happened again on Au-
gust 8 1918 at Amiens and to a lesser extent earlier at Hamel.
Of greater import, their mass and proper tactical employment
and coordination caused the German High Command to collapse
psychologically. Ludendorff suffered what one would charitably
consider a nervous breakdown with the collapse suffered by the
breaching of the Hindenburg Line that day. It is surprising, how-
ever, that Hamel and Amiens are missing among the scenarios.
CONCLUSIONS
The Plastic Soldier Company offers prompt, friendly responses
to questions and comments. Here is a company that learned
from their first venture, knowing both what went right with
their first offering and what was not so hot. Game play in TGW
is lots of fun, to include the enjoyable frustration of the assault
on a trench system and objective in World War One. The learn-
ing curve of the game is such that by the third game played, I
seldom needed to consult the rules. As I played TGW, I went
from a ho-hum start to the game to loving to play it. I found
myself often frowning as the British Player, not because of the
game system, but in trying to figure out my best tactical re-
sponse. The game truly felt like World War One enough to me
that I didn’t think about that after a while. I liked The Great War
enough that this M1 tanker will add on the tank expansion kit
and then will await the next modules in the game system. And
that Bugles and Whistles card...you may learn to like it more
than your spouse! With all the planned expansions, this game
should see a long shelf life.
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 games we love

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 ARTICLE & PHOTOS BY EDDIE CARLSON

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 games we love

Conan is a miniatures board game that lets you play as heroes
from Robert E. Howard’s books. It allows 2 – 5 players to par-
ticipate in scenarios that recreate some of Conan’s most famous
battles and adventures. One player will take on the role of the
Overlord who will be in control of the creatures that are trying
to prevent the players from
One of the great things about the Conan game is the adherence
to Robert E. Howard’s works. The team at Monolith worked
with Patrice Louinet, who is regarded as a Conanian (Is that a
word?) expert, to make sure that everything evokes the atmo-
sphere of Robert E. Howard’s world. This ensures that fans of
the novels will be able to rec-

“
succeeding in the scenario’s ognize characters, creatures,
objectives. The players must and even locations from the
work together, communi- game that Conan will have
cate, and ultimately find a ONE OF THE GREAT THINGS encountered on his journeys.
way to balance their energy
to keep their characters alive ABOUT THE CONAN GAME The game includes great art-
and win each scenario.
IS THE ADHERENCE TO work from many artists. What
I want to do is talk about the
Each player will control one
character, represented by a
ROBERT E. HOWARD’S WORKS. “ various components and the
deep immersion they create,
light gray plastic miniature from the character sheets
and a character sheet used to the equipment cards. The
to track their movement and miniatures themselves are
actions on the game board. One player will act as the Overlord. also lovingly sculpted, exemplifying thought that went into
The Overlord uses a plastic tablet, called the Book of Skelos, to getting everything right.
track the creatures under their command. They will also maneu-
ver minis on the game board to thwart the heroes. The game can Let’s start with the box art for the cover. This is a powerful
be played with just two people with one taking the Overlord and piece of art that shows Conan doing what he does best, jumping
the other running several good guys. For those that really en- into battle and laying waste to a horde of undead skeletons. The
joy managing a lot of moving parts, a person can play solo, they necromancer in the background bringing his army to life and
would just need to run each character and manage the Book of Conan swinging his sword and axe to bring them down. It fits
Skelos. It can be done! Although, not very well by me. the theme of the game very well and gets you excited to open

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 the box and see what is in there. Even the logo on the box, with
skulls and weapons, lets you know that this is a game of high
adventure and combat, elements that just scream Conan and
pumps you up to rip off the shrink wrap and start slaying foes.
The amazing artwork is seen on all aspects of the game. As you
start to pull out the contents of the game from the box, you can
see that much thought went into the layout of every piece used
to play the game. Let’s start with the character sheet. The char-
acter sheet includes a beautiful character portrait of each char-
acter you can play. The base game comes with four characters.
They include Conan, the main hero of the game about which the
novels have been written. There is also Shevatas, who is known
as the King of Thieves. There is the sorcerer Hadrathus, and fi-
nally there is the Queen of the Black Coast, Belit. Each of these
characters have unique abilities and characteristics that make
them unique. We’ll talk about those unique traits later.
christy okane (Order #18094006)
In addition to the character art on each sheet, there are also
various icons that represent the actions available to each char-
acter. At a glance, you can see what your character is able to do
without having to read lists and charts to decide what to do.
In addition to aesthetics, the icons also have a practical use.
The boxes that house the icons are where you store the stamina
crystals that are used when you perform actions in the game.
At a glance, you can see which actions you have performed and
how much energy you have used. This helps you quickly plan
your next step.
The asset cards are lavishly illustrated, utilizing icons to indi-
cate the actions available or indicate how the item can be used.
Equipment also includes an encumbrance value that is used to
determine if a character can perform certain tasks if there is too
much encumbrance. Once again, the visual style not only looks
good, but also quickly provides what you need to know.
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 games we love

Spell cards are given the same treatment Sixteen spell cards are
included in the game and scenario setup will determine which
spells will be used. Even the Overlord might have spells at his dis-
posal. The spell cards make it easy to quickly look and understand
how the spell will work in the game. They may not be as visually
appealing as the other assets in the game, but their functionality
once again does away with the
The dice are also very well made and include symbols indicat-
ing damage done. There are three colors used to indicate how
much possible damage can be done. Yellow dice will inflict the
least amount of damage, orange dice are the next tier up, and
finally red dice indicate a high chance to doing damage. A nice
touch on the dice are little symbols indicating which tier of dice
you are rolling for colorblind

need for books and charts to
track spell information.
The game includes 75 gems
that are used to track energy
for the heroes and the Over-
lord. Each character sheet
will state in a space called
the Reserve Zone how many
energy gems that character
starts with. As characters
perform actions, they move
this energy to the action
icons on the sheet and at the
“
players.
The scenarios will be played
CONAN NOT ONLY out on two, gorgeous double-
sided maps. These maps rep-
BRINGS GREAT LOOKING resent the battlefields that
Conan and his allies must
COMPONENTS TO THE traverse to complete each
TABLE, BUT ALSO BRINGS scenario, and each map is di-
vided up into areas in which
A WONDERFUL the characters will move and
fight. Each scenario will indi-
ADVENTURE AS WELL “ cate which map to use.

end of the turn move those
gems to the Fatigue Zone. If
a character is wounded, gems
are moved to the Wound Zone. At the start of every turn, char-
acters can recover some fatigued energy to be spent on their
current turn. However, only certain items, abilities, or spells
will recover wounds. The more a character is wounded or fa-
tigued, the fewer gems the character may spend on actions.
There are also many other
counters and miniature bases
that are used to track infor-
mation during the game. Again, all the pieces are of a great
quality, very durable, and have great artwork as well. There are
tokens that represent things like broken walls, tables, trea-
sures, stairs, chairs, and even a well. The scenario being played
will indicate how each of these tokens will be used. It also gives

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 scenario designers a lot of tools to use when creating their own
adventures. There are no rules specifically on how to create
your own adventure; however, there are plenty of things in the
box with which you may try crafting your own stories.
I have played games before that had great looking components,
but were lacking in design. Luckily, Conan not only brings great
looking components to the table, but also brings a wonderful
adventure as well. In Conan, players work together to defeat the
Overlord’s minions and creatures. On the characters’ turns,
they can perform their actions in any order. This allows team-
work as one character can perform an action, and then another
character can perform an action. This system really allows the
players to discuss and use strategy and tactics to their advan-
tage. One character may attack a creature, wound it, but not
have enough energy left for another attack. Another player may
step in to attack and kill the creature. Then the first player may
have enough energy or an ability to open a locked chest to get
treasure. The combinations of interactions are only limited by
player imaginations, and energy gems.
As I wrote before, energy gems are the limited resource that
players use to perform actions. At the start of a turn, a char-
acter regains energy based on their stance. If they choose an
aggressive stance, they’ll receive energy based on the number
of characters that have died. This stance is used so a charac-
ter can perform all their actions, but the downside is you don’t
earn back much energy since your character is being active. If a
character chooses a cautious stance, they also get back energy
based on how many characters have died, but it is usually more,
as the cautious stance is used to catch your breath. A character
in cautious stance can only perform Guard and Reroll actions.
That is one of the things that players need to strategize among
themselves to keep their party going at optimal performance-
who needs to rest and who gets to be active.
This does have a fun narrative effect on the game. For example,
one time my son (i.e. Conan) broke through the wall of a hut
and attacked three Pict. Conan has a special ability to transfer
remaining damage to another creature and if that creature dies,
transfer any remaining damage to another creature in the loca-
tion. He used all his energy gems in movement and the attack,
but killed all three Picts. There are so many moments of ex-
citing narrative that can happen, such as breaking through the
wall of a hut and with one mighty swing killing everything with
your battle-axe. Something Conan would be very proud of. The
downside is now you have to regain your energy gems over the
next few turns in order to do something heroic.
This is almost like a game within the game. You really need to
talk to the other players so you can all decide when it’s best to
christy okane (Order #18094006)
use up your energy in dramatic fashion, and when to take turns
resting to regain those energy gems. Those dramatic moments
of action may not happen often, but when they do, it makes
the game come alive and puts you in the shoes of those mighty
adventurers.
Movement is rather simple. Each turn, the characters get free
movement points that are listed on their character sheet. If
they stop moving to perform an action, they lose any remain-
ing movement points. They may then use energy gems to pur-
chase additional movement points if desired. If a character re-
ally needs to be somewhere to help a comrade out, they can get
there if they have enough energy gems.
Combat is not overly complicated either. The character sheets
and asset cards provide the needed information. Characters
may perform close combat or ranged attacks. Both are similar
in execution. Your character sheet and asset cards will state
how many dice to roll when attacking. You may also spend en-
ergy gems to add more dice to your attack, again limited by any
number on the attack icon you’re using. Those character sheets
and assets will also tell you what color dice to roll. You then
roll the dice and compare the number of swords rolled against
the creature’s defense. Some creatures are very strong and you
need to score many sword icons to inflict damage. Some crea-
tures have a low defense and are easy to defeat. One of the key
player decisions is how much energy to spend on each attack.
Decide wrong and you may be left standing next to very angry,
very undefeated creatures.
If the characters are on the receiving end of damage, they may
have assets that will let them roll defense dice. After an attack
roll is made, the number of success are totaled and compared
to a defense roll if there is one. The defender will subtract their
successes from the attacker’s successes, this may mean the de-
fender lives and takes reduced or possibly no damage. Again,
you can spend energy to reroll dice that don’t give you favorable
results. Even the Overlord has the option to spend his energy
gems to reroll dice, but that is a tougher decision to make as the
Overlord has fewer gems to spend than the players do.
Another challenge for players is Hindering. If there are an equal
Yaah! Magazine | 39
 games we love
or greater number of creatures than there are characters, there
will be penalties for performing certain actions. For example,
if Conan were in a location with two Pict warriors, it would cost
him two extra energy gems to move from that location. If there
were two characters and one Pict warrior, then one character
could move away with no penalty, but the remaining charac-
ter would need to pay an extra energy gem to leave. Part of the
party strategy is to put enough characters in a location so no
one character is overwhelmed.
Another concept that is handled well is the interaction be-
tween encumbrance and skills. Certain assets have weight.
As you carry more objects and your weight increases, there
are skills listed on your character sheet that you will not be
able to perform. For example, if you have a swimming skill
of four and you’re carrying five encumbrance points, you will
not be able to swim. If you dropped the armor with three en-
cumbrance points, then you would be down to two encum-
brance points. That is less than four needed to swim, so your
character could swim again if needed. Balancing carried en-
cumbrance vs. skills is another simple mechanic that brings
more depth to your characters, and it certainly gives reason
for characters to give gear they find to the player that can
both use and wear it well.
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Once all the characters have finished their turn, the Overlord
then takes their turn. Since the Overlord oversees so many
creatures, the game provides a plastic tablet called the Book
of Skelos. The Book of Skelos is where the Overlord will track
which creatures can act, what benefits they can use, and how
many energy gems they can spend each turn. Every single crea-
ture or group of creatures has a corresponding creature tile.
The tile is like a mini character sheet and has the information
needed to play that creature. Each scenario will tell the Over-
lord which creatures to use and where to put their tile on the
Book of Skelos. There are eight positions on the Book of Skelos,
which is called the river, and each tile will take one location ac-
cording to scenario setup in the river. Once the battlefield board
is laid out according to the scenario and the Book of Skelos is
set, the game will begin.
On the Overlord’s turn, they will decide which creature to acti-
vate. The cost of each creature is based on their position in the
river. The Overlord may activate up to two creatures. If a crea-
ture is in location 8, it will cost eight energy gems to activate.
Most scenarios only give the Overlord ten gems for the game,
so the Overlord needs balance activating creatures with using
benefits located on the book of Skelos. Every time the Over-
lord activates a creature tile, they will pick it up, and move it to
 the far-right position and move the tiles in the river towards
the number 1 spot towards the left. In time, depending on the
creatures that are activated, creatures that are more expensive
will become cheaper over time. It is also possible that the Over-
lord could activate something in the number 1 spot, move to
the number 8 slot and activate it again, if they have the energy
gems to do so. That could use all of the Overlord’s energy gems,
so this does not happen often.
The Book of Skelos has three advantages that the Overlord can
activate. In short, he can also spend his energy gems on rerolls
of combat dice, guard actions, and extra movement. Since the
Overlord also has a limited amount of energy gems they can re-
cover based on scenario, they really need to think about every
action.
One expenditure of energy
gems comes in the form of
Dredging the River. When COMBAT IS NOT OVERLY
all the creatures of a tile are
slain, that tile takes up a slot
on the river. The Overlord
COMPLICATED
can pay the cost of the tile
to move it to the back of the
river, moving it out of the way, or they can pay two energy for
every dead tile to dredge it out. When you dredge a tile from
the river, you permanently lose two energy gems and remove
the creature tile from the game. Since some scenarios have
the chance of returning creature tiles to play, sometimes this
is only used to remove creatures from the river that cannot be
returned to play, such as unique creatures per scenario rules.
Once the Overlord has completed their actions for the turn,
the turn tracker is advanced and play returns to the characters.
Once the number of turns for the scenario has expired, victory
conditions are checked and a winner can be decided. Will it be
Conan and his brave companions, or the Overlord and hordes of
creatures?
Although I enjoy the game very much, I did want to share a cou-
ple of concerns. The rulebooks are very nice looking and contain
great art. There is one rulebook for the Heroes and one rulebook
for the Overlord. Both books are printed on nice glossy paper
and are very easy to read. Some concerns have been brought up
about how well the rules are written and have been translated,
leaving some players confused with some rulings in the game.
However, the folks at Monolith have already posted to their
website Version 2.0 of both books with better written rules and
better examples that really help clarify concerns of how the
game should be played. I think the game is still very playable
out of the box, but the updated rules are certainly welcome. I’m
not bothered that there are two books of rules, one for the He-
roes and one for the Overlord. This allows the Overlord to read
up on how to play their part, and it contains the scenarios so
christy okane (Order #18094006)
that Heroes won’t get any spoilers while looking up any rules
references they may need.
One other concern in the game is that some of the artwork is a
little revealing in the clothing area of some of the female char-
acters and with their miniatures. If you had plans to play with
younger players, you may need to check out the artwork on
the Monolith website to see if anything is too mature for your
players. The recommended age for play is 14 years old to reflect
some of the artwork and fighting in the game.
Finally, there are only nine scenarios in the Overlord’s book.
The scenarios are balanced for the creatures and heroes writ-
ten. If you change any of the setup, including characters to be
played or assets, it can af-
“
fect game balance. So, if you
make any changes because
you have played the included
scenarios many times, just be
prepared to continue making
“ changes until you find the
game balance you like. The
Monolith website does in-
clude more adventures that
you can download, and they have some adventures that can
take advantage of creatures and characters that came as Kick-
starter exclusives not in the base box.
Overall, I feel this is a great adventure game and gives you a
lot of content for the price. Once you get used to the mechan-
ics of managing your energy gems, you’ll find a lot of strategy
and tactics waiting for you to explore. And even if you have to
play the same scenarios over again, the games tend to play out
differently each time. If you have been on the fence about this
one, I say go for it. If you have never heard of this game before,
I still recommend it and encourage you to visit the Monolith
website for more information. http://www.monolithedition.
com/Conan-en/
Yaah! Magazine | 41
 games we love

HANDS IN
THE SEA
DECK BUILDING THE
FIRST PUNIC WAR ARTICLE & PHOTOS BY ROGER LEROUX

In 2011, Martin Wallace released A Few Acres of Snow, a remark-

able wargame about the battle between the British and the
French over the future of North America.

