The General Vol 24 No 1 (17.98MB)

player receives reinforcements as per his extended
build-up schedule. Victory conditions remain the
same.
The Bidwell Variant
This is new, short scenario based on Brigadier
Shelford Bidwell's book World War 3. Here, Soviet
and Warsaw Pact forces make a limited incurison
of West Germany to seize a nuclear weapons facility
located near Hamburg in an attempt to prevent West
Germany from developing a nuclear capability of
its own. NATO, in spite of being crippled by in-
decision, responds to meet the Soviet invasion.
This scenario is a simple variation of the "Stra-
tegic Surprise" scenario. It lasts eight game turns
and NATO reinforcements may arrive one turn
earlier than indicated. In order to win, the Warsaw
Pact player must have one supplied ground unit
spend two complete game turns in the city of Ham-
burg, and must have one supplied ground unit spend
one complete game turn in any hex adjacent to Bonn.
Warsaw Pact units may enter only West Germany.
All Warsaw Pact units must withdraw into East
Germany by the end of the scenario or they are con-
sidered destroyed and will count for victory deter-
mination purposes. When the Warsaw Pact player
manages to occupy Hamburg as specified, he
receives a bonus of 15 Victory Points. Having a unit
adjacent to Bonn as described gains him a bonus
of 5 Victory Points. With these additions, all victory
conditions of the "Strategic Surprise" remain the
same.
There are a few special rules applied to the
"Bidwell Variant". No Warsaw Pact unit may cross
the Rhein River. On Turn 2, NATO units may be
activated, except the British (which are activated on
Turn 3). As a further option, players may-with
mutual consent-extend the scenario to ten turns and
allow the Warsaw Pact player to invade Austria.
An additional 5 Victory Points will be awarded the
player holding both Linz and Salzburg at the end
of the game. *
AH Philosophy . . . Conr 'd from Page 32
often wonder just who is the specimen and who
is doing the collecting. Players compete to be the
first to collect 25 Victory Points and successfully
escape from the Lost World plateau. The real in-
novation here lies in how you get those Victory
Points. As players traverse the map, they dis-
cover certain sites which they can enter to un-
dertake an "Adventure". Each Adventure site
leads the player along the illustrated frames of
a comic-book style narration of actions that can
reward or penalize the player. A player who has
earned Experience cards can use them to improve
his chances of circumventing the dangers therein.
Those without such cards must trust to fate.
Beautifully illustrated by Jim Talbot, these Ad-
ventures vividly portray a wide assortment of ex-
periences that will vary each game in accordance
with the explorer's cards and die rolls. Event
cards lend a degree of uncertainty as players are
called upon to battle creatures or deal with other
cruel twists of fate. While luck is certainly an
important element, skillfull play is also rewarded
(as you've come to expect in any Avalon Hill
game). Although dinosaurs may be the most
frightening creature you'll encounter, your fellow
players may be more dangerous. Beware of other
expeditions sneaking into your camp to steal
specimens or tools.
Perhaps the real value of this game lies in its
attraction to children. Kids are quite taken with
this game as I can well attest. I am no sooner in
the door then my 9-year-old daughter is clam-
oring to play "the dinosaur game" again. As such
it is an excellent vehicle to introduce family
members to the world of simulation games.
Although the game has a basic version for
children with only one page of rules, the full game
has plenty of challenge for the most erudite
gamer. Like another recent favorite of mine,
TV WARS, this game appears to be dominated
by luck at first glance. However, astute gamers
will soon discover the subtle strategies that lead
to consistent wins. As in most multi-player
games, timing is all-important. Staying out of the
lead-or the other players' perception of the
lead-until you can make your position too
dominant for the others to bring you back to the
pack is crucial. Unlike most multi-player games,
this one doesn't suffer from a lack of players.
Risk, for example, would be considered boring
with only two players, but this game does not
suffer significantly when played by two. Further-
more, it has an excellent solitaire version which
is, in some simulation respects, superior to the
multi-player version. An excellent design. I
recommend it highly for anyone who is interested
in the subject, has a youngster who is, or who
just enjoys simple, innovative and attractive
games. It will definitely have a prominent place
on my game shelf.
Another fine game that will compete with it for
my attention is Courtney Allen's latest design
Thunder at Cassino. Set during the third battle
of Cassino in March 1944, the game portrays
some of the most vicious mountain and city
fighting seen in World War II. Thunderat Cassino
uses a modified form of Allen's award-winning
STORM OVER ARNHEM game system which
works even better than its predecessor because
the situation has so much more to offer. Arnhem,
being a siege, tended to be static with the British
limited to reacting to the German probes of his
perimeter. In Thunder at Cassino, the action
flows across the map with a great deal of
maneuver for both sides. The influx of reinforce-
ments leads to strong counterattack possibilities.
Invariably, a close game ends with the Allies on
the defensive against a German counteroffensive.
Last, but not least is a science fiction trading
game called Merchant of Venus. How's that for
a change of pace? This is Richard Hamblen's
latest design and his best since VICTORY IN THE
PACIFIC. When I first heard that Richard was
working on a science fiction game I was non-
plussed. "Another space exploration and con-
quest game, ho hum". I soon changed my mind
when I played it. This may well be the cleverest
design I've ever seen. When is the last time
you've played a multi-player game that you en-
joyed equally well whether you were playing with
six players, two, or solitaire? This game is that
rare commodity. Merchant of Venus includes an
optional "dummy" player called the "Rastur"
which can be used with any number of players
but is mandatory for solitaire play and recom-
mended when playing with two. The Rastur can
be likened to a space-faring Mongol Horde which
conquers everything in its way. Players must win
by completing their trading andlor Empire building
against the backdrop of this rampaging terror be-
fore they are overcome. With three or more
players, the Rastur aren't really needed as you
can count on your fellow players to provide suffi-
cient threats of their own.
The premise of Merchant of Venus is simple.
Each player plays the role of an inter-galactic
space voyager traveling between the stars of a
war-torn cluster to discover lost worlds and trade
with the inhabitants. An ingenious, yet simple,
mechanism controls which goods each culture
will buy and sell-making trade more than a
matter of just movement from here to there.
Supply and demand ebbs and flows with short-
ages creating profitable bonuses for those in the
right place with the right goods at the right time.
Along the way there are hazards to avoid, battles
to be fought, deals to be made, and technologies
to be acquired. During play, players will build
bigger or faster ships with better armament and
propulsion systems or erect forts, ports, or
factories as part and parcel of their own trading
empire. Such empires greatly faciitate profits but
tempt incursions by pirates and revolts instigated
by other players.
Unlike most tradingleconomic games, this one
does not bog down into an accountant's
exercise-there is virtually no record keeping or
writing involved. The whole thing is very simple
and straight forward. The blend of economics,
technology, and warfare are reminiscient of a
sophisticated RAIL BARON wed with CIVILIZA-
TION. Fans of either of those games will love
Merchant of Venus-regardless of their penchant
for the subject.
Don Greenwood
So the months between now and next
ORIGINS should see a game on most anything
rolling off our presses. In my observation and
playtesting of them, one common thread seems
to link all of these games-the designers and de-
velopers are more enthusiastic about The Alarno,
West of Alamein, Hollow Legions, Partisans, Tac
Air, Dinosaurs of the Lost World, Thunder at
Cassino and Merchant of Venus than I have seen
them in some time. And that bodes well for the
rest of us game players. *
I 11. D- auntless AH 2 2 1.5 1
1 15. Empires in Arms AH - 1 1 . 2 1
1 19. Ambush AH - I 10 1