nr. 50 Apr-May . Conflict ia Tect Mique FEATURING: Berlin ‘85 AFTER-ACTION REPORT ON S&T 79's GAME plus... PROBABILITY GUIDE TO TABLES AND CHARTS Drive on Washington PLAYTESTER’S INSIDE REPORT ON NEW 7SS SERIES GAME On the Eastfront A! COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW OF 29 GAMES PREVIEW OF 7/TO (S&T 81's Partisan aa Game) GDW's PEARL HARBOR GETS BOM2 MOVESnr.50, published April/May 1980 Cirewlation: 9100 Editor/Executive Art Director Redmond A. Simonsen, Robert J. Ryer Manfred F. Milkuhn 19 Editors Greg Costikyan, James F. Dunnigan, Eric Goldberg, Phil Kosnett, Steve List, Thomas G. Pratuch, Charles Vasey [MOVES Menazine copyright © 1980, Sinlaions Publaton, Ie, Printed in U.S.A, Alright reserved All ‘stra and general al shou be adresse to Simulations Publications nc 257 Park Avene South, N-¥)N-Y Ta010. MOVES spublahed i monty. One year subscriptions (ass are valble for8940(US). Back ses oF singe copies of te curtent ise are avalabeat 82.0 per cop. Please emi by check of money over (US und). Printing and Binding by Welly Pes, n., Framingham, Mass ARTICLE SUBMISSIONS: Readers are invited to submit articles for posible publication in MOVES Mapai, ‘Manuscrips mast be typewsten, doublespaced, on 8/s¥I1 fit bond, with genera lin length of 38 fo €S ‘haracters les include you as name and pape umber on eas page, and your ame adress, phone numer, Sues ite ad honocarlum preference on the cover page. With submsion,aclade a stamped self are Postcard wth the name of your atl on the mesa side. Artes and iluiation cannot beretuned In nn ance, however, can SPI assume fesponsblty for Manwscrips ahd isaons not special sols In this issue. Berlin '85 After Action Report ‘NICK KARP The Tables of Berlin ‘RA. HAMMER 12 Rough Going in 4 Eno STEVELIST 22 REDMOND A, SIMONSEN 2 Designer's Notes SPIRGD STAFF 3 MOVES in English CHARLES VASEY fod.) Forward Observer ‘ERIC GOLDBERG 31 Feedback/Playback Questions VOX POPUL, VOX DEI w Simulations Pubication, ine., 257 Park Avenue South, New York, N.Y. 10010 1 SRS (Cover: MoD photo sa Georse Forty, Modern Combat Vehicle I: Chain, an Allen Lt 1979) Opening Moves I's mainly the echoes of pagan belief that we all carry around in our skulls that cause editors to remark upon the 50th this or the 100th that and draw some sort of mystical significance out of simple-minded mumer- ology. Nevertheless, I'll use the pseudo- ‘occasion of MOVES" fiftieth issue to herald afew new directions in the magazine's editorial makeup and re-affirm some of our basic policies. 1, We've done it on a hitor-miss basis before, but this time we mean it: every issue of MOVES will have an article on the pre- vious S&T game (not necessarily as big as the Berlin piece inthis issue but substantial none- theless). Whenever possible, MOVES will also carry an article on the most recent Ares game. In this way we'll manage to present editorial material we know to be timely and iil since most of you will have the game. 2. More critical pieces will appear surveying the games of a given category — in the man- ner of this issue's Eastfront article. When- ‘ever possible the writers will be non-staft members (as is Steve List, who even though carried on the masthead as a contributing editor is not an employee of SPI). Notwith- standing the fact that, in the main, SPI staff ‘members are the most critical of their own ef- forts, many readers would reflexively snort in disbelief if a staffer critiqued the products of his own company in the pages of a magazine produced by that company. MOVES strives to avoid even the appearance fof such conflict of interest situations when reviewing product — so reviews or critiques of SPI games will be written by non-staffers (even though they may be familiar names to you, such as List, Costikyan, et al, they'll not 'be people who derive their livelihood from this giant corporation), 3. Presuming the gamer population writes them for me, we'll continue to publish ar- ticles and reviews on non-SPI games. We do this not because we're altruists, but because we're realists and we have an audience to serve. Some writers (and some people in the trade who should know better) persist in assuming MOVES to be a house propaganda ‘organ that will oly deal with SPI games, I'm continually irritated by this lazy presumption — we take great pains to avoid that house ‘organ trap and would be pleased if our dividualism and independence were at least acknowledged (— we're not looking for ‘praise for doing what we should do anyway). 4. Experimentation: I'ye a number of things 16 try in the upcoming year of MOVES — whether [get to them a is a matter yet to be determined — but I'd like to run some of them by you for comment: a. Design and Realty: short pieces (a page or vo) explaining the actuality being repre-sented by some of the standard techniques of ‘games. For example, we're all conditioned to accept the reasonabilty of a “Zone of Con- trol,” but do you have a clear idea of what "hat game mechanic realy simulates? b. Balance Reports: statistical and anecdotal analysis of the play balance of a wide selec- tion of games. Each report would present pethaps as many asa dozen games with com- ‘ment and data on each one's balance and playability characteristics, ¢, Standard Rules for Gamers: this is one ve talked of before — a series of one page modules (one or two per issue) giving the standard rules and main variants for the core ‘of game mechanics shared by about 70% of the games on the market today. The purpose would be to provide succinct rules modules and standard language for home-brewed rules and, in fact, for professionals. Ter- ‘minology would be developed to characterize each main variation of the rules so that ex- perienced gamers could be given a shorthand description of a set of rule by titles only. . MOVES Readers and Editors Awards: the readers will nominate games (of all publishers) from those published in 1980, The editors of MOVES plus other editors and critics in the industry will ast ballots on those nominated, and so will the readers (the reader representation in the final ballot will be a weighted fraction of the total critic/reader balloting). In this way [ hope to strike a balance between populism and elitism such that the winners will represent a blend of professional judgment and gamers’ experiences. The awards categories will be kept to a merciful minimum, Awards will nor be given to companies, rather they will be awarded to the principal individuals who design the winning titles. We'd like 10 hear from you (and get both your reactions to these proposals and suagestions on others) I'm not going to pre- feedback these experiments, rather we'll test, them “live” and let you react to the whole animal, okay? Don’t forget that Origins *80 is almost ‘upon us — June 27 through 29, So wend your way to Widener College and say hello. If you rnced more information, contact Origins 80, PO Box 139, Middletown, NJ 07748, — RAS Shae fe. INSTRUCTIONS TO AUTHORS FOR MOVES ARTICLES Mos: ofthe articles in MOVES are written by ts readers. We'd like you togiveita ry —if ‘your article s wel written and on a subject of ierest co readers, there's a good chance twill ‘ee publication, The Subject of your article i up {0 you. From time 10 time the Editor will Suggest potential atile topes, Don’ tbe afraid towete on other publishers games — MOVES is nota "house organ” that ignores the rest of the gaming world ‘Types of Articles. The kinds of articles we're looking. for fall into the following soneralcatezories 1. Operational énalysis, Deals with the tactics and strategy of playin aspecifc game. 2 Game Profile/Review. Description of tame or games with particular attention to its Simuational system and playability. Any ert «ism must be well-supported by logical argu ‘ment and fact (not simply personal opinion). 3. Documented Play. Description of and com- ‘ment on the move-by-move progress ofan a {wal two-player or multi-player game, Doct: ‘mented play should be the result of several playing, the most relevant of which being the Subject ofthe article 44 Fleld Report, Provides organized, valid in formation on some aspect of confit simul ion of general interest 5. Scenarioplex. An experimental section of Scenarios (each no longer than two typewritten pages) in thesivle ofthe patent game rules, 6. Foomotes. Short essays (no longer than $00 words) on almost any subject related to gam- ing. Nohonorarium is paid for Footnotes. 