What made that game different was not its subject, which had
been covered by other games such as Columbia’s Quebec 1759
and GMT’s Wilderness War, but rather that it took the deck
building approach most famously seen in Dominion to a board
wargame.

Each player began the game with a small core deck, and then
took alternating turns taking two actions per turn to gain su-
premacy in North America. Players could build locations, raid
settlements, trade to generate cash, and set sieges to their foe.
As settlements spread across the board, your deck would get
larger. There were also so-called Empire cards consisting of
military units and special cards that could be drafted into your
deck as well. The game could end by building your final town or
city token, successfully raiding 12 points of enemy settlements,
or by successfully winning a siege in Quebec City (for the Brit-
ish) or New York/Boston (for the French).

A Few Acres of Snow caused a lot of initial excitement in the

boardgame community at large for its innovation and fresh
take on conflict simulation. It had a broad appeal in the gam-
ing community, drawing in people who were fans of deck
builders, Martin Wallace, and wargames in equal measure. A
sign of its popularity was that the game was ported to Yucata.
de for online play. This is when dark clouds appeared on the

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 horizon. The late Tim Seitz over the course of several hun-
dred games discovered an unbeatable strategy that, properly
implemented, would guarantee a British victory. It became
known as the Halifax Hammer. Right or wrong, A Few Acres of
Snow was deemed broken by a vocal few and the enthusiasm
for and promise of deck building as an engine for a wargame
quickly fell to the side. (Maybe not. The game still consistently
ranks in BoardGameGeek’s Wargame Hotness and has garnered over
6.2K reviews. I’d take it. I’ve never designed a game that’s pulled 1K
reviews. -Mark)

Fortunately, Daniel Berger was not deterred by this perceived

setback.

Hands in the Sea is a wargame about the first Punic War between
Rome and Carthage. It uses a deck building engine to simulate
the logistical challenges both sides faced.

THERE ARE SEVERAL WAYS “

TO END A GAME OF HANDS
IN THE SEA “
THE GERM OF AN IDEA
In his designer notes, Daniel wrote that he had been think-
ing of designing a game based on the First Punic War because
there had not been very many entries on the subject. Originally
inspired by Hannibal: Rome vs. Carthage as the core system, he
played around with a card driven game design, but that kind of
game was not what he had in mind, and despite toying around
with ideas, nothing ever came of it. Then came the announce-
ment that Valley Games was going to release Hamilcar, a game
on the First Punic War using the same system as Hannibal: Rome
vs. Carthage. He put the design on the back burner.

The arrival of A Few Acres of Snow in 2011 reinvigorated his inter-

est in getting a design to the table, and the rest as they say is
history. The challenge became how to make a playable game,
especially as there was a significant need to represent a naval
element that was not vital to the North American conflict. The
other challenge was to avoid a Halifax Hammer kind of spoiler
to the game.

After many years of play testing, experimentation with a num-

ber of different naval system, and a successful Kickstarter cam-
paign, Hands in the Sea saw print in 2016.

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 games we love
THE BOX
Hands in the Sea comes with an oddly folded six panel board that
lies nicely flat on the table, but the way the folds present them-
selves leaves a few odd curves and indentations that might mean
markers will be a little offset from where they’re supposed to be.
The markers for the cities, towns, fleets, and fortresses follow
the example of A Few Acres of Snow and uses discs and cubes for
the purpose, although if you backed it on Kickstarter, you got
nicer looking bits. Despite their nicer look, however, I prefer
the discs to the houses! My one concession though is to use the
ship markers which look like triremes and eschew the larger
wood disc of the retail edition.
For those who backed the Kickstarter project, you also received
a companion guide and more cards. There is so much packed
into the basic game that I haven’t touched the expansion cards
yet, but what is in there looks promising. What is that old saw
about so many games and so little time?
44 | Yaah! Magazine
christy okane (Order #18094006)
BEGINNING WITH THE ENDING
There are several ways to end a game of Hands in the Sea, includ-
ing sudden death options, but the primary way is to accumulate
the most victory points when an end game condition is met.
The sudden death victory conditions are as follows. Rome wins
if it conquers or settles Carthage. Conversely, Carthage wins if
it conquers or settles Rome. Either player wins if at the end of
a turn it has a 25+ lead in victory points. The latter is a kind of
mercy rule that I honestly wish more games would have built
in. There are many games where you do want to play it out until
the end because you never know, but this is not one of them.
A growing gap in victory points will press you to action, but if
your deck is not cooperating and you cannot gain traction on
your opponent, it’s nice to end the misery without having to
formally concede. The final sudden death winning condition is
the complete conquest of Sicily.
Then there is a laundry list of other game ending conditions.
 Someone scoring at least 90VP, placement of your final town or
city cube, capture of 10 points worth of enemy towns (1) or cit-
ies (2), scoring 8 Prestige points (through combat victories), or
the completion of 12 full game turns. A final adjustment to the
scoring is then reckoned and the person with the highest vic-
tory point total is the winner
to expand your borders by settling into new areas, and you want
to do this for two very important reasons. One is that you get
the location cards for those spaces into your hand, which will
let you expand out even further. Two is that your ability to act
militarily requires that you have a jumping off point to get to
the town or city you want to

“
of Hands in the Sea. conquer. Furthermore, some
places on the map have vic-
ACTION! tory points associated with
Hands in the Sea is a deck THE SUCCESS OR FAILURE them, so they are obvious
building game, and each places to go if you can get
player has a starting deck OF YOUR EMPIRE WILL there.
which includes the location
cards for their starting towns HINGE ON YOUR DECK “ You will need to develop
and cities, an empire deck of your towns into cities be-
cards that can be drafted into cause cities generate money
your hand, and then there are in the end of turn sequence,
location cards for spaces that begin the game unsettled by ei- and you need money to buy some empire cards, especially the
ther player and some neutral (grey) mercenary cards that can troops and navies you’re going to need to build to conquer ene-
be bought by either player. Each player has a hand of five cards, my locations. You can also earn money with mercantile actions,
and has a menu of twenty-four different actions they can take. or better yet, steal money from your opponent by pillaging his
coastline with your fleets.
The success or failure of your empire will hinge on your deck as
well as maximizing the benefits of your actions. You will need Speaking of fleets, the naval game is abstracted into a simple

Yaah! Magazine | 45

christy okane (Order #18094006)

 games we love

system of counting ships. If two fleets meet in the ocean and
fight, you roll dice to determine a winner of that combat. The
designer notes show that a lot of development went into the
naval aspect of the game, and that despite numerous efforts to
include them in the cards themselves, it was a laborious and
British Player in A Few Acres of Snow, but it’s not something that
will work in this game.
TWELVE TURNS
The reason a Halifax Hammer solution won’t work in Hand in

“
clunky outcome, so the sim- the Sea is that there are sim-
plification of the naval com- ply too many variables to
bat came with a profound trigger a game end. Rome and
interest in keeping the game IS HANDS IN THE SEA ANY Carthage are both well pro-
flow smooth and engaging tected spaces with very dif-
throughout. GOOD? YES, IT IS “ ficult approach patterns, and
the cost of setting up a simi-
Combat takes many forms, lar kind of lean deck ignores
from field battles in towns, the importance of the other
cavalry raids to capture towns or city tokens, and the all-im- game end triggers, including getting to 8 prestige for winning
portant sieges to conquer a space. Where Hands in the Sea dif- a land, sea, or siege engagement. Furthermore, you only have
fers significantly from A Few Acres of Snow is that sieges have a two actions per turn, and the clock is ticking.
finite duration and if you’re not successful in the time allotted,
you automatically lose. This gives a strong incentive to having The ingenious addition to the deck building core of this game is
a good plan in place, and also mimics the difficulties of supply that the Carthaginian player has some say over the length and
lines at the era. tempo of the game, because at the bottom of their deck is a turn
ending Campaign Card that
One interesting innovation Hands in the Sea provides is the addi- causes an interrupt.
tion of a strategy deck, which is a card that represents a special
bonus or enhancement to your side. Some of the strategy cards Each time the campaign card
are only available to one side, but many are usable by both. is triggered, a random event
Three cards are available for purchase at any given time, and it card is drawn that is almost
takes an action to both acquire one and to get rid of one, and you always bad for one player.
cannot have more than one in play at a time. One of these events can even
end the game early. Money
Of course, this being a deck building game you need to man- is collected for cities. Victory
age your deck. You can draft cards from your empire deck to points are accrued for cit-
build up your military capacity and obtain cards to improve your ies in supply. A new strategy
ability to manage your turn. For example, you can place cards card is drawn for the consid-
into a reserve for later, which is the ideal place to store troops eration of the players. The
for a planned siege. You can pull cards out of your deck to burn turn marker is advanced, and
the cards you don’t need or want to increase the frequency of the campaign card is put back
the useful cards. This is the crux of the Halifax Hammer for the to the bottom of the Carthag-
inian player’s draw deck.

The first few turns of the

game will go by relatively
quickly, but as the game
marches on, the duration can
be longer. If the Rome player
is leading, the Carthage play-
er may want to play more cir-
cumspectly to delay the pas-
sage of time, but if Carthage
leads, deck thinning might
be the priority of the day.

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 THE FUTURE OF DECK BUILDING WARGAMES?
Is Hands in the Sea any good? Yes, it is. The game can suffer from
a mid-game lag if both players are not aggressively thinning
their deck of cards that are gumming up the works, but this is
a problem that anyone interested in pursuing all the depth and
challenges this game offers will overcome with sufficient ex-
perience. There is a lot of strategic variety to be explored, the
conflict is inherently an interesting one, and the deck building
engine simply works.

The question for me is whether deck building as a wargame

engine is something that is here to stay or if this is going to
be another niche within a niche within a sub-niche kind of
situation for the wargame hobby. Card driven games (CDG)
went almost viral with a strong period of growth and seem-
ingly every conflict under the sun finding itself a representa-
tive game. That design hotness has faded, but CDG are still
being designed now, and one could even argue that the COIN
(counterinsurgency) series of games are a natural evolution of
that genre.

The deck builder is a different animal though. It takes a lot of

work to make a deck building game dynamic enough to be in-
teresting, yet balanced enough in a wargame context to avoid a
Halifax Hammer type perfect solution even rigid and thorough
play testing cannot expose before hitting the market. I suspect
that the future of deck building wargames like this is murky at
best, but when it’s done right, like it is with Hands in the Sea, it’ll
be worth the wait.

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 scenarios

TET OFFENSIVE
A Fictional Scenario for ‘ 65
BY JOSH HARRIS

It was the morning of January 31st, 1968 and the platoon commander
had been briefed that there would be a cease fire. Even though it was
a holiday, the platoon was given orders to stay on guard but not to fire
unless fired upon. The morning intel brief seemed on point until about
16:00. Fireworks began to fire into the air and during the lightshow, the
NVA made their assault on the unexpecting Americans. – Josh Harris
Turns: 10 Turns. Turn ends when fourth End Turn is drawn.
Set Up
U.S.
Set up in or adjacent to building M5. 8 x Rifle, 4 x M60, Black,
Dixon.
U.S. Reinforcements: Set up on or adjacent to Hex L10. 4 x Rifle,
Riggs (See SSR)
North Vietnamese (NVA)
Set up on Hue City Map: 1 MM, 1 Rifle, 1 RPD on Hex H7 & M10.
1MM, 2 Rifle on Hex H8 & L10. 1 MM, 3 Rifle on Hex J7, L9, M9.
VC: Set up on Hue City Map: 1 MM, 1 Rifle, 2 Sappers on Hex F5,
G6, F6. 1 MM, 1 Rifle, 2 RPD on Hex O9.
• RPDs will always use suppressive Fire.
• Activated Sapper units that are adjacent to U.S. units will use
their Satchel Charge power if directed to fire.
• At the end of any turn in which the US loses two or more
units they get an Artillery Strike. The Artillery Strike will
take place after the Reserve Phase but before the beginning
of the next turn.
Event Markers:
• There are no event markers in this scenario, however, when
the third NVA unit is eliminated, read Paragraph 1.
• At the beginning of Turn 5, read Paragraph 2.
Paragraph 1:
“These bastards should have stayed home, nothing can stop the
US Army!” screams a boot. He continues to fire at the retreat-
ing NVA. A stream of his bullets cuts down a fleeing Vietnamese
woman. Enraged by the murder, the Vietcong Militia attack.
All Vietcong units stance changes to Skirmish and will remain
that way for the remainder of the scenario. The Vietcong may also
move one hex closer to the objective during the Reserve phase.

Draw Cup: Not Used. Paragraph 2:

Initial Stance: (NVA) Offensive, (VC) Defensive
Change: (See SSR)
Scenario Designated Event: (Artillery)
Objective: Hex M5 or any U.S. Unit
Victory: At the Scenario’s end, the side eliminating the most
enemy units wins. Each NVA/VC controlled hex of building M5
counts as two American units eliminated.
Riggs and his men are returning from a routine patrol when they
hear gunfire and explosions. At first, they think it is just the NVA
celebrating their holiday. As they clear the tree line, they see NVA
assaulting the base and their fellow soldiers. Without a second
thought, Riggs and his men charge in full force to eliminate the
enemy and help their fellow soldiers.

Special Scenario Rules:

• All MM are revealed at the beginning of the scenario.
• Communist units may stack up to 3 non-heroes in a hex for
this scenario only.
• Units attacking over-stacked units (i.e. three non-heroes in
a hex) gain 1 HEF.
• Neither side may exit the map.
• Reserve Phase. US cannot move in the Reserve Phase. All
non-shaken eligible NVA units will move one hex closer to
the closest objective. If two objectives are equidistant, ran-
domly determine to which they advance. For Vietcong units,
see Paragraph 1.