7. Miscellaneous. Anil that don’t fit in the specific categories, but which the author fels appropriate fr publication in MOVES. Manuscript Requirements. Typewriten, double-spaced on white bond, Line length $$ ta 65 characters; no more than 25 lines per page. Min-may length: 6 10 30. manuseript pages Pages should be numbered and tagged tvith author's last name. Cover sheet shoud bse date written, fullname, address, phone hhumber, suggested title, and honorarium preference ‘Monorariums. For all published submis: sions (xcept letters and Footnotes) MOVES Magazine pays an honorarium atthe rate of $5 per running 10" of edited tex, caleulated tothe nearest half column, Alternatively, Authors may elect ta take their honorarium in SPL pro- ucts at the rate of $10 per 10" rendered ‘against thelist price of the tems, Honorariums (ash or credit slip) will be rendered 30 days afte publication ‘Copyrights and Agreement are located on tne backtlap of the Feedback card inthis issue A facsimile may be used, Please include with your submission a stamped, self-addressed postcard, On the message side ofthe card write the name of your Arle, This caed will be used 1 inform you of the status of your submission, Articles and ls slrations cannot be returned. Address all sub- Redmond Simonsen, Editor, MOVES MAGAZINE, SPI, 257 Park Avenue South, New York, Nv, 10010 Uritsh Isles. Readers in the British Isles wishing to submit articles 10 MOVES should iret their submissions and correspondence to ‘Charles Vasey, § Albion Terrace, Guisborouah, Cleveland TSI46JH, UK Designers Notes Tito My main task in designing Tito was to translate into game terms a wealth of distin: tive factors, many of them unique to the Balkan theater, that went into the conflict between the Axis and the Yugoslav guerrillas between April 1941 and the end of World ‘War 11 in May 1945, I started out with the concept that the conflict was a war within a war within a war. ‘The Axis was fighting the Allies on the major battlefronts, and what was happening in the Mediterranean and in the Soviet Union had Indirect but important effects on the war against the guerrillas. But the guerrillas, while battling the Axis, were at each other's throats. There were two rival guerrilla Fac- tions: the Communist-ed Partisans headed by Marshal Tito, and the predominantly Ser- bian, pro-royalist Cheiniks. Not only was the resolution of the war against the Axisat stake for both, but the political makeup of postwar Yugoslavia hung in the balance as well. And the guerrillas were not the only ones with in- ternal differences. Germany, as head of the Axis bloc, saw its position in the Balkans seriously weakened by the collapse of Italy in September 1943 and the defection of Bulgaria to the Soviet side a year later. ‘The polyglot makeup of Yugoslavia also hhad to be factored in, Here isa country with six major ethnic groups, three languages, and three religions — a Situation that made Yugoslavia a microcosm of the fragmented Balkans, This fragmentation and its signifi- cant influence on operations during the guer- rilla war could not be ignored. For example, the regions of Serbia and Montenegro had to bbe depicted as the Chetnik strongholds they were, while the rest of the country had to be shown as more hospitable to the broader- based National Liberation Army of Tito. On top of this crazy-quilt-political- ethnie situation, the Axis, after its lightning military conquest of Yugoslavia in Apeil, 1941, superimposed a fragmentation of its own, Parts of the country were annexed outright by Germany, Italy, Bulgaria, and Hungary, and the rest of the land was carved into occupation zones overseen by the Ger- ‘mans, Italians, and Bulgarians. Into the mix were tossed the not inconsiderable pro-Axis ‘ethnic elements in Yugoslavia, mainly Croats, and Serbs, who formed national armies of their own, In true Balkans fashion, the oc- cupation zones, which in certain cases cut across traditional ethnic boundaries, caused the Axis considerable problems in mounting a coordinated effort against the guerrillas. In strategic terms, Yugoslavia was im- ‘mensely important to the Germans, Some 50M of Germany's oil, all its chromium, 60% of its bauxite,.and almost a quarter of its copper and antimony came from the ominif opoeeDOCUMENTED PLAY BERLIN 385. After Action Report he ‘Diary’asa a Me Behind the Scenes File #3257: As Berlin 85 ‘was drawing to a close in production-iand, the developer and the R&D manager ac- costed the Art Director (your Editor) and fob- bied strenuously to have the very complex map done in a certain style. The Art Director told them not to worry about it, that it was his concern. Still they persisted, (in fact vir- tually insisted) saying that the map was so ‘complex that unless it were done in the style they wanted the game would suffer harm {and that players would become confused, Well, did you? Redmond SPI’s Berlin ’85 is a detailed simulation of a hypothetical assault on the enclave of West Berlin by Soviet and East German forces within the context of a conventional war between NATO and the Warsaw Pact. Berlin °85 was originally published in S&T 79, together with an article on the game's subject and a short module titled “Berlin Diary." The latter described one possible outcome for the situation being simulated in the game. This After Action Report assumes that the events described in “Berlin Diary" ac- tually occurred and portrays those events us- ing the counters and map from the game 10 assist readers in visualizing the course of bat- tle. For convenience, the battle has been broken down into blocks of time equal to Berlin '85 Game-Turns (8 hours per Turn), Where appropriate, hex numbers of land- ‘marks and unit positions have been included for ease of reference. Readers are encouraged to set up the game and follow the narrative bby moving their own counters across the map to recreate the flow of events. The incidents described in "Berlin Diary"” and simulated herein were culled from typical playtests of Berlin ’85 taking place in the offices of SPL Game-Turn 1: 4 August, 0400-1200 hours ‘The units of the 20th Guards Army left their barracks early on the morning of 4 August and, a few hours before dawn, were converging on West Berlin from the north (6th Guards), south (14th Guards and 34th Guards artillery), and west (19th mechanized division). Southwest of the city, the Ist East German mech (alerted at the last possible hour for security reasons) also began moving towards the city. In reserve were the 103rd Guards parachute division and several thou: sand East Berlin police (not even alerted until, moments before the assault). Game ‘The 6th Guards mounted a three-pronged attack into the French zone, sending one regiment along the Berliner Ring to atack from the east, a second across the Havel and into the Berliner Forst Spandau to flank the French from the west, and a third south in a drive on Foch barracks (1531) and the Tegel Flughafen (1626, 1727, 1826, 1927, 2026). ‘The western prong crashed through the border perimeter at Fronhau and Herms- dorf and moved deep into the British Zone west of the Havel while the central prong. drove the disorganized French out of the Foch Barracks. The eastern prong was much slower making a penetration. ‘West of the city, the 19th had been assigned Gatow Flugplatz as its primary ob- jective G118, 3119, 3218, 3219), and two en- tire regiments were deployed fo take both the airfield and the Montgomery Barracks to the south (3217). One regiment, deployed to the north of the airfield, was ‘repulsed by the Royal Anglians, RSDG, and a company of police from nearby Gross Glienicke. Even- tually, the 19th captured the northernmost part of the Gatow runways (3219) by driving back the police company. Meanwhile, the Royal Anglians were attacked from north and west simultaneously and pinned down by two battalions of the 19th, North of the Gatow area, near Staaken checkpoint, one regiment of the 191h was in position to pro- tect the flank of the force attacking Gatow airfield. Further south, in the Wannsee area, the Ist East German Division crossed ' the Briegnitzen and overran the bulk of the island community. Only a solitary police ‘company (3113) remained on the island. An initial attempt at rooting out this company fended in heavy casualties for the East Ger- ‘mans. On the mainland, two companies of police guarding the Kohihasenbruck border crossing were assaulted by four battalions of East Germans supported by rocket fire and air strikes. The police were simply brushed aside, and the border positions (3210 and 3311) were taken with insignificant losses. However, attempts by the East Germans to cross the Teltowkanal were temporarily halted when demolition teams successfully knocked out most of the bridges in the area (3210/3211, 3211/3311, 3311/3312). The 1dth Guards’ found the southern perimeter lightly guarded and easily broke in- to the city, taking most of Rudow, Buckow, and Matienfelde without opposition. However, heavy going in the urbanized por- tions of thecity and rapid deployment of U.S, troops prevented them from reaching their primary objective, Tempelhof Flughafen (1014, 1015, 1115, 1116, 1215). A key factor in halting the 14th Guards’ march was the positioning of the U.S. 3/6 ina strong block- ing position (1310) along the main north- south road into the Templehof area. Behind the 14th Guards, the 34th Guards artillery entered the city and moved up close to the FEBA so as to bring as much of the city as possible under their guns. ‘The defenders’ response was feeble. Much of the outlying area of the enclave had been lost, although the densely populated ci- ty center femained in western hands, The sur- prise of the initial assault resulted in great sins for the Warsaw Pact in almost all parts of Berlin, Only in the westernmost parts of the British Zone had the Warsaw Pact forces been brought to heel without the loss of much ground. Here, the RSDG and Royal Anglians managed to keep most of the air- field of Gatow in NATO hands. They were reinforced by the Welsh guards, who were at- tempting to hold open communications be- tween the British in Gatow and their country- men in Spandau. The Green Howards and the parachute regiment battalion were held in reserve behind a sereen of half a dozen police companies in Staaken and Spandaw, ‘The Ist and 2nd battalions of the 40th Royal Aniillery took up residence in the vicinity of. the Olympic Stadium (2222) with a fire con- trol center in the citadel (2425) ‘The Americans were more sluggish than the British, but were still able o set up a line with the aid of several police companies. The 2/6was the anchor at the western edge of the Tine (3012), while the rest ofthe line, running ‘along the border until Marienfelde, was held by U.S. military police (2812) and police called in from Dahlem, Nikolasse, and Zehlendort. ‘The rest of the American force deployed in a rough line about four kilometers south of the Teltowkanal, just north of the advancing Soviets. The 3/6 and 4/6 blocked the two main routes up through the Mariendorf, Damm Lichtenrader and Allee Grobbeeren (1310, 1510), while the Special Forces Detachment Berlin (SFDB) moved east from their barracks to guard the southern ap- proaches to ‘Tempelhof Airfield (0912). Company F, 40th Armored set up a line west ‘of the 6th (in 1710), deploying to protect the American barracks north of the Teltow. Three police companies also helped to fill the American line, Behind the Telow, U.S. Headquarters hastily positioned the Labor Guards Service and Support Battle Groups(2616 and 1415) to fill any breaks that might be formed under the anticipated heavy assault In the northern sections of the city, the Lith Armored and the 46th mech set up aline (1228, 1330) to guard their right flank against the regiments of the 6th Guards nearing the border through East Berlin, However, French forces did not begin to move until jore than an hour after davtn. As a result, they were still preparing their defenses on their northern flank as the first units of the jon: 4 August, 1200hours 6th Guards moved into rear area was guarded from Tegel and Wed seemed likely 10 pei the defenses and ca talions of the 6th Guards, Poorly prepared surrounding the barracks, the F ‘quickly driven south in what amounted 10 a rout, The French did not suffer as badly as 1- they might have, however, since Game-Turn Two: 4 Au ¥ 1200-2000 Foch Barracks had ack from three bat held its ground and tacking battalions, f6 the north, Further west, in a litle wedge of buildings northeast of the Teleger See (1730), an attack by the 6th Guards was repulsed by a large police formation. In the west, the British in Spandau were under heavy atiack by the 19th and a regi ‘ment of the 6th Guards. No NATO forces re- ‘mained in the triangle north of the Teleger See and east of the Havel, so the Soviet forces advanced against the British without danger to their flanks. A battalion of the 6th Guards engaged the Ist battalion of the British Paratroop Regiment (2529), and, as he other two battalions from the 6th pushed through the Berliner Forst Spandau, the paratroops were pushed back into Spandau proper (2528) under heavy air bombardment. ‘Two battalions from the 19th pushed against the police company that was holding in Staaken (2926), and with support from the 34th Guards’ long-range artillery, the police were destroyed, In the British Zone, the struggle for Gatow Airfield continued. With an entire regiment attacking the airfield — and the ‘buildings around it coming to pieces under Soviet artillery barrages — the police com- pany guarding the western edge of Gatow 119) was forced to disperse, The Royal Aneglians still managed to hold out, but with their northern flank gone, the Anglians (ook heavier losses as the evening wore on. All through the afternoon, there was heavy fighting on Wannsee as two battalions from the Ist East German struggled to sub- ddue the police company holding out amid the rubbled buildings at the Eastern end of the island (3113). The police were fighting hard, but were slowly being worn away. The rest of the Ist East German threw itself against the line in Nikolasse and ‘Schonow. With air support, three battalions attacked the 2/6, which held fairly easily in its barracks (3012). The military police, a few kilometers 10 the east (2812), were not so lucky, however, Not prepared for the weight of the East German assault, the unit crumbled, although it did manage to pick off almost an entire battalion as it made its way through the Duppel Forst 2912). With support from the 34th Guards, 1wo more battalions tried to work their way across the Teltow, opposed only by a company of police concealed among the buildings along the canal (2410), but their bridging attempis failed, and they remained on the south bank as the sun set Along the Eastern sections of the American line, the situation was less tense as the 14th Guards seemed content to simply probe the strong American line. A few patrol conflicts broke out, but there was very ltde fighting of consequence. The 14th Guards ‘moved up to face the American line, but their commanding officer was unable to procure enough artillery support to make a major assault against the American positions worthwhile ‘Once the Warsaw Pact forces had begun the assault in earnest, there was very little strategy to the NATO defense, NATO forces were foo scarce to save any as reserves, and ‘once a unit entered combat, it was usually engaged 0 stay. Consequently, other than a few artillery formations, the only defending units which were not yet committed were a few police companies being organized in the center ofthe city and the U.S, Labor Guards Service and Support Battle Group, both paramilitary formations, Lines held during the afternoon along all flanks, but in the south the line of police along the border 2512, 2510, 2210) was forced to pull back a few kilometers after the col- lapse ofthe U.S. MP unit, The 2/6 was trapped almost two kilometers’ behind the newly- formed line, but maintaining contact with its barracks (3012) and defending heavily rubbled ground, the 2/6 managed to survive with very few losses. In the British Zone of the city, the Welsh Guards took up a position in the Gatower Heide (3019) as the fighting over Gatow cor tinued, The Green Howards and the Ist bat- talion of the Paratroop Regiment were engaged against massed battalions of the 19th and 6th Guards, but their lines around ‘Staaken (2823) and the southern fringes of Berliner Forst Spandau (2528) were un- broken, although the paratroops were forced to pull back about a kilometer to keep from being flanked. The