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 BEN HET
A Historical Scenario for ‘65
BY NORM LUNDE
West Hill Outpost, Ben Het Special Forces Camp.
For days, patrols and listening posts heard tracked vehicles pass-
ing nearby, but the intelligence experts discounted their reports.
On the night of March 3rd, 1969, the experts were proven wrong
when an exploding landmine illuminated a company of PT-76
tanks approaching the hill. The tankers of B Company, 1/69 Ar-
mor, were ready for them. This would be the only engagement
between US and enemy armor during the war.
Length
10 turns. Each turn ends when the second ‘End Turn’ marker is
drawn, or when both players pass consecutively.
Setup
On Map 2, place a Bunker in each of hexes E4, G4, F4. Place Fox-
holes in E3, F2, F3, G3. Place Wire in each of: D2, D3, D4, E5, F5,
G5, H4, H3, H2, G2, F1, E2. The Wire demarcates the perimeter of
the West Hill Outpost.
US: Set up first on Map 2, in any hex numbered 2 or higher. 3 x
M48, 3 x M60, 3 x LAW, 1 x M40, Black, Dixon.
NVA: Set up last on Map 3, in any hex numbered 1. 5 x PT-76.
Victory
• The NVA receive Victory Points for each American unit
destroyed:
• 3 VP per tank
• 1 VP per leg unit
• Deduct -1 VP for each PT-76 destroyed.
• If the NVA control any or all of the Kunai hexes (E4, F3, F4,
G4) on Map 2 at the end of Turn 10, add 5 VP.
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Scenario Special Rules
• Dug In: US tanks may start the game in prepared firing po-
sitions. These are represented by the Foxhole markers. As
long as a tank remains in the Foxhole hex, any hits on the
tank automatically become Turret Hits. Once the tank moves
(including pivoting in place), it loses this protection. (The
tank may re-enter its original hex but it no longer receives
the bonus.) The normal Foxhole rules still apply to any leg
units in Foxhole hexes.
• Friends in High Places: the West Hill outpost was supported
by a battery of 175mm guns at the main Ben Het compound
nearby. US forces may play any POWER card as if it were an
Artillery card.
• Night Fighting: Any unit conducting AP fire at a target that
is currently under a FIRED marker receives a +1 bonus to its
Targeting Modifier.
• Superior Numbers: Once PER GAME, the NVA player may
play a Reinforcement action to flip over any or all PT-76
Wreck markers to their good order sides and mark them Ops
Complete. This applies ONLY to PT-76 Wrecks that are out-
side of the Wire perimeter. NOTE: the destroyed PT-76s still
count toward the VP total, so we suggest you use a pencil,
a pile of unused markers, or a billion-dollar quantum su-
percomputer to keep track of them. (My favorite always re-
mains a beer-stained napkin. -Mark)
Maps
Maps 2 and 3, laid out as shown.
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 scenarios
PHASE LINE RED
A Historical Scenario for ‘65
BY NORM LUNDE
Inside the Hue Citadel, February 1968.
Charlie Company, 1/5 Marines, has been tasked with clearing a sector
of urban neighborhoods north and east of the Imperial Palace. Close
support will be provided by a tank and Ontos working in tandem. Op-
position is expected to consist of NVA regulars, well-equipped with
RPGs and other heavy weapons. Be aggressive — but be careful.
Length
10 turns. Each turn ends when the third ‘End Turn’ card is drawn
or when both players pass consecutively.
Setup
US: Set up first in the northeast corner, above the road that runs
from M1 to U5: 1 x M48, 1 x Ontos, 6 x Rifle (40mm), 3 x Rifle (Con-
ditioned), 3 x M60, 1 x M2 Mortar, Duffey, Rock, Wayne
NVA: Set up second, anywhere south of the M1-U5 road. 12 x Ri-
fle, 3 x RPD, 4 x RPG (use VC counters as needed), 2 x 12.7mm MG,
Trang, Chu, Minh.
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Victory
• The Marines receive 1 VP for each NVA unit eliminated
• Deduct -2 VP for each USMC leg unit eliminated.
• Deduct -3 VP for each USMC vehicle destroyed.
• See also the SSR below.
• Final VP tally is greater than 0, USMC victory. Equals 0, is a
draw. Less than 0 is a NVA victory.
Scenario Special Rules
When a USMC unit enters a building hex (excluding those in the
USMC setup area), mark the hex with a coin, spent 5.56mm cas-
ing, or another suitable object. If the NVA reclaim the hex by
entering it, remove the marker. At the end of the game, award 1
additional VP to the Marines for each hex that remains marked.
Maps
Use the City Map.
 LOW-HANGING FRUIT
A new scenario for Stonewall’s Sword
BY HERMANN LUTTMANN
General Nathaniel Banks’ isolated corps is deployed in front of the bulk of the
rest of the Union Army of Virginia and is very much “ripe for the picking” by
the approaching Confederate corps, lead by the legendary Stonewall Jackson.
This scenario depicts the “march to battle” for both sides and is a longer and
more open-ended scenario than those included in the game. Players are free
to develop the battle as they see fit, within basic historical constraints.
Place the “Game Turn” marker in the Turn 1 (3:00) space of the
Game Turn Track. If using the Stonewall’s Bad Day optional rule,
place the Jackson CIC chit in the “Start” space of the Where Is
Jackson? Track. If using the General Pope’s Reinforcement
optional rule, place the Ricketts Division Activation chit in the
“Start” space of the Where Is Ricketts? Track as well. Only the
Ewell Division Activation chit is available at the start of the game.
Union Army Setup
Artillery
Knap – 1607 McGilvery – 1705 Best – 1806 Reynolds – 1905
Cothran – 2005 Robinson – 2205 Roemer – 2304
Reinforcements
Turn 3 (3:40) – Greene’s Brigade at 2400; Prince’s Brigade anywhere
between 2000 and 2300 (inclusive) – the 8th US and 12th US units must
be in Skirmish Order; Geary’s Brigade anywhere between 1500 and
1900 (inclusive) + Auger Division Activation chit + Banks CIC chit.
Turn 4 (4:00) – Crawford’s Brigade anywhere between 1003 and
1006 (inclusive) + Williams Division Activation chit
Turn 5 (4:20) – Gordon’s Brigade and 1st PA cavalry at 1300
Confederate Army Setup
Ewell’s Division – Trimble’s Brigade
15th AL – 3416 21st GA – 3417 21st NC – 3418
Ewell’s Division – Early’s Brigade
13th VA – 2016 52nd VA & 58th VA – 2017 31st VA – 2117 12th
GA – 2218 25th VA - 2217
Artillery
Terry & Latimer – 3415 d’Aquin & Dement (A) – 2913
Brown & Dement (B) – 2612
Reinforcements
Turn 2 (3:20) – Forno’s Brigade at 3418; Poague, Caskie and Car-
penter Artillery units at 2218
Turn 3 (3:40) – Taliaferro’s Brigade at 2218 + Winder Division Ac-
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tivation chit
Turn 4 (4:00) – Garnett’s Brigade; Hardy and Peagram Artillery
units at 2218
Turn 6 (4:40) – Ronald’s Brigade at 2218
Turn 7 (5:00) – Thomas’s Brigade at 2218 + Hill Division Activation chit
Turn 9 (5:40) – Branch’s Brigade at 2218
Turn 10 (6:00) – Archer’s Brigade at 2218
Turn 11 (6:20) – Jackson CIC chit (unless using Stonewall’s Bad
Day optional rule) and Pender’s Brigade at 2218
Special Scenario Rules
1. The scenario starts with Game Turn 1 and ends at the conclu-
sion of Game Turn 16.
2. The Confederate Brigades Forno and Trimble must only move
to and remain upon hexes on Cedar Mountain (hex rows 3300
to 3700 (inclusive) that are of Level “4” or greater. They cannot
move from Cedar Mountain until the Jackson CIC chit enters the
game or until any one of their units is engaged in Close Combat
by a Union unit.
3. There are no chit pulls of any kind during Game Turns 1 & 2. In-
stead, the Confederate player will choose one of Ewell’s Brigades
to activate. After completion of that Brigade’s activation, he
must then still make the necessary die roll against Ewell’s Com-
mand Rating to keep the Division Activation chit in the game and
be able to move the other brigades.
4. On Game Turn 3, conduct normal chit pulls but during the Com-
mand Decision Phase both players must instead randomly remove
four Event chits from the pool (rather than the normal two).
5. Beginning with Game Turn 4, all normal rules are played.
6. Free-For-All Option: If you’d like to try a “wild and crazy” op-
tion, deploy only the Union and Confederate artillery at start. Al-
low the Confederate Brigade’s of Early and Trimble to march onto
the map from anywhere on the western map edge on Game Turn
1. All reinforcements thereafter enter on the turn prescribed, but
may do so from anywhere on the western map edge (for the Con-
federates) or the eastern map edge (for the Union). All restric-
tions to Forno’s and Trimble’s Brigades are removed – they can
move where they want to when they wish to.
Yaah! Magazine | 51
 scenarios
QUARANTINED!
A Dead Reckoning Scenario
BY MICK SULLIVAN
Fearing spread of the zombie virus, the Na-
tional Guard has ordered the valley to be
quarantined. No one gets in, no one gets out.
If a solution can’t be found soon, the towns-
folk, tired from days of fending off the zombie
hordes, will be left on their own... for good.
The town’s only hope lies in the hands of Doc-
tor Georgia Romero and her team, holed up in
the hospital, working diligently on a cure for
the virus. They’ve been given 48 hours to find
a treatment before the town is permanently
cut off. Since the Guard can’t trust the word of
the terrified townspeople, a Guard unit must
meet up with Romero’s team, see the complet-
ed antivirus, and radio back to headquarters
with the news.
If the cure works, reinforcements will pour in to save what’s left of the
townsfolk. If there’s no proof, well, there’s always artillery...
Object
This is a short scenario, good for sharing with inexperienced
wargamers, or for a quicker game if you’re pressed for time. It
lasts only 20 Action Rounds, and results in an outright win for
either the human or zombie player.
General Setup
The turn marker starts on the Turn 3 space. There are four turns
in this scenario. Remove a “3” card from each initiative deck. The
decks will only be 8 cards in the game, with 5 used each turn.
Human Setup
The human player sets up first. Place human units in the
Hoozenfirst Forest and town buildings per standard scenario rules.
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Zombie Setup
The zombie player sets up second. Pull
10 zombies from the cup, and place 2 in
each of the following areas: the three
starting zombie areas, Entry Zone 1, and
Entry Zone 2.
Gameplay
All standard gameplay rules are the same,
except that no units may move off the
map, due to the quarantine. As the game
begins on turn 3, Zombie reinforcements
can enter play in Entry Zones 1-3 in the
first Zombie Avalanche step, Entry Zones
1-4 in the next one, etc.
For the quarantine to be lifted, there must
be a Guard unit in the hospital at the end of Turn 6, when the cure
is completed. If not, the humans lose the game automatically.
If a Guard unit is present to lift the quarantine, compare players’
victory points. The humans score the printed victory points for
refugees alive at the end of the game, and the zombies score vic-
tory points for refugees killed. There are no points for other hu-
man units killed or for buildings held. The player with the most
points is victorious.
Optional rules, which can be used in this scenario or others:
NOM NOM NOM - When a non-refugee human is killed, return
a unit from the Zombie Dead(?) pile to the reinforcements cup.
A Little Less Swing - When reshuffling the initiative decks at the
start of a turn, ensure that the cards removed from the previous
turn are included in the new decks.
 GET TO THE CHOPPER!
A Solitaire Scenario for Night of Man
BY MARK H. WALKER
The Raging Tiger Militia Battalion has learned of a group of civilians being
held captive by a Killer strike force. Now would be a good time to strike
back against the invaders and free innocent civilians. The helicopters in-
sert the Tigers just outside the village where the civilians are being held.
The mission is to get in, get the civilians, and get back to the choppers.
Turns: 6 Turns. Turn ends when second End Turn is drawn. Use
the Hue (City) Map from ’65 Squad-level Combat in the Jungles
of Vietnam.
Set Up
Raging Tigers: Enter on Row A on Turn One: Iskara, Jack, Larkin,
T’Qual, Doc, 6 x Infantry, 1 x M60.
Aliens: Place a random MM in each of the following squares: H3,
F5, F6, D1, G9. Place the Warper and a random MM (revealed) in L4.
2 x Civilian Units. Set up on I4. Will not move, except when di-
rected.
Draw Cup: 6 x MECA, 1 x 2X, 1 x RE.
Initial Stance: Defensive.
Change: Never.
Scenario Designated Event: Spooked.
Victory
To win the Militia player must accumulate 6 Victory Points (VPs) by
scenario end. VPs are awarded as follows:
• Each Civilian Rescued: 3 VPs.
• Each MECA unit destroyed: 1 VPs.
• Each Raging Tiger unit lost: -1 VPs.
• Scenario defined.
Special Scenario Rules:
• Reserve Phase. Killer units cannot move in the Reserve Phase.
Militia units move normally, as per Reserve Phase movement
rules.
• To rescue a Civilian unit, the Militia unit need only move into
its hex. Remove the Civilian from the board and credit the Mi-
litia player 3 points.
Event Markers
Event Marker A Occupation. Place in hex I4. Militia activation only.
When activated remove the marker and read Paragraph One.
Paragraph One
You burst into the house, gun at the ready, prepared to mow down
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any guarding Killer MECA. There are none, but neither are there in-
nocent civilians. The men and woman in the house all wear vests,
and they all wear a blank, unseeing expression. The vests remind
you of the life jacket that you daughter wore when learning to swim,
the one with a series of pockets in which you slid Styrofoam tubes
to keep her afloat. But there is no Styrofoam here. Wires link each
tube on each vest on each body. To your right, a beautiful woman
pumps a ball in her hand. Your world ends in a flash of light.
50 Meters Distant
The Sergeant watches the building explode, pieces of wood, glass,
and flesh falling from the sky like thick rain. A figure stumbles
out. One of the militia. The Sergeant rushes to his side. The man,
bleeding from numerous lacerations, looks at the Sergeant. “They
wouldn’t have done that, Sarge. They were just people, but their
eyes…” The man shakes his head. “You should have seen their
eyes. Someone was controlling them.”
1. Remove the two Civilian units in I4. They have detonated the
explosive packs that they are wearing, killing themselves and
the unit that discovered them.
2. Place a Civilian unit in K5, M5, L5, and two Civilian units in N4.
Use the following rules:
a. Civilian units activate in the Reserve Phase, moving their
entire movement allowance toward the nearest Militia unit.
Resolve ties randomly.
b. After all Civilian units have finished moving. Resolve Melee
combat for hexes containing Militia and Civilian units. Civil-
ians have a HEF of 3 due to the explosive vests that they are
wearing.
c. Civilians may be fired on normally. Eligible Units may Op Fire
on Civilians in the Reserve Phase.
d. Civilians do not Shake. They are 2-step units. When they
suffer a Hit, flip the counter to the Fanatics side. A second hit
destroys them. Disregard all values on both sides of the Civilian
counters except for the MF.
e. The Militia player gets 1 VP for every Civilian units destroyed.
f. If the Militia player eliminates the Warper, read Paragraph
Two.
Paragraph Two
Bullets shred the cloaked Killer. With a terrible scream, he falls to
the floor. Dead. The bond with the Warper broken, all Civilian units
cease moving in the reserve phase. If a Militia unit enters their hex
they do not attack, they are considered rescued.
Yaah! Magazine | 53
 scenarios

THE TWELVE
BATTLES OF
ARTHUR
BY CHUCK TURNITSA

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 Yaah! Magazine | 55

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 scenarios
The idea of wargaming the battles of King Arthur is certainly a
compelling one, especially if one judges by the number of min-
iature wargaming products that have come out in recent years
to support that activity. But this is also a great topic for tactical
board gaming. Here, when I discuss King Arthur, I am talking
about a likely “Arthur-like figure” that was the charismatic,
and skilled, leader of a military force in Post-Roman Britain,
but drawing heavily on the military customs and training that
they would have inherited from the late Empire. There are
many, many competing theories about Arthur, his existence,
the epistemology of everything about him, his legends, if he
existed, and the sources that mention him. That is not the con-
cern here – this is about wargaming some of Arthur’s battles.
A topic even as narrow as wargaming Arthur’s battles quick-
ly gets us into deep water– what are the sources for Arthur’s
battles? For that, I am going to make a leap and base it on the
writings of Nennius, who writing in the 9th century, described
twelve great battles of Arthur. Some of those have more de-
scription and detail than others, and all would be later de-
scribed by sources such as Geoffrey of Monmouth.
The next immediate question is, what about Arthur’s army? For
that, I am going to base this on the idea that Arthur represented
a cavalry-heavy Post-Roman British army. The troops in this
army are not quite medieval in nature or battlefield behavior,
so I feel justified in using Commands & Colors: Ancients (C&C:A) as
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the tactical rules for these battles. Richard Borg and the folks
at GMT are working on the upcoming C&C: Medieval (C&C:M)
variant of the system, but as I understand the press about the
game, it is not being based on early dark ages Britain, at least
not initially.
The Army of Arthur
The army of an Arthur-like figure would include three main
groups of troops. The first would be the cavalry, which would
be effective against the enemies of the British people at the
time especially because many of those enemies lacked their
own cavalry. These would be armored, but relying heavily on
a large (for cavalry) shield, and a spear for their main weapon.
It is quite likely that a war leader like Arthur would have a co-
mitatus, or core group of heavier, better-trained cavalry (some
interpretations have these in the Sarmatian heavy cavalry tra-
dition). These would be interpreted by later sources as Arthur’s
Knights. The British cavalry, or Combrogi, in C&C:A might be
best represented as Medium Cavalry. The comitatus might be
best represented as Heavy Cavalry if you are using units from
the base game, but the additional edge of using Heavy Cata-
phract Cavalry (from Expansion 4) might be a better represen-
tation.
The second element in Arthur’s army would be the basic infan-
try. These would be in the tradition of late Roman pedites. They
would be spear armed, rely on a very heavy shield, and fight in a
 dense formation, almost like the shield wall of later Saxon and
Viking armies. These would not be as heavily armored at the
Roman Infantry from the earlier Imperial periods, so might be
best represented as Medium Infantry in C&C:A.
The third element in Arthur’s army would have been some light
infantry, most likely armed with bows. This is a perfect trans-
lation to Light Infantry: Bow in the C&C:A system.
Prior to the period we are talking about for Arthur, the British
army (under Vortigern) hired some Saxon Mercenaries, which
opened the door to the Saxon incursion onto the island. If those
were present, they might be best seen as Warrior infantry, in
the C&C:A system. As it was, at Arthur’s time, these might still
be loyal Saxons, but they could have been either Irish or Frank-
ish mercenaries. If Irish, then Warrior infantry is also likely,
and if Frankish, then the style would have been like the British
infantry (Medium infantry).
The Enemies of Arthur
These are basically of two varieties. The first are the other
groups native to the Island that were once kept at bay by the
stronger Roman presence, but after their departure had to be
kept back by the British. The second, of course, would be the
incursion of the Saxons from over the seas.
christy okane (Order #18094006)
The first group might include the Welsh (which could be seen
as British, but without the benefit of the Dux, or war leader
Arthur), the Irish (although the battles discussed do not have
Arthur battling the Irish), the Scots, and the Picts. The Welsh
would have troops very similar to the British (essentially the
combrogi, pedites, and archers), without the benefit of the Comi-
tatus (the heavier cavalry), or of any mercenary troops. Both the
Irish and the Scots (here representing the Irish that came over
and settled parts of what is now Scotland) could conceivably
have a small amount of Chariots for their nobility or leader-
ship, but would have a small amount of Light Cavalry, and a few
Light Infantry (with bow), but primarily would be Medium In-
fantry. The Picts were the original peoples of Scotland that the
Scots (incoming Irish) displaced. The Picts would no longer be
using chariots (the Scots and/or Irish would probably not be us-
ing Chariots by this time either, but because of some referenc-
es, they seemed like a fun addition for the armies), but might
have some small amount of Medium Cavalry, as well some Light
Cavalry. The bulk of the army would again be infantry, split be-
tween Medium Infantry, Auxilia (representing spear units with
incorporated archers), and Light Infantry: Bow.
The second group, of course, are the Germanic warriors com-
ing from across the seas, referred to here as the Saxons. His-
torically, these were kept at bay for a short while at the end of
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 scenarios
the fifth and beginning of the sixth centuries (the period of
Arthur, here assumed to be from about A.D. 475 to about A.D.
539). Later they would come back, and conquer almost all of
Briton, making it into England, and lasting as a number of in-
dependent kingdoms until the Viking incursions. In Arthur’s
time, however, the Saxons are represented by an army almost
entirely composed of Warriors, with a small component of
Light Infantry (bows). It is possible that rogue Welsh cavalry
elements might have joined with a Saxon war leader in some of
the later battles. If so, these might be represented as a small
force of cavalry (like British Combrogi) fighting alongside the
Saxon warriors.
Special Rules
Shieldburg – Medium Infantry and Warriors in these scenarios
are adept at fighting using the Shield Wall tactic. This was re-
ferred to as “forming the shieldburg”. If such a unit is eligible
to ignore a Flag Result (i.e. by being supported by two adjacent
friendly units), it is also able to ignore one Hit sustained in
close combat.
Special Leader – Arthur – If Arthur is located with any Mounted
British unit (either Medium Cavalry, Heavy Cavalry, or Heavy
Cataphract Cavalry), that unit receives an extra block. If Arthur
leaves the unit, the extra block also leaves (if it is the last block,
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the unit disbands, granting a victory banner to the opposing
player). If Arthur joins a new, eligible unit, that new unit gains
an extra block. This represents the bodyguard of Arthur- his
“knights of the round table”, if you fancy using the term.
The Battles of Arthur
The 12 battles of Arthur we will discuss here are the battles that
were described by the Welsh Monk, Nennius. He wrote the His-
tory of the Britons, in the year A.D. 828. His work does not spend
a lot of time on Arthur, but it does have some specificity in list-
ing his battles. They are as follows:
Arthur’s First Battle was fought at the River Glein. This first
battle may very well have been Arthur responding to a fresh land-
ing of Saxons coming into Briton. This battle is between Arthur
(the attacker) and a Saxon horde, defending their boats (a fortified
camp) on the banks of the Glein River.
• Arthur’s Army – 1 Heavy Cavalry, 3 Medium Cavalry, 6 Medium
Infantry, 2 Light Bow Infantry, 1 Leader, and 1 Arthur Leader.
Deploy second, within two hexes of Arthur’s base edge.
• Saxon Army – 8 Warrior Infantry, 2 Auxilia Infantry, 2
Light Bow Infantry, and 2 Leaders. Deploy first, all units
within five hexes of the Camp.
 • Terrain – Saxon player will set up terrain before deploying.
Along the Saxon Left Side of the board is the river Glein
(running from North to South). Next to the river, at the
Saxon base edge, is placed a Fortified Camp marker – this
is where the Saxon boats have beached. The Saxon player
can also place 6 hill tiles and 8 forest tiles anywhere on the
board.
• Special Rules – Shieldburg applies to Arthur’s Medium In-
fantry, and the Saxon Warrior Infantry. The Arthur Leader
rule applies. Saxons deploy first. After Arthur deploys,
two Saxon units may redeploy. Each side has 5 cards. Vic-
tory is set at 6 banners. A unit from Arthur’s army that
occupies the Fortified Camp is worth a Banner.
Arthur’s Second Battle is the breaking of the siege of Lindum.
Arthur arrives with his army in the region of Lindsey, just in
time to break up an army of Angles (treat as Saxons, which is
what the British might have called them) that is attacking the
walls of the town Lindum. Colgren, an Angle leader, has at-
tacked the town, and Arthur arrives in time to help break up
Colgren’s army.
• Arthur’s Army - 1 Heavy Cavalry, 3 Medium Cavalry, 6 Me-
dium Infantry, 2 Light Bow Infantry, 1 Leader, and 1 Arthur
Leader. Deploy second, anywhere on Arthur’s side of the
River Dubglas.
christy okane (Order #18094006)
• Colgren’s Army - 6 Warrior Infantry, 4 Medium Infantry,
2 Light Bow Infantry, and 2 Leaders. Deploy first, all units
within two hexes of the Lindum City Wall.
• Terrain – Saxon (Angle) player will set up terrain before
deploying. Along the Saxon base edge. Place the City
Walls of Lindum (rampart tiles). Across (approximately)
the middle of the board, from the left side to the right, set
up a fordable river (the river Dubglas) with two bridges.
Additionally, set up a forest of 3 connected hexes, and 5
hill tiles.
• Special Rules – Shieldburg applies to all Medium Infantry,
and to the Saxon Warrior Infantry. The Arthur Leader rule
applies. Saxons deploy first. After Arthur deploys, two
Saxon units may redeploy. Saxon units that must flee be-
cause of banner results will flee by the most direct route
to either the left or right edge of the board (whichever is
closer) rather than to the rear edge. Each side has 5 cards.
Victory is set at 6 banners.
Arthur’s Third Battle is in the marshes of Lindsey. Here,
holdout forces of Colgren’s army have retreated to a defen-
sible marshy area, and prepare to repel an attempt by Ar-
thur to root them out. Because of the terrain, Arthur’s force
fights this battle all on foot, losing some of their mobility
advantage.
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 scenarios
• Arthur’s Army – 1 Heavy Infantry, 9 Medium Infantry, 2
Light Bow Infantry, 1 Leader, 1 Arthur Leader. Deploy sec-
ond, within two hexes of Arthur’s base edge.
• Colgren’s Survivors – 8 Warrior Infantry, 2 Light Bow In-
fantry, 2 Light Sling Infantry, and 2 Leaders. Deploy first,
anywhere on the map, at least four hexes from Arthur’s
base edge.
• Terrain – Saxon player will set up terrain before deploying.
The terrain consists of a fordable river starting on the Sax-
on Left edge, and extending to the Right edge, somewhere
around the middle of the board. There are two bridges.
The Saxon player should place 5 Marsh tiles anywhere ad-
jacent to the River, along with 4 hill tiles, and 6 forest tiles.
• Special Rules – Shieldburg applies to all Medium Infan-
try, and to Saxon Warrior Infantry. The Arthur Leader rule
does not apply (since there are no mounted units in this
scenario). After Arthur deploys, two Saxon units may re-
deploy. The Saxon player has 5 cards. Because of Arthur’s
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unfamiliarity with the Marshy region around the river
Dubglas, he only receives 4 cards for this scenario. Victory
is set at 6 banners.
Arthur’s Fourth Battle is the defense of Lindum. Arthur, after
the battle in the Marsh, has temporarily withdrawn his men
to behind the walls at Lindum. While there, Colgren, with his
forces renewed, attempts an attack on the city. For this battle,
Arthur’s men are once again fighting on foot, but they are de-
fending the walls. Colgren has received additional troops from
a kinsman who has brought his own warband to join in the as-
sault.
• Arthur’s Army - 1 Heavy Infantry, 9 Medium Infantry, 2
Light Bow Infantry, 1 Leader, 1 Arthur Leader. Deploy first,
along or behind the walls of Lindum.
• Colgren’s Assault – 9 Warrior Infantry, 4 Medium Infantry,
2 Light Bow Infantry, 2 Light Sling Infantry, and 3 Leaders.
Deploy second, anywhere on the map, at least three hexes
from the walls of Lindum.
 • Terrain – Arthur player
will set up terrain before
deploying. The terrain con-
sists of the walls of Lindum
– across the map from Left to
Right, in the second hex from
Arthur’s base edge. In the
space in front of the walls,
the Arthur player will set up
6 broken ground tiles and 6
marsh tiles. Their placement
should not create any multi-
tile regions.
• Special Rules – Shield-
burg applies to all Medium
Infantry, and to Saxon War-
rior infantry. The Arthur
Leader rule does not apply
(since there are no mounted
units in this scenario). After
the Saxon player deploys, the
Arthur player may redeploy
up to two units. Each player
has 5 cards. Victory is set at
6 banners.
Arthur’s Fifth Battle is the
final assault on the Saxon
camp in Lindsey. Colgren has, through luck and treachery,
managed to survive, and has gathered his forces to a camp they
have built along the Dubglas river. In addition, Colgren has
lured some disaffected British cavalry to join his force. Arthur,
with Visigothic assistance in the form of Theodoric (command-
er of an allied fleet of Gothic ships from the continent), has de-
cided to remount his army, and take the battle to the Saxons, to
drive them from Lindsey once and for all.
• Arthur’s Army – 1 Heavy Cavalry, 3 Medium Cavalry, 6 Me-
dium Infantry, 2 Light Bow Infantry, 3 Heavy Cavalry (Vi-
sigoths), 1 Arthur Leader, 1 Leader, and 1 Theodoric Leader
(must remain with the Visigoths). Deploy second, within
two hexes of Arthur’s base edge.
• Colgren’s Army – 6 Warrior Infantry, 4 Medium Infantry,
2 Light Bow Infantry, 3 Medium Cavalry, and 3 Leaders.
Deploy first. Infantry must be within two hexes of one of
the Fortified Camps. Cavalry can be anywhere at least four
hexes from Arthur’s base edge, but must deploy as a single
adjacent group.
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• Terrain – Saxon player will set up terrain before deploy-
ing. A fordable river is set up, starting in the middle of
the Saxon right edge, and running to one other board edge
(Saxon player’s choice). There is one bridge crossing the
river. There are two fortified camps, set up within two
hexes of the Saxon base edge, and the two camps are two
hexes apart from each other. The two hexes between the
camps have a rampart constructed between them. In ad-
dition, the Saxon player will set up a 3 hex tile forest, any-
where on the board, and will place 6 hill tiles anywhere not
adjacent to the river.
• Special Rules – Shieldburg applies to all Medium Infantry, and
to Saxon Warrior infantry. The Arthur Leader rule applies,
but only if Arthur is with a British cavalry unit. The Theodoric
Leader must remain with a Visigothic unit. After the Arthur
player deploys, the Saxon player may redeploy up to two units.
Each player has 5 cards. Victory is set at 6 banners.
Arthur’s Sixth Battle is beyond the River Bassas. Here, Arthur
has been called to the north (in Strathclyde) to deal with a lo-
cal Scottish petty-king, Prydain, that is threatening invasion.
Arthur has taken the initiative, but the battle is essentially an
open field pitched battle between the Britons and the Scots.
• Arthur’s Army – 1 Heavy Cavalry, 3 Medium Cavalry, 6 Medium
Infantry, 2 Light Bow Infantry, 1 Leader, and 1 Arthur Leader.
Deploy second, within two hexes of Arthur’s base edge.
• Prydain’s Army – 1 Barbarian Light Chariot, 3 Light Cav-
alry, 7 Medium Infantry, 3 Light Bow Infantry, 2 Leaders,
and 1 Prydain Leader (starts with the Light Chariot unit).
Deploy first, anywhere on the Scottish half of the board.
• Terrain – Scottish player will set up terrain before de-
ploying. This is rough country, north west of what is now
Glasgow, but not as far as Loch Lomond. The terrain is a
considerable feature of the battle. There is a fordable river
against the Scottish right hand edge of the board, and then
the Scottish player places 10 forest hex tiles, 10 hill hex
tiles, and 4 broken ground hex tiles.
• Special Rules – Shieldburg is not available to either army,
as the ground is too rough and uneven. The Arthur Leader
rule applies. After the Arthur player deploys, the Scottish
player may redeploy up to three units. Each player has 4
cards, representing the difficulties of command and con-
trol in the rough country. Victory is set at 6 banners.
Stay tuned for the final six scenarios in issue #10.
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 This issue’s game