fighting around Gatow continued as dusk approached, with the Royal Anglians rapidly failing under heavy Soviet artillery fre The French also continued to hold well in most places, although the 46th was driven back almost two kilometers (0 1428) from its initial line. ‘The French Recon stopped its retreat irom Foch just north of Tegel Airfield (1828), regrouped, and began to head north as darkness fell.. More police companies streamed in to reinforce the line against the intrusions from East Berlin, Soon there were only three formations guarding the area behind the French lines, Game-Turn Three: 4-5 August, 2000-0400 AAs night fell on Berlin, the assault went ‘on with mounting ferocity. Allaround the ci- ty the defenders got no rest as Warsaw Pact, divisions moved in on all sides. Deprived of. air support by the cover of night, the at- tackers were less effective in open combat. ‘On the other hand, NATO was harder put to prevent infiltration because of reduced Visibility. In the north, the 6th Guards tried to take advantage of the disorganization of the hhastily regrouped French Recon (1728) 10 slip through the thin French line. The Recon was alert enough to detect the move, however, and two Soviet battalions were repulsed with severe casualties. At the north- ‘em tip of the Tegeler See (1730), the 6th Guards committed a regiment to destroy aheavily fortified police unit which, cut off from supplies and the rest of the French Zone, was quickly extinguished Tn the north of the British Zone, the fighting spread in the dark, with individual battalions from the 19th attacking police companies along the Western line (2825, 2827) and_a third attacking the Green Howards 2724), who were defending the southern flank of the British position in Spandau. Just north, the three battalions ‘that the 6th Guards had sent to aid the 19th concentrated on the Ist battalion of the Paratroop Regiment, which gave way under the assault and fell back into Neustad 2527), allowing the northern end of the police line to the west (2827) 10 be surround ed by the advancing Soviets ‘As the night wore on, the fighting around Gatow became more desperate. Caught by the collapse of RSDG to the south, the Royal Anglians (3318) had come under attack from all sides, Out of ammuni- tion and beset by four battalions, the Anglians were simply squeezed until they fell a little after midnight. All but the eastern- most edges of Gatow was now under the con- trol of the 19th and, south of Spandau, only the Welsh Guards (3019) and a few police companies guarded the west bank of the Havel (On Wannsee, the remnants of two bat- talions of the Ist East German made quick ‘work of what remained of the police com pany holding the island and, by shortly after midnight, the battalions were preparing (0 cross Gross Wannsee. Just as they approached the bridge across the inlet (3012, 3113), however, it was blown out by engineers from the 2nd of the 6th, surrounded with its back to the lake (3012). The 2nd of the 6th held out surprisingly well during the night, show- ing the East Germans that four-to-one supe jority in numbers was not enough against well-trained troops. Artillery rained down from the 34th Guards, but as buildings were destroyed they only became easier for the 2nd of the 6th to defend In Mariendorf and Britz, the 14th Guards continued only to probe without ma- jor attacks. A few units attempted to sneak down side streets t0. cut in behind the American line, but the 4th of the 6th caught them in an ambush and turned their attack into a rout, Fighting erupted shortly after ‘midnight when the Special Forces Detach: ment engaged a regiment from the 14th Guards as they approached the Teliow from the South (0911). Disoriented in the darkness, the Soviets took heavy losses before retiring, One battalion of the 14th tried 10 infiltrate through the subways in Bricz (0711) while the Special Forces were engaged, but they were stopped by a com pany of police who destroyed the tunnels, trapping themselves to hold the Soviets. In fierce fighting along the narrow subway, the police took down almost half of the battalion before succumbing, All around the city, NATO's lines re- mained fairly firm, shifting a few kilometers here and there, but maintaining a constant front against the attackers. The Warsaw act's great superiority in numbers and firepower was daunting, but less effective because of the difficulty of the terrain. The assaulting forces were being slowly drained and, by dawn on the Sth, their losses amounted to almost a division as they tried 10 dislodge the stubborn defenders. NATO Forces were also weakening, but they were steadier than had been expected Soon afier nightfall, the French had pulled back to positions just afew kilometers North of Tegel Airfield, but for the rest of the night they fought hard and kept the 6th Guards from advancing across their line (1628-1427-1227). The 11th Armored began to take heavy losses among its vehicles, but held in position at the Eastern edge of the French line (1227), Over in Spandau, the Green Howards made a desperate attempt to salvage the situation in the South of the zone and pethaps save what remained of the Royal Anglians in Gatow. Disengaging from the battalion that was pressing against it, the Howards crossed the border into East Ger- many. They were stopped just across the border and were repulsed (back to 2823), but ‘wo battalions from the 19th were also forced to withdraw from the attack to stop their ad- vance. The Welsh Guards pulled back to de- fend the West bank of the Havel (2819) and prepared to withdraw across it as soon as the fighting ended south of Gatow, now defend- ed solely by a police company (3216). On the Southern front the 2nd of the 6th continued to hold against almost half a divi- sion, The Labor Guards Service, one of the last reserve units in the American zone, moved. to cover the Schwanenwerder (3018) just across from Wannsee, a position now threat- fened by the plight of the 2nd of the 6th and by the fall of Wannsee across the water Game-Turn Four: 5 August, 0400-1200 Early on the morning of the Sth, the 03rd Guards Airborne was committed to the attack on Berlin, and by afew hours after «dawn the transport planes were buzzing over the American zane. The entire division dropped behind the front, cutting off the western sec- tion of the American line, One regiment dropped in the Berliner Forst Grunewald. “Two battalions landed safely (2816 and 2615) amid the trees, but the third was blown across the Krumme Lanke directly over a company of police (2415) who chopped them ‘out of the sky before they had a chance to land, The 2nd of the 6th had managed to repuise the Ist East German's assault and hhad pulled back to rejoin the rest of the line at the tip of the forest (2814), but the drop now surrounded it again, along with the Labor Guard Service (2915) and two police companies (2613, 2412). Pressed by the Ist East German and unable to retreat because Of the 103rd Guards, the two police com- panies disintegrated, leaving the two Ameri- can formations isolated, Another regiment of the 103d Guards dropped around the American High Com- mission (2316, 2213,2215). The third regi- 7 ‘ment dropped around the crossings south of MeNair Barracks (1811, 2011, 2012). One of the battalions ran into trouble on the descent over the barracks as it came down near a police company’s reserve station (2013), but all of the other battalions landed with most of their personal and equipment still intact The American forces in Lichterfeide were being hemmed in as the 14th Guards opened up their first major offensive in the south, using almost all the airpower allocated tothe assault and about half the firepower of the 34th Guards to mop up the American line before it could withdraw behind the Teltow. ‘The 3rd of the 6th was effectively destroyed along with a supporting police company, but the 4th of the 6th, the 40th Armored, and another police formation managed to pull back across the canal. Trying to prevent the retreat, the 14th Guards lost almost half a regiment in risky maneuvers across open ground. Nevertheless, by noon the entire ‘American zone was under Warsaw Pact con- trol, except for the area around Tempelhof Airfield, the southern tip of the Berliner Forst Grunewald, and three pockets (2312, 2111, and 1409) held by surrounded police formations