GAME PREFACE
DONETSK: A STUDY IN TRAGEDY
ARTICLE BY RYAN KIRK

On the 18th of March, 2014, after the formal annexation of

Crimea, Russian president Vladimir Putin gave a speech to the
Russian Federal Assembly in which he called for the restoration
of historic Russia. These words were ominous and the implica-
tions familiar to many of Russia’s smaller neighbours who had
embraced diplomatic and economic relations with the West fol-
lowing the collapse of the Soviet Union. While many were oc-
cupied debating the legality and diplomatic implications of that
annexation, protests and independence rallies in Ukraine’s
eastern reaches transformed into insurgency and civil war in the
Donbass region. This uprising was and continues to be support- establishing roadblocks and checkpoints while calling for Rus-
ed by Russian diplomatic and military efforts under the guise of sian support. The independent and unrecognized Donetsk Peo-
protecting ethnic Russian populations from retaliations by Kiev. ple’s Republic (DPR) was established in April and later formed
an unofficial confederation

“
The catalyst for the War in the called Novorossiya with the
Donbass lay in the February smaller Luhansk People’s
2014 Euromaiden movement Republic to the north.
that culminated in massive
THIS UPRISING WAS AND CONTINUES
protests and street fight- TO BE SUPPORTED BY RUSSIAN The Ukrainian government
ing in Kiev and other urban responded quickly and many
centres and the ousting of
pro-Russian president Vik-
“
DIPLOMATIC AND MILITARY EFFORTS of the separatists’ initial
gains were quickly returned
tor Yanukovich in favour of a to government control. A
pro-European Union govern- fast-moving series of spring
ment. This revolution was framed as both a populist democrat- and summer offensives recaptured 23 of the 36 districts initially
ic movement by pro-Western voices and an unconstitutional seized by pro-Russian separatists in 2014, until the arrival of
coup by Russia and her allies. It led to the almost immediate Russian troops and material support in August created a stale-
annexation of Crimea by Moscow, and increased tensions and mate. Another surge of Russian support in January of 2015 re-
burgeoning support for separatist groups in the Donbass re- sulted in major separatist offensives in the vicinities of Donetsk,
gion. The Donbass comprises the Luhansk and Donetsk Oblasts Horlivka, Debaltseve, and Mariupol. At the peak of the fighting
of Eastern Ukraine and the population is predominately Rus- in early 2015 there were estimated to be roughly 10000 Russian
sian speaking, the result of Soviet era settlement programs. troops and upwards of 500 AFVs deployed to Eastern Ukraine.
Following the fall of Crimea, many local government officials Today the frontlines remain relatively static and the breakaway
and police and military forces in this region defected, seizing states find themselves stuck in limbo, unrecognized by the in-
towns, villages, and government buildings. They quickly orga- ternational community and unable to break cleanly enough from
nized themselves into de facto local governments and militias, Ukraine to join Russia. In reality, this status may suit Russian

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 This issue’s game

“
AS THE LARGEST CITY IN THE REGION
AND AN IMPORTANT INDUSTRIAL
CENTER, DONETSK WAS A VALUABLE
“
SYMBOLIC AND STRATEGIC TARGET

interests, as the continued conflict in the east prevents Ukraine

from officially applying for EU or NATO membership, even as
they form closer ties with many members of those organizations.

BATTLES FOR DONETSK AIRPORT

The battles for the Sergey Prokofiev International Airport on the
North-West outskirts of Donetsk were a grudge match that has
come to define the brutal civil war. Occupied by separatists and
foreign fighters in the opening moves of the insurrection, it was
quickly seized back in a devastating and one-sided assault by the
Ukrainian military in May 2014. This First Battle of Donetsk Air-
port was a motivating success for the embattled Ukrainian gov-
ernment in Kiev, and its occupation quickly became a thorn in
the side of the fledgling Donetsk People’s Republic.

The two main terminal buildings, especially the recently con-

structed New Terminal, and the Control Tower at the airport
provided excellent observation posts over most of the city of
Donetsk and its northern and western approaches. As the
largest city in the region and an important industrial center,
Donetsk was a valuable symbolic and strategic target. The oc-
cupation of the airport denied its use to the separatist armed
forces and provided a good vantage point for artillery spotters
and heavy weapons that would impede the DPR from using the
city as an assembly area. Any troops attempting to mount an
offensive out of the city would be subject to accurate artillery
fire from nearby villages. Furthermore, the occupation of the the border before culminating in the deployment of Russian ar-
airport along with the fighting around it and heavy shelling moured and motor-rifle brigades and special forces teams on the
prevented a return to normalcy in the city that may have lent ground. Bolstered by swelling ranks, new AFVs, and artillery,
more legitimacy to the teething DPR government and the Com- the separatists launched a major offensive on the airport in the
bined Armed Forces of Novorossiya (an amalgam of local mili- final days of September. This resulted in heavy fighting in and
tias, foreign volunteers, and defected soldiers from the Donetsk around the airport grounds that lasted until the final withdrawal
and Luhansk areas organized into ‘Volunteer Battalions’). of Ukrainian troops from the airport in late January, 2015.

After a summer standoff that involved almost daily shelling
of the airport and surrounding areas of the city, the separat-
ist forces began to receive more reinforcements and high-end
equipment from Russia in July and August. This was in response
to Ukrainian operational successes elsewhere and started with
artillery attacks and surface to air missiles launched from across
The fighting at the Donetsk Airport during those final months
was brutal and non-stop. Repeated separatist attacks eventually
corralled the Ukrainian forces in the New Terminal and Control
Tower. Cut off from friendly lines in the nearby towns of Pisky,
Avdiivka, and Opytne, the troops in the New Terminal lived un-
der siege conditions. Endless shelling had reduced the building

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 to a crippled shell and as temperatures plunged in December and
January, the troops suffered immensely. At night, they were un-
able to light fires to melt water and warm themselves for fear
of being spotted and drawing enemy fire. Their continued resil-
ience under such conditions earned them the nickname of ‘the
Cyborgs’. These troops relied on daring convoys that would cut
cross-country from Pisky to the western end of the runway and
then drive straight down the tarmac, often under fire, to the rear
of the terminal where they would quickly exchange supplies and
fresh troops for casualties and the war weary before speeding off
again. Fighting was also heavy on the outskirts of Pisky itself, as
DPR troops attempted to seize the village and cut off the Ukrai-
nian’s ‘highway of life’. Troops and the media began to refer to
the airport as ‘Little Stalingrad’.
christy okane (Order #18094006)
The Ukrainians were finally forced to withdraw in late January.
Things began to come undone when the Control Tower col-
lapsed after heavy shelling, depriving the defenders of an ex-
cellent spotting position for the artillery cover they relied on.
Then DPR troops, backed by Russian special forces and T-72B3
tanks, managed to infiltrate several levels of the New Terminal.
They subsequently detonated the floors above the Ukrainians
causing heavy casualties and compromising their defensive po-
sitions. The final troops withdrew on January 21st, 2015, leav-
ing the shattered airport in DPR hands. The scale of destruction
wrought by artillery fire and heavy weapons was total- the air-
port had been reduced to a skeletal frame filled with rubble and
the tarmac was littered with massive impact craters, destroyed
airliners, and burned out AFVs.
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 This issue’s game
COMBATANTS
Forces on both sides of the conflict are a smorgasbord of regu-
lar military personnel and volunteer militias. On the separatist
side, the militias comprised of enthusiastic locals are supported
by foreign volunteers and mercenaries from Russia and abroad.
Many of these foreign fighters have prior military or police
training and combat experience in conflict zones like Chechnya,
Afghanistan, Ossetia, and the former Yugoslavia. The militias
are loosely organized into ‘volunteer battalions’ with colour-
ful and evocative names drawn from local geography and his-
tory such as the Svarog Battalion named for an ancient Slavic
deity, the Miner’s division comprised of local coal miners, and
the Vostok Battalion named after a GRU special forces group that
operated in Chechnya and South Ossetia in the past. These vari-
ous volunteer battalions have been reinforced by Russian regular
army units and their hardware that are regularly rotated into the
conflict zone from staging areas across the border. These units
include elements of the 18th Guards Motor Rifle Brigade, the
9th Motorized Rifle Brigade, the 200th Motor Rifle Brigade, the
76th Airborne Division, 98th Airborne Division, 31st Airborne
Brigade, and Spetsnaz teams from the 22nd Spetsnaz Brigade
and 45th Guards Spetsnaz Regiment. While Russia does not of-
ficially recognize its participation in the conflict, the presence
of these units has been confirmed by independent observation
and identification of vehicles,
“
captured combatants, the is-
suing of medals and awards
by the Russian government,
the transportation and burials THE FIGHTING AT THE DONETSK
of casualties back in Russia,
AIRPORT DURING THOSE FINAL
and social media posts and
interviews given by members
of the units.
MONTHS WAS BRUTAL “
The regular Russian forces
have been important for the
survival of the fledgling DPR. Following the initial seizures by
local dissidents, most separatist offensive operations have in
fact been spearheaded by Russian forces. Successful offensives
against Ukrainian forces have all coincided with spikes in the
deployment of Russia troops, their casualty rates, and the issu-
ance of medals and honorary awards. By many accounts, local
insurgents- being more poorly organized- have been used as
cannon fodder in assaults, for public relations appearances that
attempt to portray the movement as a populist local effort, or
as simple holding forces after the heavy fighting was finished.
On the Ukrainian side, the regular military forces have been
bolstered by large-scale mobilizations of reserves and their
own smattering of militias and volunteer battalions, many of
which have since been officially recognized and supplied by
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the Ukrainian National Guard, such as the famous Azov Bat-
talion. The Ukrainian forces are mostly volunteer forces and
are well motivated, but they have experienced various short-
comings in the field. Many of their troops are older and poorly
trained reservists with no prior combat experience. They have
also found themselves short on supplies on many occasions,
using outdated and broken down equipment while waiting for
resupply and aid from allies. At the outset of the conflict, many
of their tanks and infantry carriers were mothballed in storage
and it has been a continuous
effort to keep reliable com-
bat vehicles in the field. The
Ukrainian armed forces are
generally short on high tech
communications, UAVs, and
electronic warfare assets to
counter those supplied by
the Russians. Fortunately
for the Ukrainians, high
morale and national pride
have kept their forces moti-
vated and in the fight even during Russian led offensives that
had them technologically outclassed. They have also received
substantial training and material support from NATO allies
such as the United States, Canada, Great Britain, and Lithuania.
Both sides use a variety of armoured vehicles and weapons of
mostly Russian origin. These include BTR and BMP personnel
carriers and fighting vehicles, BRDM armoured cars, and 2S1
and 2S3 self-propelled howitzers. In the early stages of the
conflict, before Russian air defenses established a no-fly-zone,
the Ukrainian air force made effective use of Mi-24 Hinds and
SU-25 Frogfoot ground attack planes. The BM series of multiple
rocket launchers is ever present, with the mobile and versa-
tile Ural truck mounted BM-21 Grad platform seeing especially
heavy use on both sides. The T-64 tank has seen the heaviest
 combat use of its long service life during this conflict. With the
original Soviet factories located in Kharkov, the tank is a main-
stay of the Ukrainian armed forces. The separatists have armed
themselves with many captured and formerly mothballed tanks
as well as reinforcements from Russia, many seized during the
annexation of Crimea. All varieties of the tank ranging from
older stored T-64B models up to the modernized T-64BV and
T-64BM models have seen extensive use. The Ukrainian army
also has much smaller numbers of modernized T-80s, though
these have seen limited use, and is beginning to produce and
implement the modern T-84, though again in very limited
numbers. DPR separatists have also made use of a number of
T-72 models supplied by Russia, including the updated T-72B3
used by Russian forces.
CONCLUSIONS
Today the war carries on sporadically, punctuated by brief
ceasefires and uneasy truces with no final resolution in sight.
As of February 2017, the Ukrainian military has suffered over
3500 troops killed in action that it acknowledges, though some
suggest the numbers are much higher. Meanwhile the sepa-
ratist and supporting Russian forces may have lost more than
5000 fighters1. At least 2300 civilians have been caught in the
shelling and crossfire while whole villages and towns have been
completely levelled or rendered uninhabitable by the devastat-
ing effects of modern artillery. The frontlines around Donetsk
remain largely the same, with the DPR occupying the airport
and surrounding suburbs and Ukrainian troops entrenched in
the village of Pisky and industrial areas of Avdiivka. Fighting
here is a daily reality, and in spite of the token ceasefires and
slowed pace of action, casualties continue to mount. The year
2017 has seen an increase in heavy artillery bombardment and
tensions are on the rise as many fear that the Trump adminis-
christy okane (Order #18094006)
tration’s more lenient attitude towards Russia will embolden
them in their intervention.
The Russo-Ukrainian War in the Donbass has proven to be a de-
fining modern conflict and testing ground for some of the first
examples of ultra-modern mechanized warfare. For the first
time in post-Soviet Europe, modern main battle tanks have en-
gaged each other in open field battles with supporting mecha-
nized infantry. Drones and UAV technology has been used to
scout enemy positions and artillery observation and counter-
battery operations. There has also been unconventional use
of existing hardware, such as the frequent re-purposing of the
2S1 Gvozdika self-propelled howitzer into a direct lay anti-tank
and siege gun, providing overwatch for armoured columns. It
has also re-established the effectiveness of Russian massed ar-
tillery in conventional warfare (estimates suggest that as many
as 80% of casualties have been caused by shelling and rocket ar-
tillery) and the continued dependence of infantry on traditional
entrenchment techniques to shelter from that bombardment,
evidenced by long lines of complex trenchworks seen snaking
across former farmers’ fields on Google Earth.
Further Reading
• Beckhusen, Robert. “Why Ukrainian Troops are Calling
the Donetsk Airport Siege ‘Stalingrad’.” War is Boring.
January, 2015.
• Ferguson, Jonathan and N.R Jenzen-Jones. “Raising
Red Flags: An Examination of Arms & Munitions in the
Ongoing Conflict in the Ukraine.” ARES Research Report No.
3. November, 2014.
• Fox, Amos C. “Russian Hybrid Warfare and the
Re-emergence of Conventional Armored Warfare:
Implications for the U.S. Army’s Armored Force.” Armor.
July-September, 2016.
• Karber, Phillip A. “Lessons Learned from the Russo-
Ukrainian War.” The Potomac Foundation. July, 2015.
• Karber, Phillip A. “Russia’s New-Generation Warfare.”
ARMY Magazine. May, 2016.
• Sherr, James. “Ukraine Three Years On: A Basis for
Optimism.” NATO Review. 2017.
• Sutyagin, Igor. “Russian Forces in Ukraine.” Royal United
Services Institute Briefing Paper. March, 2015.
1
Exact figures for insurgent losses are difficult to track. Russia refuses
to openly acknowledge the involvement of its troops in an attempt to
maintain plausible deniability and the local militia forces leave something
to be desired in their transparency. Estimates range from a low-end
figure of 2000 KIA provided by the Donetsk People’s Republic to the
likely inflated claims by Kiev that over 10000 enemy troops have been
killed. Independent observers and researchers estimate about 2000
local insurgents, 1500 foreign volunteers from Russia and abroad, and as
many 1000 active duty Russian personnel have been killed fighting for the
separatist cause.
Yaah! Magazine | 67
 This issue’s game

DON E T S K Credits
Design: Ryan Kirk
Development: Art Bennett, Mark Walker
Art: Ilya Kudriashov

1. Components and General Rules
1.1 Map and Scale
The map covers the Donetsk Airport and adjacent town area.
The top of the map is North. Each hex represents approximate-
ly 150 meters and each turn represents 10 minutes. The coun-
ters represent Infantry Squads (8-15 men), Heavy Weapons and
Leader Teams (3-5 men), and single AFVs/IFVs/Trucks.
capacity is indicated by the number of gun symbols above the
front of the Infantry Fighting Vehicle (IFV)/Truck vehicle im-
age. In addition to Infantry SQUAD(s) the IFV/Truck can carry
ONE Leader/Weapon Team.
Leg Units
Infantry/Militia

1.2 Counters
There are two types of counters in the game. Unit counters rep-
resent the fighting troops, vehicles, and leader teams of each
side. Marker counters are used to keep track of information,
unit status, and for administrative purposes. Note: Blue and yellow tape around the magazines was a com-
mon practice of the Ukrainian troops, hence the ‘rainbow’ col-
Units are categorized as either hard or soft targets. Infantry ored magazines on the Ukrainian Infantry counters.
Squads, Heavy Weapons, and Leader Teams are soft targets. All
AFVs/IFVs are hard targets. Trucks are soft targets. Leader Teams/Heavy Weapons

Units are rated for the following capabilities: Attack Strength

(Hard/Soft), Range, Defense, Movement Capacity (top right),
and any special abilities such as Transport. The blue and yellow
counters represent the Ukrainian Government forces and the
red counters represent the combined DPR/Separatist and sup-
porting Russian Government forces. Leg unit movement fac-
tors are yellow and Vehicle unit movement factors are black.
Transport capable vehicles are indicated by movement factors
contained inside a yellow circle. Infantry SQUAD Transport

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 Vehicle Units
AFV/Armored Fighting Vehicle
IFV/Infantry Fighting Vehicle
Note: Trucks are vehicles like IFVs but can carry three Infantry
squads and one Leader/Weapon Team and are considered SOFT
targets.
1.3 Dice
The game uses three dice – one four-sided die (1D4) for initia-
tive determination and two six-sided dice (1D6/2D6) for Fire
combat and Fire Support resolution.
1.4 Stacking Limits
Each side may stack up to three Infantry Squads and two Ve-
hicle units per hex. Infantry Squads loaded in transport vehi-
cles do not count towards the stacking limit. Heavy Weapons/
Leader Teams and Marker counters do not count towards the
stacking limit.
Stacking limits apply at the END of a movement activation, al-
lowing units to move freely through hexes ignoring the stack-
ing limit but not ending movement in a hex in excess of the
stacking limit. Since enemy units may occupy the same hex
these limits apply to each side for a single hex. For example,
there could be three Infantry Squads and two Vehicle units from
each side in the same hex.
1.5 Rounding
When calculating movement and firing factors DROP all frac-
tions from the FINAL calculation.
2. Sequence of Play
Each turn is divided into two phases – the Initiative Phase and
the Action Phase. During the Initiative phase players remove
Smoke and Pin Markers from their units, resolve pending Fire
Support from the previous turn and plot the current turn fire
support, and finally determine who has the initiative for the
current turn.
christy okane (Order #18094006)
During the Action Phase, players alternate activating their
units and performing actions, starting with the current Ini-
tiative Player. These alternating activations continue until all
units have been activated. Players may NOT pass an activation
- mark a unit as spent whether it moves/fires or not.
2.1 Initiative
• Remove all Smoke Markers
• Remove all Pin Markers
• Resolve pending Fire Support from the previous Turn -
Ukrainian Player first/results applied simultaneously.
• Plot and check current turn Fire Support - Ukrainian Player
first/results applied simultaneously.
• Determine the Initiative Player for the Action Phase
2.2 Action Phase
• Initiative Player activates unit(s)
• Non-Initiative Player activates unit(s)
• Players continue alternating unit activations until no units
on both sides are left to activate. Players cannot ‘pass’ to
save activations, they must activate at least one unit even
if the unit performs no actions.
3. Initiative
In each scenario, each side is rated for Initiative and Hesitation.
These values are used to determine the motivation and offen-
sive capabilities of each side. During the Initiative Phase each
player rolls 1D4 and adds this to their current Initiative Level.
Then both sides’ combined Initiative + 1D4 value is compared,
and the side with the highest value is the Initiative Player for
the rest of the turn. If there is a tie grant the initiative for the
turn to the side that did not have the initiative the previous
turn.
3.1 Initiative Reduction
Each side’s Initiative Level may decrease during the game due
to casualties, causing a side to falter in its commitment to the
battle. Each time a unit is ELIMINATED (not just reduced), low-
er that side’s Initiative Rating by one. Use the Game Turn Track
on the map to record Initiative Levels with each side’s Initiative
Counter.
3.2 Hesitation
Each side is also assigned a Hesitation Level by the scenario.
This number represents the point at which a side begins to lose
its will to fight due to mounting casualties and battlefield con-
fusion.
When a side’s Initiative Level is reduced to equal to or less than
its Hesitation Level, that side’s units will no longer willingly
perform offensive operations that place them in danger. In
Yaah! Magazine | 69
 This issue’s game
game terms, this means that units that are not activated by a
Leader Team are no longer able to move towards enemy units
within their line of sight. They may not move adjacent to or into
the same hex as any enemy unit. If an enemy unit moves adja-
cent to or into their hex, they must use their next activation to
move away from that enemy. If they are unable to do so without
moving closer to another enemy unit in their line of sight, (e.g.,
they are encircled) they surrender and are removed from the
game and counted as a casualty, reducing that side’s Initiative
Level.
3.3 Broken
If a side’s Initiative Level is reduced to zero, that side’s will to
fight has been broken and the game ends in a victory for the
other side.
4. Activation
When it is a player’s turn to activate units, the player may
choose to activate either a Leader Team and multiple units, or
any single unit.
4.1 Leader Team Activation
If a player chooses to activate a Leader Team, the Leader Team
may also activate any friendly units that are stacked with or
adjacent to the Leader Team. This includes adjacent Leader
Teams which may then activate other units stacked or adjacent
to them – and this can continue in a chain of Leader Team/unit
activations. The player must declare all units that will be acti-
vated by the Leader Team(s) immediately after activating the
Leader Team and before performing any actions with the units.
Pinned Leader Teams may not activate friendly units. Leader
Teams who are passengers in vehicles may still activate friend-
ly units as normal. Only units activated by a Leader Team may
move into an enemy hex.
Units activated together by a Leader Team must perform their
actions one at a time. The player must finish all actions with
one activated unit before moving to the next activated unit. The
exception to this rule is activated units that start the activa-
tion stacked with the Leader Team may combine their fire to-
gether when attacking enemy SOFT Target units (see Fire rules).
Units activated by a Leader Team are not required to perform
the same actions. Units may only be activated once per game
turn. After a unit has been activated and has finished its ac-
tions, mark it with a Spent marker or rotate the unit counter 90
degrees to indicate it is done for the turn.
4.2 Unit Actions
• When a unit is activated, it may perform ONE of the fol-
lowing actions:
• Move up to its full movement allowance OR
70 | Yaah! Magazine
christy okane (Order #18094006)
• Fire at an enemy unit at full attack strength OR
• Move up to half its movement allowance AND Fire at an
enemy unit at half attack strength or vice versa OR
• Assume Overwatch Status
5. Movement
When a unit is activated for movement the player moves it one
hex at a time, pausing briefly in each hex entered so that the
other player may choose to perform Overwatch Fire if able, un-
til the unit has expended all its movement allowance (or half of
its movement allowance if the move/fire action was chosen) or
the player chooses to move the unit no further. Units may move
into and out of half hexes on the edges of the playing map.
5.1 Terrain
Each type of terrain has a movement cost for leg and for vehicle
units listed on the terrain effects chart. A unit must expend
movement points equal to the cost of the terrain in each hex it
enters. If a unit does not have enough movement points to en-
ter a hex, it may not do so. There is no one hex minimum move
as with other games. Units may never occupy terrain which is
listed as Prohibited for its type (leg/vehicle) on the Terrain Ef-
fects Chart.
In cases where a hex contains more than one type of terrain, the
unit must pay the cost for the terrain that gives it the best de-
fensive modifier. A unit cannot enter a hex that has terrain that
is Prohibited to its type. Example: Vehicle units are prohibited
from entering Terminal, Parkade, or Control Tower hexes.
5.2 Road Movement
Road movement occurs when a vehicle unit moves along a con-
tiguous path of hexes connected by a road. The unit must enter
the new hex across a hexside crossed by a road to receive the
benefit of road movement. When this condition is met, the unit
pays only the road terrain cost. While using road movement the
unit still receives the best available terrain defensive modifier
in the hex if attacked. Note that roads are the only way for ve-
hicle units to cross wooded stream hexes and other rough ter-
rain normally prohibited to them.
5.3 Transport
Certain vehicle units in the game are marked as transports.
These represent Infantry Fighting Vehicles that can be used to
transport infantry units. Infantry Fighting Vehicles may carry
ONE infantry SQUAD (as indicated by the gun symbol on the
counter) plus ONE Leader/Weapon team. Trucks may carry
THREE Infantry SQUADS (as indicated by the gun symbols on
the counter) plus ONE Leader/Weapon Team. During an infan-
try unit’s activation, it may mount a transport located in the
same hex by paying a cost of one movement point. Once loaded
 onto a transport unit the infantry unit is placed under the ap-
propriate vehicle counter and can perform no actions until it
is unloaded. Unloading occurs during the transporting vehicle
unit’s activation at a cost of one movement point to the trans-
porting unit. The passengers are unloaded in the same hex as
the transport unit, not to exceed stacking limits. If a transport
unit is destroyed while carrying passengers, the passengers are
destroyed as well.
5.4 Pinned Unit Movement
Units that are pinned due to enemy fire may either remain in
their current hex or move away from enemy units in their Line
of Sight (LoS), but only into hexes that have an equal or better
defensive modifier than their current location if remaining in
enemy LoS. If a pinned unit starts its move out of enemy LoS, it
may not enter enemy LoS.
5.5 Enemy Occupied Hexes
If activated by a Leader Team, units may move into hexes con-
taining enemy units. Units may move out of enemy hexes at any
time. The moving units individually undergo reaction fire from
enemy units in the hex (see 6.10 Reaction Fire).
6. Fire Combat
6.1 Line of Sight (LoS)
In order to perform a fire attack an attacking unit must have a
valid LoS to the enemy target unit. An attack must be declared
BEFORE checking LoS. If the LoS is blocked, that attack is lost.
LoS is determined by drawing a straight line between the center
dot of the attacker’s hex and the center dot of the defender’s
hex. If at any point between the attacker and defender’s hexes
the line crosses any part of a blocking terrain drawing/structure
(building, forest, etc.) per the terrain effects chart, the attack is
blocked. Terrain in the attacker or defender’s hex never blocks
LoS. Units ALWAYS have LoS to targets within their own hex
and in adjacent hexes.
6.2 Fire Resolution
Unless firing units are stacked in the same hex as a Leader
Team that activates them, all fire attacks are by a single attack-
ing unit against a single defending unit. Troops that are loaded
in vehicles may not fire until they are unloaded. Once LoS has
been verified, compare the attacking unit’s modified attack
factor to the defending unit’s modified defense factor. Attack
and defensive modifiers are listed on separate tables. All attack
and defense modifiers are cumulative. Subtract the final defen-
sive value from the final attack value and consult the Combat
Results Table. Find the differential column corresponding to
the attack/defense differential, then roll 2D6 to determine the
result.
christy okane (Order #18094006)
6.3 Leader Team Activated Fire Groups
If multiple units (leg and vehicle) in the same hex are acti-
vated by a Leader Team stacked with them, they may combine
their SOFT fire values against one enemy SOFT target type unit.
Combined attacks can NOT be used for Overwatch fire. Hard
targets are NEVER subject to combined attacks. A Leader Team
may only coordinate one combined fire-group per activation,
however it may also still activate additional units to perform
regular movement and separate fire attacks. Leader Team acti-
vated fire-groups are subject to possible sniper attacks.
6.4 Snipers
In dense industrial and urban environments, snipers are a con-
stant threat. Any time a Leader Team directs a fire-group attack
involving more than one other friendly unit (e.g. one Leader
Team and two or more combat units) an original roll of 11 or 12
on the CRT will trigger a sniper attack.
When the sniper activates, the leader team that directed the
attack is immediately flipped to its wounded side. If it was al-
ready wounded, it is eliminated. After resolving the effect on
the Leader Team, all other units in the hex immediately become
pinned.
6.5 Fire Limitations
Players may target any enemy units in the target hex except for
Leader Teams. Leader Teams may only be attacked if they are
the ONLY units in a hex. If another unit is present, it is assumed
that they present the larger target and that the Leader Team is
busy coordinating troops and keeping their head down. Units
may fire into hexes containing units of their own side with no
penalty.
When attacking hard targets, units use their hard attack factor.
When attacking soft targets units use their soft attack factor.
Units that do not possess a hard or soft attack factor are not
eligible to attack enemy units of that type.
6.6 Combat Results
On the combat results table, there are four possible results:
• No effect ( - )
• Pinned (P)
• Reduced (X)
• Eliminated (XX)
When a unit is pinned because of a fire attack, it is immedi-
ately marked with a Pin Marker and stripped of any Overwatch
status it may have held. Infantry Units that are reduced are
flipped to their reduced side to reflect mounting casualties and
a wavering will to fight. In addition, they are marked with a Pin
Marker, and stripped of their Overwatch Status. Any ‘Militia’
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 This issue’s game
unit that is stacked with a unit that is reduced or eliminated
becomes pinned immediately. Infantry Units that are reduced
for a second time are eliminated from the game as they either
have suffered too many casualties or have lost too much cohe-
sion to continue as an effective fighting force. Heavy Weapons
Teams do not have a reduced side, and are eliminated from the
game the first time they are reduced. Vehicles that are reduced
are eliminated and turned over to their wreck side. Whenever a
unit is eliminated that side’s Initiative Level is reduced by one.
6.7 Reduced Leader Teams
Leader Teams are wounded if they are reduced. Wounded leader
teams are no longer eligible to conduct fire groups and when
they make group activations they may only activate units in
their same hex, not adjacent hexes. If a wounded Leader Team
is reduced again it is eliminated. Whenever a unit is eliminated
that side’s Initiative Level is reduced by one.
6.8 Pinned Effects
A pinned unit’s ability to move and fight is severely limited.
It may only remain in its current hex, move away from enemy
units, or if it starts its move out of enemy LoS it may not enter
enemy LoS as detailed previously. It may not fire at all (Regular
or Reaction and Overwatch status is removed). During the Ini-
tiative Phase, all Pin Markers are removed. An already pinned
unit that becomes pinned again suffers no additional ill effects.
Pins do not ‘stack.’ Pinned Leader Teams may not activate oth-
er units (per 5.0) but may still spot for Fire Support (per 8.0).
Pinned Vehicles may also still spot for Fire Support.
6.9 Overwatch
A unit that spends its entire activation assuming Overwatch
status is marked with an Overwatch marker. It may then fire
during an enemy unit’s activation. It may fire at full strength in
reaction to any enemy movement or fire attack within its line
of sight. It may fire at any point during an enemy unit’s move-
ment in its LoS or immediately after an enemy’s fire attack is
resolved in its LoS. Leader Team combined fire is NOT allowed
for Overwatch fire – each unit must fire individually.
Overwatch status is retained until the unit fires, suffers an
adverse combat result causing loss of Overwatch status, has
an enemy unit move into its hex, or is activated again on the
following game turn. Following firing, the unit is marked as
SPENT. If a unit on Overwatch has an enemy unit move into its
hex, it may fire at full strength rather than the normal half-
strength reaction fire, which is then doubled due to the same
hex fire modifier.
Units may also be placed on Overwatch status during a scenar-
io’s set-up. This reflects prepared defenses. Units that begin
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christy okane (Order #18094006)
the game in Overwatch status may NOT activate during the first
turn of the scenario. It is important to weigh the pros and cons
of prepared firing positions versus tactical flexibility during
unit setup.
6.10 Reaction Fire
Any time a unit moves INTO or OUT OF a hex containing enemy
units, it is subject to a single reaction fire attack by any ONE
enemy unit in that hex at half strength that has not previously
performed reaction fire that turn. Previously activated/spent
units are eligible to perform this reaction fire but not Pinned
units. If multiple units are activated by a Leader Team together,
they still move one unit at a time and each unit undergoes re-
action fire individually when moving into or out of an enemy
occupied hex.
Resolve the fire as if it occurs in the same hex containing the
enemy firing unit. Note that the half strength attack is then
doubled again due to same hex fire. If the enemy reaction fire
unit is in Overwatch status then its attack strength is not halved
before doubling for same hex combat the first time it fires. The
unit then loses its Overwatch status. After an eligible unit re-
solves reaction fire mark it with a Reacted Marker to indicate it
cannot perform reaction fire again that turn. The firing enemy
unit is still eligible for later activation in the turn if it has not
already activated.
If the reaction fire results in a pin or reduction, and the moving
unit is attempting to ENTER an enemy hex it is ‘bounced’ – and
returns to its entry hex. If the moving unit is leaving an enemy
hex then it continues to its destination hex.
Note that it is possible to move into AND out of an enemy hex
in the same turn, provided the moving unit has enough move-
ment points and is not adversely impacted by an enemy fire at-
tack.
7. Fire Support
Fire support is a catch-all term that encompasses all off-board
assets including mortars, field artillery, self-propelled howit-
zers, multi-rocket launchers, helicopters, and aircraft.
7.1 Fire Support Availability
Each scenario will specify what, if any, fire support is avail-
able for each side as part of their OOB. Available fire support
modules are represented by markers that are used to plot and
resolve the attacks on the game map. Each fire support module
in the scenario will list the type of equipment, the number of
barrages available, attack strength, whether smoke is available,
and Reliability number. Place the corresponding fire support
markers aside where they will be easily accessible during play.
 Each module may only perform a barrage once per turn. Once a
module has used up all its barrages, it may not be used again in
that game. For example, there may be four barrages available
from a Howitzer battery during a scenario, but you may only use
one of those barrages per turn. Players can use paper and pen-
cil or extra Fire Support markers of the same type on the Turn
Track to track usage of barrages.
7.2 Fire Support Placement
Fire support is plotted during the Initiative Phase of each turn.
Each player places any fire support markers they wish to use on
target hexes. In order for a hex to be specified as the target of a
fire support barrage, an eligible unit must spot for it. Eligible
spotter units are limited to Leader Teams and vehicle units (IFV/
AFV). Each spotting unit may only place/spot for one fire support
marker per turn. A spotting unit must have a LoS to the target hex.
After all fire support is plotted, players roll for each attack to
see whether it arrives this turn or at the beginning of the next
turn. Roll 1D6, and on a result equal to or less than the fire sup-
port’s Reliability number it strikes immediately. On any other
result the fire support marker is left on the game map until re-
solved during the FOLLOWING turn’s initiative phase.
7.3 Fire Support Resolution
When a fire support is resolved, there is a chance that the fire
support may scatter from the target hex. Roll 1D6 and on a re-
sult of 5 or 6 for Rockets/MLRS or 6 for conventional artillery
and airstrikes, the fire scatters. Resolve the scatter by first roll-
ing 1D6 to determine Scatter Direction (1 is North then clock-
wise 2-6). Then roll 1D6 again on the Scatter Distance Table to
determine how many hexes it scatters in that direction. Fire
support attacks may never be combined. If two fire support at-
tacks hit the same hex, resolve each attack separately.
There are two possible ammunition types for fire support: high
explosive and smoke. When resolving a high explosive fire sup-
port attack, resolve it as any other fire combat, except that it
attacks ALL units – enemy AND friendly AND Leader Teams - in
the target hex and each adjacent hex individually. The Fire Sup-
port strength is halved versus HARD Targets. The Fire Support
strength is halved for adjacent hexes. These are cumulative so
for a HARD target in an adjacent hex the Fire Support strength
is halved twice and fractions dropped.
When attacking multi-floor buildings such as the airport ter-
minals, fire support attacks are considered to hit the top floor at
full strength, and half strength on the hex/floor directly below
as if it was an adjacent hex. Adjacent upper story building hexes
are also attacked at half strength. Hexes that are below AND
adjacent are not attacked.
christy okane (Order #18094006)
7.4 Smoke
When firing smoke, perform scatter determination as before
and then place a smoke counter on the final target hex. Smoke
blocks ALL line of sight for leg units through the hex it is in
and halves any fire into that smoke hex. Most modern fight-
ing vehicles are equipped with some kind of optics equipment
that allows at least partial visibility through smoke screens.
Vehicles may fire through one smoke hex at half-strength –
but may not fire into or through more than one smoke hex.
Smoke does not halve the strength of fire support. Smoke is
removed at the beginning of the following turn during the Ini-
tiative Phase.
8. Special Units
8.1 Wrecks
Any time that a vehicle unit is reduced it is eliminated and
flipped over to its wreck side. Any vehicle unit entering a hex
containing a wreck using a road must end their movement
immediately as they navigate the roadway blocked by the de-
stroyed vehicle. Eligible units may opt to bypass the wreck and
use the other terrain in the hex (unless Prohibited) to avoid the
clogged roadway. They must pay the full cost for moving into
the other terrain in that hex AND into the next hex when they
leave. Wrecks may not be cleared and are not cumulative; one
wreck marker indicates any number of eliminated vehicles and
clogs the roadway in the hex.
8.2 Heavy Setup Weapons
Certain heavy weapons such as anti-tank guided missiles and
automatic grenade launchers – indicated by an * on the coun-
ter - must be set-up in order to fire. These weapons may never
move and fire during the same activation. They may only move
at full capacity or fire at full strength during an activation.
These weapons also may not fire at enemy units in the same
hex, as they are not maneuverable or flexible enough for close
quarters combat and in some cases (e.g. ATGMs) have mini-
mum arming ranges.
9. Special Terrain – Multilevel
Buildings
The two main terminal buildings, the parkade, and the control
tower at the airport are large, multilevel buildings. These hexes
are marked with a Red Triangle in the center of the hex and are
under special rules. These buildings receive higher defensive
modifiers - as listed on the TEC - than regular built up urban
terrain to reflect the resilience with which they stood up to
heavy bombardment and the sheer size and complexity of the
structures that provided a wealth of possible hiding places and
firing positions.
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 This issue’s game