along what had been the Ameri can line, In the French sector, things were look- ing equally bad. The lth Armored was pushed back almost two kilometers through Reinikendorf to the edge of Tegel Airfield (1426). The French Recon Company and the 46th Mech held the line to the north of the runways (1527, 1828), but took heavy losses to stem an attack by three battalions of the 6ih Guards. A police company collapsed on the eastern flank, and a formation from East Berlin came through the hole inthe line into ‘Wedding, harassing the French rear area and moving t0 cut off another police company 10 the north, West of the French line, a bat- talion from the 6th Guards crossed the Tegeler See, and by midday they were prevented from reaching Tegel only by one company of police that had been assigned to guard the lake's southern bank (2027). Low ‘on supplies after the Fall of Foch barracks, the French position in Tegel wavered as its flanks gave in In the north, the eastern flank of the French line held firm against an attack by East Berlin border police, called in toassist in the assault. All along the Wall, from the French sector down (0 just east of Templehof, the borders were under attack from East Berlin. Nearly ten companies of West Berlin police had stayed on duty along the Wall, so the East Berlin police were unable 10 infiltrate the city, but the police companies guarding the Wall meant that many fewer reserves available to aid in the more critical fighting in other areas of the city ‘Across the Have, the British were pushed back into their barracks in Spandau. Only half the manpower of the original wo regiments that had been sent to attack Span- ddau remained, but the British had also suf= fered greatly in their tough defense. Weakened by long range rockets from the 34th, they were forced to give ground until they hadtheir backs to the Havel, Without the British along the line, the two police companies that hhad been holding East of Staaken (2727, 2725) fell, leaving the decimated British alone in Spandau (Green Howards, 2628; Paratroop Regiment 2625). In the south of the British zone, the Welsh Guards launched a delaying action to prevent the 19th from crossing the Havel, but when the last NATO forces in Gatow fell and nearly four bat- talions began 10 concentrate against them, the Guards crossed the lake, along with a police company that had remained on the ‘west bank, to defend from across the water. Game-Turn Five: 5 August, 1200 ‘The morning of the Sth had been disastrous for NATO, and the afternoon continued to wear away their defense. In the north, the French were all but routed as sup- plies wore thin in Tegel, The French defense continued to weaken until the line collapsed in mid-afternoon, when the 11th Armored was surrounded and destroyed at the eastern edge of the airfield. The French Recon and the 46th retreated quickly to positions just north of the Hohenzollernkanal (1324, 1726), but both lost almost a quarter of their remaining strength trying to delay the Soviet capture of Tegel. The airfield was quickly captured anyway, but the 6th had to sacrifice a number of troops to bring down the French holed up in the Junfernherde, just north of the runways. All the remaining personnel in Tegel and Wedding prepared 10 cross the canal into the industrial sector north of the Spree as night began to fal. ‘The British continued to hold out in Spandau, inflicting heavy casualties on the 19th and 6th Guards when they tried to dis- lodge them from their barracks. The Paratroop Regiment began to crack under the pressure from the 6th Guards as the sun set, however, and the Green Howards prepared to bring the last survivors on the ‘west bank across the Havel in the event the Paratroop regiment collapsed completely. ‘Along the southern front, a makeshift line was formed in front of the 103rd Guards, drop, constructed of American forces that had "managed to pull back behind the paratroops and police that had come down from the center of the city. The Support Bat- tle Group 2116) and the U.S. Headquarters (2317) held the Grunewald section of the line, along with a police company (2717), Along the north bank of the Teltow, the 4th of the 6h (1314), the 40th Armored (1613), and the Special Forces Detachment (1013) tried 10 hold the crossings with the aid of a couple of police detachments (1814, 0813). All the ar tillery NATO had in thearea concentrated on the POL dumps south of the Teltow (1411, 1412, 1512) and by mid-afternoon flames were’ raging on a two kilometer front along the canal, The 14th Guards continued (0 press north, putting pressure on the 40th Ar- mored and especially on the Special Forces Detachment guarding the southern flank of Templehof. One battalion crossed into Neukoln on an undestroyed bridge alongDamm Hermann, and with more than two ‘other battalions attacking aeross the canal they tried to crack the Special Forces. The unit held, however, and drove the battalions back into Britz Further to the West, the 103d Guards threw themselves at the newly-formed line just North of their drop zones, attempting 10 disrupt the defense before it could be proper= ly. organized. A police company was destroyed south of the Grunwaldsee, but elsewhere the comparatively lightly armed paratroops found the line better prepared than they had expected. The 103rd sustained horrendous losses in fruitless assaults against the U.S. HQ and the police company guard- ing the autobahn through the Grunewald. Behind the main fighting in the south, the Ist East German battled to do away with the pockets that had formed after the paratroops had dropped. Four battalions dealt with wo companies of police (2312, 2111) near the U.S. barracks north of the Teltow. The companies were cut off and ex- pending ammunition quickly, and when shells from the 34th Guards began raining down, they had no alternative but to sur- render. South of the Grunewald, five burat- ‘out battalions from the Ist East German, totalling perhaps a weak regiment in strength, attacked the Labor Guard Service and the 2nd of the 6th. The former (2915) had already sustained heavy losses and was quickly forced to surrender, but the 2nd of the 6th (2814) was stil fighting well, despite having been in the thick of combat for more than thirty hours. Ammunition began run- ning short, but the unit held out and took down tank after tank across the Schlachten- see, As night was falling, the unit remained alive more than five kilometers away from the nearest friendly unit. Another unit, police company, was also holed up behind the lines after the drop (1810), but two bat lalions from the lath Guards pushed it back toward the Teltow, and it went too clase to a POL dump by the water (1211), As fire from the 34th Guards less than five kilometers away bracketed the company, shells im- pacied among the fuel tanks and the unit was ‘caught in a firestorm, By nightiall on the sccond day of the assault, the situation seemed very dim for the defenders. Every flank had been pushed in, and Warsaw Pact forces controlled the out” skirts of the city. The attacking troops had weakened almost as fast as the defenders, however, and the garrison stood resolute in the knowledge that i they could hold out for a few more days, the tremendously costly assault might be discontinued. The Garrison ‘Commander sent word to NATO High Com- mand in the West that one brigade's worth of reinforcements might save the city, but it was decided that the airspace along the corridor to Berlin was 100 insecure for such a Game-Turn Six: 5-6 August, 2000-0400 During the night, the attack closed in on all sides, The French were all but wiped out a they attempted to withdraw across the Hohenzollern, The 6th Guards pressed them into the canal as rockets from the 34th Guards rained down around them. The French artillery erossed the eanal before the 6th Guards’ offensive began to take hold, bbut Secteur Francais and the 46th were massacred before they could follow. Most of the bridges across the canal were blown as the Soviets approached, but as soon as the 6th Guards reached the canal, engineer units began to throw pontoons across. By shortly after midnight, the 6th Guards had almost two battalions moving toward the Spree, defended only by the French artillery (1721) and a few police companies that had withdrawa from the north several hours earlier (1922, 2023). Just as night became early morning, the west banks of the Havel fell to the 19th. The Green Howards collapsed under the pressure of two days’ constant combat, and the Paratroop Regiment disintegrated under heavy artillery bombardment, The destrue- tion of the two units came so quickly that detachments from the 19th were able to secure the bridges across the Havel (2424/2525, 2425/2426) before they could be blown and, & few hours before dawn, almost four bat- talions were across the lake, pushing east toward the Charlottenburg. Further south, the Welsh Guards (2719) strove desperately tokeep two battalions ofthe 19th from cross- ing on pontoons, but pressure from the 103rd Guards to the South (2618,2718) soon forced the unit back away from the water and allowed the battalions to cross The rest of the southern front held relatively well during the night, although the line was drained by the necessity of sending troops north to defend the Spree. The 103rd and 14th Guards engaged almost the entire10 line, but they themselves were tired from the Jong fight, and pressed the engagements with limited enthusiasm. South of Tempelhof, however, the 1th recrossed the Teltow and drove the Special Forces Detachment almost back onto the runways of the airfield before the formation rallied and broke their ad- vance. All along the Teltow, the Soviets crossed with the darkness, and although ‘most were pressed back by the 40th Armored and the 4th of the 6th, several battalions were established on the North bank by dawn, ‘The last troops remaining in the pockets in the Grunewald fell apart during the night, and the 2nd of the 6th finally surrendered, ‘out of ammunition and with less than a third Of its original manpower still standing. Less ‘than a regiment of the Ist East German was THE COURSE OF THE GAME Berlin °85 is a battalion-level game dealing with a hypothetical assault on the isolated enclave of West Berlin in the first few days of a conventional war between the Warsaw Pact and the NATO Alliance, ‘The game scale is one kilometer per hex and 8 hours per Game-Turn. Three scenarios are provided: Unity (a surprise attack by the Pact); Werewolf (an attack after a period of tension); and Medicine Wheel (NATO sortie within the context of ‘a Warsaw Pact policy of masking rather than assaulting the city). The basic game system is the venerable Modern Battles Quad system, bbut Berlin '85 adds many new concepts and significantly alters many old concepts from that series of games, Special rules for urbanized terrain, the use of subways, fire storms, gas warfare, rubble, police, supply and airpower are included. The following paragraphs describe the course of play. At the beginning of each Game- Turn, the Warsaw Pact Player has the op- tion of asking the garrison to surrender, ‘The chances of surrender are governed by the game's morale system which incorpor- ates the capture of terrain objectives and the losses taken and inflicted by the Wat- saw Pact Player into numerical formula, Surrender Points are accumulated accord: ing to this formula, and the results of a dice roll are crossindexed with the cur- rent Surrender Point Level on the “Honors of War" Table co find a result ‘A surrender request can result in the re- ‘quest being granted, in a morale effect (expressed as a shift for one side or the other in the Combat Ratio column for at- tacks during that Turn), or ina Cease Fire (in which event the entire Game-Turn is skipped) ‘After any surrender offer has been made, provided a Cease Fire has not resulted, the NATO Player may attempt to gain Emergency Reinforcements by rolling on the NATO Emergency Rein- forcement Table. Possible reinforcements include half a dozen to a dozen Air Ground Support Points and/or the 10 Fagerbrigade, After surrender and reinforcements hhave been checked for, the Warsaw Pact Player checks supply and moves any of his units he chooses to move, Units which are out of supply (cannot trace a line of supply to a Friendly map edge or airfield) have their Movement Allowance halved Units may move in any direction(s) up to the limit of their Movement Allowance, ‘but must stop upon moving into an Enemy Zone of Control. Units may exit Enemy Zones of Control only during night Game-Turns. Zones of Control ex- tend into all types of hexes except Urban and Ruin hexes (representing the built up areas of the city and those areas which have been severely damaged by artillery, respectively). Units may pay the full cost toenter each type of terrain on the map or may make use of roads, autobahns or subways to hasten movement, During the Warsaw Pact Player-Turn, the NATO Player may interrupt movement 0 at- tempt demolition of bridges which War- saw Pact units move next to, Afier the Warsaw Pact Player has ‘moved all the units he chooses to move that Turn, he may paradrop the units of the 103d Guards airborne division on the map. As the units of this division are dropped, they are checked for scatter. Units which scatter onto other units or in- to prohibited terrain (lakes, fires and hexes containing poison ° gas) are destroyed. The scatter check is made by rolling the dice and modifying the resulting number according to the terrain type into which the unit drops and the proximity of Enemy units. The Survival Table lists the possible resuts ofthe check according to dice roll number. ‘When all movement and paradrops hhave been completed, combat is executed, Combat is mandatory for units in an Enemy Zone of Control. The units in- volved in combat are identified and Players may add the strengths of available artillery or air units to each combat situa- tion, Since the combat values of most units are unknown at the start of the game, most combats will involve a certain amount of uncertainty at this point. Once all combats have been announced, the “untried” units are turned over to reveal their strengths and a Combat Differential is calculated (attacker's strength minus defender’s strength). This differential is adjusted for supply, morale, gas, and ter- rain, A die s then rolled, and the resulting ‘number i indexed with the Combat Dit- ferential on the Combat Results Table to produce a result for the combat. Results include elimination or retreat of one or ‘more hexes by the losing side or exchange (either even, or with one side losing strength and the other retreating). The defender always retreats or takes losses before the attacker. Units may mitigate the results of combat by declaring “They Shall Not Pass" (standing in the hex they ‘occupy instead of retreating, with achance that they will be destroyed) or by retreating into an Urban hex and ceasing their retreat therein, After any combat involving large ‘numbers of artllery/air points, the Phas- ing Player checks for Collateral Damage. ‘The chance of damage depends upon the amount of artillery/ajr firepower used against the hex containing the defenders and the terrain in that hex. Whenever ‘damage results a ruin is placed in the hex, ‘making it easier to defend and harder to ‘move through, Hexes containing petrol: oil-lubricants (POL) can become deat traps for units, since they produce fire storms when they suffer damage. Units in a hex subject to this effect are destroyed. ‘The NATO Player then checks supply and moves, conducts combat and checks for damage in the same manner as the Warsaw Pact Player. This sequence of events is repeated for 16 Game-Turns or until the city is occupied, surrenders or the Warsaw Pact Player gives up. In the Unity scenario depicted in this article, the Warsaw Pact Player has six divisions (four mechanized, including one East German, a parachute division, and an artillery division) and assorted police battalions with which to reduce the city, The NATO Player has one U.S., one British, and one French brigade, plus 36 police companies and the units of the USAE with which to prevent the fall of the city. Vietory is based upon the ac- cumulation of Victory Points granted for hhaving units on the map when (not if the city falls. The number of Warsaw Pact units on the map at this point is multiplied by the VP multiple for the turn in which the city falls. Points are subtracted from the total for those turns in which NATO has interdicted rail communications south of Berlin, aall that remained to complete the final mop- up, however, and those troops were unable to join the 103rd Guards in the