9.1 Movement Effects 10. Scenarios

These buildings and only these buildings have upper levels. A
unit may move to an upper level as a normal move action pay-
ing the normal cost of the terrain. Place an Upper Level Marker
UNDER the units occupying the upper level and over those units
on the lower level. For all game purposes, levels directly above
and below are considered as adjacent hexes. Units may never
move to a new hex and a new floor as a single move, they must
first move up or down, then side to side.
9.2 Fire Support Spotting Effects
Leader Teams that occupy the upper floors of the New Terminal
building or the Control Tower may spot for fire support attacks
at any point on the map. They may also be spotted from any
point on the map for the purposes of plotting fire support at-
tacks. These exceptions to the regular LoS rules apply ONLY to
spotting for fire support and NOT for direct fire combat. These
high points were excellent vantage points of the battlefield and
were frequently used to coordinate fire support.
9.3 Fire Support Resolution Effects
As previously detailed (7.3), Fire Support attacks hit the upper
level of these buildings with their full attack value and hit the
bottom floor below and adjacent upper floor hexes to the im-
pact hex with half attack value.
For victory purposes a side is considered to have control of a
hex if their units are currently the sole occupant of the hex or
the last sole occupants of the hex. If units from both sides oc-
cupy the same hex, it is considered contested/uncontrolled.
For multi-level building hexes BOTH levels must be controlled
or one level controlled and the other vacant for the hex to be
considered controlled by a side.
10.1 First Battle of Donetsk Airport, May 26th
2014
During the night of May 25, Donetsk People’s Republic separatist forces
comprising about 200 local militiamen and foreign volunteers of the
Vostok Battalion occupied the airport terminals and posted lookouts
and guards on the roofs and upper floors. These troops were trans-
ported in trucks and were lightly equipped with small arms and no
heavy or specialized anti-armor or anti-air weapon systems.
After the fighters ignored an ultimatum from the Kiev government to
abandon the airport, the government attacked. Paratroopers from the
3rd Separate Special Forces Regiment attacked with close air support
from SU-25 fighter bombers and MI-24 attack helicopters. The speed
and brutality of the attack caught the separatists off-guard. They had
not expected the government to fire on the airport buildings for fear of
damaging them and had left most of their heavy weapons and AFVs
behind in the city of Donetsk. The separatists were driven from the
airport after suffering high casualties. Roughly 40-50 fighters were
killed in the engagement, many of them when an RPG struck a trans-
port truck fleeing to Donetsk proper. The Ukrainian troops suffered no
losses.

SEPARATISTS/DONETSK PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC (DPR):

Elements of Vostok Battalion and Local Militiamen:
Initiative: 8
Hesitation Point: 3
Set up first anywhere inside or within 3 hexes of the New and Old Ter-
minals

UNIT TYPE ACTIVATION MOVEMENT FIRE COMBAT FIRE SUPPORT

Leg Units Self Can remain in current hex, move away from Not Allowed (Regular, NA
enemy units in their LoS, only into hexes that Reaction, or Overwatch)
have an equal or better defensive modifier than
their current location if remaining in enemy
LoS, or if starting out of enemy LoS may not
enter enemy LoS (6.4)

Leader Teams Self, may not activate Same as Leg Not Allowed (Regular, Can still spot for Fire
other units or form Reaction, or Overwatch) Support
same hex fire teams

Vehicles Self Same as Leg Not Allowed (Regular, Can still spot for Fire
Reaction, or Overwatch) Support

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christy okane (Order #18094006)

 • 6x Militia (Locals) vided by the Russians. These included a number of T-64 and T-72
• 3x Infantry Squads (Foreign Volunteers) tanks as well as BM-21 Grad MLRS platforms. By this stage in the con-
• 1x RPG Section flict, Russian supplied air defense assets had negated the Ukrainian’s
• 1x HMG Section air superiority.
• 3x Leader Teams
• 1x Truck The fighting was intense on September 28 as the Separatists pushed
north from the suburbs of the city and into the outlying areas of the
UKRAINIAN ARMY AND SPECIAL FORCES: airport. Nine Ukrainian soldiers were killed with over twenty more
Elements of 3rd Special Forces Regiment: wounded and one APC was destroyed by a separatist tank. The Sepa-
Initiative: 9 ratists also suffered an undisclosed number of casualties, probably in
Hesitation Point: 4 the low dozens. Both sides made heavy use artillery and shelling began
Set up second anywhere on the Western and Northern board edges. to make its first major impacts on the airport grounds. By October 1,
• 6x Infantry Squads the DPR forces had seized a number of large hangers and out buildings
• 3x Leader Teams that they would later use as staging areas and concealed approaches
• 6x BTR80 for assaults on the terminals.
• 4x MI24 Helicopter Strikes (Strength: 16, No Smoke) Reli-
ability: 3 UKRAINIAN ARMY AND SPECIAL FORCES:
• 4x SU25 Airstrikes (Strength: 16, No Smoke) Reliability: 3 Initiative: 10
Hesitation Point: 4
Victory Conditions: Set up first anywhere on or north of Hexrow 10 that comprises
The Side with the highest victory point total at the end of the the stream (4 hexes up from south edge)
Scenario wins. • 9x Infantry Squads
• Each New/Old Terminal hex controlled: 2 VPs (at Scenario • 1x HMG
start all New/Old Terminal Hexes are considered in DPR • 2x RPG
Control) • 3x Leader Teams
• Each enemy unit eliminated: 1 VP • 3x BTR80
• Each DPR unit exited via hexrow x10 AFTER turn 5: 1VP • 1x Konkurs ATGM
Turn Limit: 8 • 1x T-64BM
Special Rules: None • 4x Howitzer Barrages (Strength: 12, Smoke available) Reli-
ability: 5
Notes: This is a good scenario to learn the major game sys-
tems (Fire Support, Fire Teams, Clearing Operations). The DPR SEPARATISTS/DONETSK PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC (DPR):
needs to hold on to any part of the Terminals until the end of Initiative: 11
the game. Do they set up spread out to force the Ukrainians to Hesitation Point: 4
chase them down or concentrated for mutual support? Do they Set up second anywhere on the south board edge.
attempt to inflict casualties on the Ukrainians during their ap- • 6x Militia
proach or hunker down in the Terminals and make them come • 6x Infantry Squads
in after them? Do they attempt to evacuate after turn 5? The • 1x HMG
Ukrainians do not have enough infantry to clear the terminals • 2x RPG
without preparatory Fire Support and ranged BTR Fire. How • 1x Recoilless Rifle
long do the Ukrainians soften up the DPR and when do they • 4x Leader Teams
send in their infantry for the clearing operations? What ap- • 1x T-64BV
proach route - quickly over the airfield or slower through more • 1x T-72B3
built up terrain with cover to minimize casualties? • 3x BM21 Rocket Barrages (Strength: 16, No Smoke) Reli-
ability: 4
10.2 Second Battle of Donetsk Airport, Opening • 3x Howitzer Barrages (Strength: 12, Smoke available) Reli-
Moves (September 28th, 2014) ability: 4
After a summer of sporadic shelling and pot shots back and forth, the
DPR launched a major offensive. Having learned from their defeat in Victory Conditions:
the spring, the separatist forces had mobilized more heavy weapons • DPR Victory: Control 8 or more building hexes on the air-
plundered from their early seizures of government territory and pro- port grounds (within the boundaries of NE=W4 NW=K4

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 This issue’s game

SW=K10, SE=W10) at the end of the Scenario • 1x Recoilless Rifle

• Draw: DPR controls 4-7 building hexes on the airport • 3x Leader Teams
grounds per above at the end of the Scenario. • 1x BTR80
• Ukrainian Victory: DPR controls less than 4 building hexes • 1x T72B3
on the airport grounds per above at the end of the Scenario. • 1x T64BV
Special Rules: None • 2x BM21 Rocket Barrages (Strength: 16, No Smoke) Reli-
Turn Limit: 8 ability: 4

10.3 Counterattacks (November, 2014) Victory Conditions:

Throughout the month of October heavy shelling, damage to the • Ukrainian Victory: Ukrainians control all 3 hexes of the
buildings housing their positions, and constant infiltration from the Old Terminal at the end of the Scenario
captured outbuildings had pushed the Ukrainians out of the Old Ter- • Draw: Ukrainians control at least 1 hex of the Old Terminal
minal into the more defensible New Terminal. Both buildings were at the end of the Scenario
beginning to collapse and the tarmac was littered with destroyed AFVs. • DPR Victory: DPR retains control of ALL 3 hexes of the Old
The battle for the airport had become purely symbolic as the facilities Terminal at the end of the Scenario
were damaged beyond usefulness. Special Rules: The Ukrainian player automatically has the ini-
tiative on the first turn.
The recently captured Old Terminal provided the perfect springboard Turn Limit: 6
for DPR attacks on Ukrainian positions within the New Terminal and
probing attacks were a daily reality. During November, the Ukrai- 10.4 Final Assault (January, 2015)
nian army staged a series of concentrated attacks to try to retake the In the first weeks of January, the Ukrainian soldiers were complete-
Old Terminal and maintain footholds there that would deny the DPR ly cut off inside the New Terminal. The Control Tower collapsed on
troops a covered approach. These back and forth offensive operations January 13, denying them a crucial Overwatch and artillery observa-
would continue throughout December and even into the final weeks of tion position. The DPR also shifted resources to the fight for the nearby
the siege in January. town of Pisky hoping to deny the Ukrainians access to their besieged
troops in the airport. The Ukrainians could only rotate and resupply
UKRAINIAN MECHANIZED AND AIRMOBILE TROOPS: troops and evacuate casualties along the ‘highway of life’ that ran
Initiative: 12 from Pisky across access roads onto the far end of the tarmac. They
Hesitation: 4 then sped down the runway in their vehicles to park beneath the pas-
Set up second anywhere in or North of Hexrow 7 AND in or West senger gates before speeding back. Often they would be under fire the
of Hexrow F. entire time.
• 9x Infantry Squads
• 1x HMG On January 14, the DPR staged a major assault on the New Terminal
• 2x RPG seizing control of about 1/3 of it and causing serious damage to Ukrai-
• 1x AGS-17 nian positions. On the 17th and 18th the Ukrainians launched a coun-
• 4x Leader Teams terattack involving troops and a full company of tanks from Pisky. This
• 2x T-64BM killed at least 15 DPR troops and restored control of the New Terminal
• 2x BM21 Rocket Barrages (Strength: 16, No Smoke) Reli- to the Ukrainians.
ability: 4
• 4x Howitzer Barrages (Strength: 12, Smoke available) Reli- The final Assault took place over two days and began on the 19th when
ability: 5 the DPR managed to infiltrate the upper floors of the Terminal build-
ing corralling the Ukrainian troops on the lower floors. They then deto-
SEPARATISTS/DONETSK PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC (DPR): nated demolition charges dropping portions of the second floor on top of
Initiative: 10 the Ukrainian positions, causing heavy casualties. Further fighting and
Hesitation: 3 more collapsing floors occurred on the 20th. By the 21st, the final Ukrai-
Set up first anywhere in or East of Hexrow N OR anywhere in or nian troops were forced to evacuate and the airport was fully under DPR
South of Hexrow 8. control. Over 40 Ukrainian soldiers had been killed in the final two days
• 3x Militia of fighting, and dozens more wounded and evacuated or captured.
• 3x Infantry Squads
• 1x HMG Many combatants alleged these final assaults and demolitions involved
• 1x RPG Russian Special Forces committed after Moscow had grown tired of the

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christy okane (Order #18094006)

 separatists’ inability to gain control of the airport. Observers reported • 3x BM21 Rocket Barrages (Strength: 16, No Smoke) Reli-
Russian accents and military jargon on radio traffic and an increased ability: 4
presence of T72B3 and allegedly T-90 tanks in the area. The airport • 4x Howitzer Barrages (Strength: 12, Smoke available) Reli-
was also shelled with 240mm self-propelled Tyulpan mortars, weap- ability: 5
ons not in the Ukrainian arsenal.
Victory Conditions:
This scenario represents some of the brutal fighting that oc- • Ukrainian Victory: Ukrainians control at least 1 hex in the
curred during January 19th and the 20th and led to the final New Terminal at the end of the Scenario.
withdrawal of the Ukrainian troops. The Ukrainians start with • Draw: Ukrainians control no hexes in the New Terminal at
their infantry garrison and receive meagre armor and mecha- the end of the Scenario BUT manage to evacuate at least
nized reinforcements from the West board edge to help them three ORIGINAL/Starting Infantry Squads – not from the
evacuate. turn 3 reinforcements - from the New Terminal (See Spe-
cial Rule).
UKRAINIAN MECHANIZED AND AIRMOBILE TROOPS: • DPR Victory: DPR control ALL hexes in the New Terminal
Elements of 3rd Battalion 80th Airmobile Brigade and 90th and prevent the Ukrainians from evacuating three or more
Separate Airborne Battalion, 81st Airmobile Brigade: Infantry Squads.
Initiative: 11 Turn Limit: 8
Hesitation: 3
Set-up Second: Anywhere within the New Terminal, Parkade, Special Rules:
and Building Cluster I3, J4. 1. Control Tower: Rubble and out of play, impassible terrain
• 6x Infantry Squads that blocks line of sight.
• 2x RPG 2. Spetznas Demolition Team: May set up anywhere on the
• 1x AGS-17 upper level in the New Terminal building after the Ukrai-
• 1x HMG nian player has finished his set-up. Automatically receives
• 1x Konkurs ATGM the first activation of Turn 1. Attacks all units on upper
• 3x Leader Teams floor of hex at 8 no Def TEM, all units on bottom floor of
• 2x BM21 Rocket Barrages (Strength: 16, No Smoke) Reli- target hex at 6 no Def TEM. Remove counter after use.
ability: 4 3. Evacuation: In order to fulfill the evacuation victory condi-
• 4x Howitzer Barrages (Strength: 12, Smoke available) Reli- tion, the Ukrainian player must exit infantry squads that
ability: 5 begin the game inside the New Terminal (e.g. not rein-
forcements) off the Western board edge. They must board
Reinforcements (Evacuation Team) arrive from the Western one of the BTR80s that arrives on Turn 3 and then move off
board edge on the runway on Turn 3. the Western board edge without being destroyed.
• 2x T-64BM
• 6x BTR80 11. Game Notes
• 3x Infantry Squads Donetsk is not like most tactical level games on the market.
• 1x Leader Teams First, it differs in scale - while units are relatively small (squads,
individual teams and vehicles) the hexes are relatively large
SEPARATISTS/DONETSK PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC (DPR): (approx. 150m). This was done to simulate the relative emp-
Initiative: 12 tiness of the modern battlefield as compared to earlier con-
Hesitation: 3 flicts. Modern combat units move slower and more cautiously
Set-up First: Anywhere outside the Ukrainian setup zone. due to the increased range and lethality of modern weapons.
• 1x Spetznas Demolition Team (see SSR) These factors explain why leg unit movement factors are low
• 6x Militia and there are no ‘close assault’ rules like earlier conflict period
• 6x Infantry Squads tactical simulations.
• 1x HMG
• 2x RPG Second, even though the battle was called Little Stalingrad, un-
• 1x Recoilless Rifle like the forces involved in that pivotal WW2 battle, the forces
• 4x Leader Teams in these battles were very brittle. It did not take many setbacks
• 3x T-64BV and casualties before a side lost their aggressive spirit and will
• 1x T72B3 to fight. The central game mechanic that depicts this, which

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 This issue’s game
the player needs to manage, is Initiative/Hesitation. Protecting
your Initiative Level is critical to keeping your tactical options
and chances for victory open. Initially the player with the high-
est initiative normally gets to activate first - especially if in a
close quarters battle in the Terminals the ability to fire first or
withdraw from a bad situation before the other side can fire can
be critical. Later, if your initiative level drops to your Hesitation
Level then your options become very limited. If on the Offen-
sive, the player is left with ranged fire hoping to attrition the
defender to victory. If on the Defensive, then the other player
can be more aggressive and it becomes very hard to hold impor-
tant objectives in the face of a determined assault. Therefore,
being sensitive to casualties is critical to winning.
Initiative can only decrease during the scenario through elimi-
nated units. So, the obvious goal of a player is to minimize their
own casualties, inflict enemy casualties, while maneuvering
and attacking/defending to meet the scenario victory condi-
tions. Pulling this off in the time allotted for the scenario can
be a tough balancing act. A few bad mistakes and good rolls by
the enemy could lead to the battle being over relatively quickly.
Or spending too much time doing ranged/prep fire of the enemy
before assaulting the objectives could lead to time running out
for the scenario.
The Infantry based units (with reduced sides) are somewhat
resilient to losses, but after they have been reduced the player
needs to make the decision whether to keep them in the thick
of the battle and risk their loss and drop in initiative or pull
them back from the main battle into a support role. Of course,
the enemy player may purposely target these reduced units
to eliminate them and drive down their opponent’s initiative
level. If the opponent has a spotter on the top floor of one of
the Terminals/Tower hexes then there is nowhere to hide on the
board from their Fire Support. Heavy Weapons and Vehicles,
while powerful, do not have a reduced side so the player needs
to be careful when committing them to battle as one reduced
result eliminates them and decreases initiative.
The most potent weapon a player has is their Fire Support (Ar-
tillery/Air). High fire values combined with attacking ALL units
in a hex and adjacent hexes give them a lot of bang for the buck.
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If units are caught by enemy fire support in relatively uncov-
ered hexes, it could have catastrophic effects. Also, if units are
concentrated in preparation for an attack, one well-placed en-
emy Fire Support mission could break up the attack. The player
must wrestle with the tension between concentrating for more
attack power versus the risk of enemy Fire Support taking ad-
vantage of the concentration to inflict extensive damage. One
of the safest places on the board from enemy Fire Support is
adjacent to or in the same hex as enemy units since Fire Sup-
port attacks both sides. The safest place from a terrain point
of view is the bottom floor of a Terminal/Parkade/Tower hex.
Fire Support attacks the top floor at full strength while the bot-
tom floor is considered an adjacent hex, which halves the Fire
Support. Combine that with the high defensive TEM and this
makes units on the lower floors tough nuts to crack. Ukrainian
troops survived in these locations for weeks against enemy as-
saults. The main use for the top floor is Fire Support spotting,
so normally a player will only put a Leader Team on the top
floor. Should a player use up one of their precious Fire Support
barrages to destroy the Leader Team and prevent its spotting is
another decision a player must make. Finally, Fire Support is
not unlimited. Once it is used up the deterrent effect of keeping
the enemy in cover and not concentrating for attacks is gone.
As for actual unit use, the most powerful way to use units is
in Fire Teams with a Leader Team against soft targets. Espe-
cially when attacking high Defensive TEM terrain, this may be
the only way to generate enough firepower against defending
soft targets. Of course, then these stacks of units become mag-
nets for enemy Fire Support and risk Sniper Fire. We have had
groups of these attacks immobilized for most of the scenario
because they weren’t in the best defensive terrain and the en-
emy kept them pinned through judicious use of Fire Support.
As for vehicle/hard targets, their best use is either against other
hard targets - tank vs tank or APCs - or standing off from the
main battle in the terminals and providing soft/concentrated
fire support.
The game is a balancing act of numerous items - minimizing
casualties while inflicting them on the enemy thru effective use
of Fire Support and maneuver/fire to achieve the scenario vic-
tory conditions - all in the time allotted. Good luck and enjoy.
 The Compleat
Wargamer

WATERLOO
REDUX
ARTICLE BY PETER P. PERLA

Some issues back I addressed some unusual design approaches

to the battle of Waterloo. Forgive me for returning once again
to those muddy fields in Belgium—this time to discuss an even
more unusual take on the battle. The publishers are a new Span-
ish company, Trafalgar Ediçiones. The game is Waterloo 1815:
La última batalla de Napoléon, designed by José Antonio Luengo
Baena.

I first became aware of this game through Paul Comben’s review

on the The Boardgaming Life. (See https://theboardgaminglife.
com/2016/11/27/waterloo-napoleons-last-battle-a-boardgaming-
life-review/ ) What struck me about the game initially was its
unusual game board. It was a simplified topographical map of
the battlefield with two unusual features. First, it extended far-
ther east along the approach route of Blücher’s Prussians than
most other Waterloo games. Second, it lacked any sort of grid:
no hexes, no squares, not even irregular areas. Then there were
the playing pieces. Not cardboard but a different sort of wooden
blocks. They are a cross between the long narrow rods seen in
Bowen Simmons’s Napoleonic battle games and the square
blocks of GMT’s Command and Colors series. And they come
in three sizes, the largest representing infantry brigades, the
mediums representing cavalry brigades, and the smallest (really
small!) representing artillery batteries and leaders.
What the game truly excels at, however, is the psychological
effect it produces on its players. It illustrates better than any
other game just how cramped the main battlefield is. Except for
an inch or two on the extreme British left, Wellington’s entire
line lies on the western half of the board. And the funneling
effects of Hougoumont and La Haye Sainte are dramatic indeed;
the crowding of the French attacks caused by the constriction
comes home to you, as does the severity of the threat posed to
Wellington’s position by the fall of the latter late in the day.

The core idea of the game is that the blocks take up physical
space on the battlefield equal to their actual size. “Half a mo’,”
you might say, “that sounds more like a miniatures game than
a boardgame.” And you would be correct. This is, in fact a min-
iatures game played on a board, with movement and fire ranges
determined using custom cardboard measuring tools. I don’t
have space or inclination to do a full review of the game here but
suffice it to say that, despite some rules issues, the game systems
do a creditable job of representing combat at these levels.
This hybrid of miniatures and boardgames is a successful and
insightful one and well worth your time. But be warned, if you
reject the inherent measuring and fiddling, and the relative
looseness of miniatures-style positioning and terrain interpre-
tation compared to the use of pristine hexes, you may find this a
frustrating experience and give it a pass. That would be a shame,
though, because you will be missing out on a fresh and illuminat-
ing perspective on a battle we all think we know only too well.
And that, after all, is why we play these things, yes?

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 BONUS

TANK ON TANK
A Scenario for Old School Tactical
BY MARK H. WALKER

June 24th, 1941. Elements of the 6th Panzer Division meet a KV-1 at a German Forces
crossroads near Raseiniai. Allegedly, the single tank held up the Germans 1 x Wreck, 2 x Rifle, 1 x Lmg, and 1 x Sergeant in hex BB13.
for an entire day, only being overrun after depleting its ammunition. 1 x SdKfz 222, 2 x PzKpfw II F, and 1 x PzKpfw III J in AA13, Z14, Y14,
This is a variation of a solitaire scenario that I designed for backers of the Y15 (one per hex).
Old School Tactical Reprint. -Mark H. Walker Impulse Dice: 1D10 (0 = 10).
Gut Check: 7.
MAP 1
Control Hexes: None. Special Scenario Rules
Turns: 3. 1. If a German unit enters a hex that is 10 or more hexes from
the nearest Soviet unit, the German unit suffers an 0-col-
Victory umn attack on the appropriate Combat Table for each such
To win the Germans must destroy all Soviet tanks or damage all hex entered. This simulates the larger battlefield surround-
Soviet tanks’ main guns. ing this small encounter.
2. Don’t use Luck Cards.
Soviet Forces 3. Neither side has offboard assets.
1 x KV1 in hex EE8 4. All Soviet units automatically rally in the Free Rally Phase.
1 x T34 m1940 in hex FF8. 5. The Soviet tanks cannot leave the hill on which they set up.
Impulse Dice: 1d6 + 1 to the number rolled.
Gut Check: 6

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