north until several hours after midnight, costing the 103rd heavy casualties in combat against the U.S. Headquarters. . By the early morning, all that the gar- rigon could do was to form a hedgehog and hhope that the Warsaw Pact offensive had burned itself out. Templehof was still in NATO hands, but what remained of the gar- rison now held only a small, slowly contract- ing area of the ety, less than twenty by ten kilometers. Berlin had not yet fallen, but it seemed to have little time lef. Game-Turn Seven: 6 August, 0400-1200 ‘The attack was at first pressed on the morning of the 6th, but a few hours after dawn the garrison was offered a ceasefire to negotiate surrender terms, Troop movements were prohibited in the ceasefire agreement, and so forces on both sides gladly took the ‘opportunity to rest after two days of con- stant combat. Negotiations broke off around noon, but the respite had bolstered the gar- rison’s spirits enough to keep them fighting for a few more hours, Game-Turn Eight 6 August, 1200-2000 Despite the ceasefire, the garrison was still exhausted and almost completely unable to provide an adequate defense, even given their much-shrunken perimeter. The line along the Spree in the North collapsed, and in the south the Special Forces detachment finally went down under fire from the 14th Guards, As the 103rd swung East towards ‘Tempelhof through a hole in the line at Schoneberg (1917), the lead elements of a battalion of the 14th Guards headed across Tempelhof's runways toward the control tower. The 4th of the 6th moved to keep them off the northernmost sections of the airfield, but another battalion which had crossed the Teltow just after NATO had abandoned the canal’s defense came up behind them and they were overwhelmed. In the west, bits of the Welsh Guards clung 10 the northeastern edges of the Grunewald (2219) as the western sectign of the defensive perimeter was surrounded by combined Forces from the 19th, Ist East German, and 03rd Guards. By nightfall, what remained of the garrison was pocketed, and the center of the city was under Warsaw Pact control, from the Tiergarten to the Charlottenburg Game-Turn Nine: 6-7 August, 2000-0100 With the fall of the city center, defenders knew that they had no chance t0 recover. A few formations held out in areas scaitered across the city, but when a new sur- render offer was made just after midnight, the offer was accepted. The city fll early on the morning of August, three days after the assault had begun. ML Designer's Notes jonni omysesy Balkans, at whose heart lies Yugoslavia, The country stood astride Germany's line of communications with its forces in Greece and Crete. When the tide of war turned ‘against the Axis in the Mediterranean, Ger- ‘many was constantly preoccupied with the fear of an Allied landing on Yugoslavia’s ‘Adriatic coast. So, with the guerrilla war of necessity a military sideshow, the Germans were faced with the problem of waging it as cheaply as possible, but for big stakes. Militarly, the units employed could be put to better use on the major fighting fronts. But strategically, a {quiescent Yugoslavia would take some of the pressures off those fronts. In the final analysis, what the Germans do in the game will not win the big war going fon in the outside world. At best, the German Player can duplicate what the Germans historically did in Norway — surrender a relatively intact force when hostilities cease in 1948, ‘The guerrillas (in the game the brunt of their fighting is done by the Partisans, so ‘mostly hereafter we'll refer to them as such) ‘must keep striking at the German war effort while trying to build an army capable of eventually taking the offensive against the ‘Axis. As we shall see, the first goal is a vital precondition for achieving the second, Operationally, the most striking factor is the mountainous nature of the country and its overriding effects on movement and com- bat, To the Partisans, the mountains, which ‘occupy 80% of the country, were both friend and foe. The mountains offered refuge, but not sustinence. Thus, there is a compelling need for the Partisans to come out of hiding and attack to gain recruits, supplies, and self- ‘confidence From the Axis standpoint, it was vital in the game to depict the general unwillingness of their forces to prosecute an anti-guerrilla war, and the devastating effects on the Par- tisans when the Axis occasionally got its act together and mounted large-scale anti- guerrilla operations. Then, 100, there were the complications of Italy's surrender, which threw the weight of the campaign onto Ger- man shoulders, and the defection of the Bulgarians, which suddenly confronted the Germans with a well-armed enemy on Yugoslavia's eastern frontier. ‘And, speaking of well-armed enemies, there were, of course, the Soviets. Their ap- pearance late in the game turns what had been a search-and-desiroy campaign into a war with defined frontlines. How heavily the Partisans rely on Soviet support determines how heavily they will be dominated by Moscow afier the wat. In game terms, 100 ‘many Soviets helping for too long can'be a mixed blessing. ‘Then there is Tito himself. His leader- ship role cannot be underestimated. His presence or absence from the scene had a heavy bearing on the Partisan cause. ‘The Chetniks are a pestiferous fot who ccan change sides at the roll of a die. They eventually are doomed to extinction by their ‘own duplicity. But while they are around, the CChetniks exert a not insignificant influence ‘on the course of events. Each of the 17 Game-Turns is three months, except for the final one, which cludes April and May, 1945. The map depicts, all of pre-war Yugoslavia and most of ‘Albania. Units range in size from battalions, ‘or battalion-sized guerrilla cadres, to Soviet ‘corps. On average, though, Tito isa brigade- division level game. Most of the 200 counters will be back-printed, so more than 300 in- dividual units will be represented ‘The game uses several new techniques which add up to a brand-new system. The map was originally designed for traditional hhex-movement. However, preliminary playtesting led Brad Hessel and Joe Balkoski to redraft it to provide for a_ slightly abstracted movement system based on key ‘geo-military objectives in the occupation zones. This should make for smoother play- mechanics while retaining the realism of movement. Within the framework of their limited mobility (most Partisan movement was on foot), the Partisans may enter most occupa tion Zones after mid-1941, Axis forces are locked into their respective occupation zones until their operational situation worsens as a result of initial Partisan successes, All told, there are 14 such zones inthe game. Some are subdivisions of historical zones, while others represent annexed territory, such as Istria, where Partisan resistance was strong even though technically the fighting was taking place outside Yugoslavia. In each zone there are displays depicting the location, surrounding terrain, and military value of objectives such as’cities, towns and mines, Certain zones also contain displays ofthe trunk railway the route of the peacetime Orient Express) over which Ger- ‘many shipped strategic materials home and supported her forces in Greece and Crete. ‘The Partisans may attempt to dislodge Axis forces from these sites, or they may assume a less aggressive stance in the virtual ly inaccessible mountains, which have their own display in each zone, Partisans are less vulnerable to Axis forces in the mountains, but they do little or rno harm to their enemies while there. They can only be attacked there by pre-planned anti-guerrlla operations. Such operations, which can also be launched in other types of tetrain, can be very effective, for any combat conducted during them gives the Axis a favorable two-column shift on the Combat Results Table. However, the Axis Player must correctly anticipate where main Par~ tisan Forces will be; the operations are planned before Partisan movement but executed afterward. Axis forces not earmarked for such efforts may engage in normal combat after the operations are over. Therefore, its possible for certain Partisan units to be at- tacked twice in the same Game-Turn, Partisans must strike at geographical objectives, for it is the only way their rebellion will gather steam. After the ap- pearance of a handful of Partisan units in ‘omindon peo)12 TECHNICAL ANALYSIS THE TABLES OF BERLIN A Perspective on the Probabilities by R.A. Hammer Isn't it odd, when you think of it, that the charts and ‘tables that we depend upon so heavily to drive a game are seldom question: ed, analysed, or closely examined. We all assume that each and every ones necessary ‘and correct, even when they become absurd and fantasmagorical. About the only time ‘one hears @ complaint is in some specific in stance where a crucial attack fails at long odds ~ then teeth gnash and breasts are beaten. So, just to spare your teeth and breast when playing Bertin 86, Redmond Since the close of World War IL, West Berlin has existed as an island of hope and freedom deep within the boundaries of the Warsaw Pact, The Soviets have periodically tested the will of the Western world to defend her. Today's deterioration of relations be- tween the world’s superpowers lends com: siderable credence 10 SPI's most recent cor: Lemporary creation, Berlin ’85, Berlin '35 sirwulates a major concerted attempt by the Warsaw Pact 10 wrest control of this symbolic bastion of the Western world from its NATO and paramilitary police defenders. As a game, Berlin '85 isa second generation application of the popular opera tional level combat system First developed for the Modern Battles series of simulations. To aficionadoes ofthis system, the fundamental mechanics for movement and combat will be familiar. However, there the similarity ends. In order to depict the essence of a modern day struggle for control of a heavily urban- ized and resolutely defended area, the system has been expanded to incorporate virtually all the significant factors (short of a nuclear exchange) which could be expected 0 in- fluence the outcome. The map is perhaps the most detailed of any yet published for an operational level simulation, Its, in fact, somewhat reminis- cent of the style of the Highway f0 the Reich graphics, A wealth of information is presented, ranging from an amazing variety Of terrain 10 such interesting details as the locations of airfields, control towers, the city’s subway (U-bahn) system, the “wasser- works,” power plants, radio stations, petroleum storage tanks, NATO barracks, and so forth ‘Among the new Features is the concept of collateral damage, which illustrates the tradeoffs between the use of heavy bombaed- ment firepower and the risk of extensively damaging the terrain in the target hex. More ‘on this later. Also included is bridge demoli- tion, which may be attempted by the NATO player whenever a Warsaw Pact unit moves adjacent to a bridge. Attacks on petroleum storage locations (POL hexes) run the risk of producing Firestorms which ruin the hex, but also. destroy any unfortunate defender located therein. ‘The possible use of paratroops by the Warsaw Pact to isolate the hard-pressed and desperately stretched NATO ines is another nice touch. Perhaps the most important of all the expanded Features in Berlin ’5, isthe inclusion of the Honors of War Table, As will be seen, this rule can produce dramatic shifts. in the ‘morale of both sides resulting from both ex ternal politcal influences and the fortunes of war on the battlefield The only optional rule involves the use of poison gas by the Warsaw Pact player Application of this option seriously un- balances the play and both the developer and I discourage its use — afterall, someday you may find yourself siting on the NATO side of the map! Charts & Tables Although I have merely seratched the surface in describing some of the features of Berlin °85, the intent of this article is not to review the game. I would like to explore those often overlooked elements which give a game its unique flavor — namely, the charts and tables, Few, if any, previous games on this scale have attempted t0 integrate so many factors into the flow of action. The tables, reflecting this design decision, require careful study to ensure effective play When I first began playtesting Berlin '85, | anticipated finding Custer’s Last Stand Revisited, with about the same outcome. However, I was quite pleasantly surprised as play proceeded. Neither side can relax and Movement ‘Terrain Type Point Cost Air Control Tower or Airfield hex It Autobahn hex % Barracks hex or Bog hex 4 Border hexside ores Bridge hexside orl Ferry hexside ores Forest hex 3 Industrial hex ' Lake hex 1 Objective hex or Park hex i Road Hex ' Rough hex 2 Ruin hex ore Suburban hex 1 U-bahn hex 2 Urban hex 3 Water hexside ores OT: Other terrain in hex. A+" sncans that the cost or shift iin adie thon tw other eons or shifts for the [5.27] TERRAIN EFFECTS CHART Combat Survival Surrender Shifts Modifier Point Value or or 2 ° +1 1 or or or or 2 1 0 - oT+! or - orel - or+2 - 1 - 3 P Pp - oT ot 1 1 0 z or or - 2 -2 - or+! or . 2 ai : or or - 4 “3 i or+2 or . he. P: means thatthe action is pr: hibited. "=" means the terrain has no Surrender Point Value‘expect a cakewalk. In fact, as we shall soon see, the Warsaw Pact player must be ex- tremely careful to avoid unwittingly playing into NATO’s strengths. Alter having been victimized on several ‘occasions during early game turns, I decided that more than a casual eyeballing of the various tables was required in order to make effective gaming decisions. In fact, 1 began to question my understanding of exactly what was required to achieve a victory! As a result of these early experiences, I set about to reformat the tables into a more easly in- terpreted form upon which to. make, hopefully, more intelligent use of each side's strengths and weaknesses, In order to accomplish this, 1 chose to determine for each table the prob- ability of each of the various outcomes which ‘could occur in a given situation. Before ex amining the results, a brief discussion of ‘what probability means in this context, and hhow it is determined, isin order Probability is defined as the ratio of the ‘number of chances that something actually has of occurring to the total number of all possible outcomes. For example, for a six- sided die it is possible to roll ‘one of six results. The probability of rolling a 1 is, therefore, one in six (16.7 percent). If a favorable result can occur by rolling either $ of 6, the probability of obtaining a favorable result is two in six (33.3 percent) ‘This concept may be further extended to situations where «wo dice are used and the results are added together. Here, numbers ranging from 2 (I +1) to 12 (6+ 6) are possi- ble in 36 possible combinations. Consequent. ly, the probability of rolling, say, a 7 on two dice is obtained by using our definition: a 7 can be obtained by rolling a L anda 6 (or vice versa), a2 and a $ (or vie versa), ora 3and a 4 (or vice versa) for a total of 6 possibie com- binations our of a total of 36 (16.7 percent) When two consecutive rolls ate required (as fon the Honors of War table), the probability of a favorable result occurring on the first roll is multiplied by the probability of a favorable result occurring on the second roll, and is summed with similar results obtained for other favorable combinations. "~~ xam- ple, if an 11 (5.6 percent probability) or a 12, 28 percent probability) is required on two TABLE 1. Surrender Points Destroying WP Paratroops Seizing Terrain Objective hex Airfield hex Barracks/ Control Tower dice on the first roll, and a 1, 2 oF 3 (50 per- cent probability) is required on one die on the second roll, the total probability of a favorable result i 5.6 x .50 plus 2.8 x 0, or 4.2 percent — not very g004. Turning to the analysis of the Berlin 85 tables, I would like to point out that, in general, the results will be presented from the Viewpoint of the Warsaw Pact player, since the majority of the decisions affecting the of- fensive flow of the game are under his con- trol. The tables which accompany this article present the probabilities in terms of percent- ages, Ihave shown results to the nearest tenth ff a percent in order to minimize the slight distortions when rounding off, (There are people in this world who get upset when the probabilities do not total up to exactly 100 percent.) ‘The Price of Victory As alluded to earlier, the Warsaw Pact player has his work cut out for him. He may —— [19.3] “HONORS OF WAR” TABL! Surrender Point Record Track Total the shift. C: Roll agains again; 1~3 no effect, 6 NATO sur ed by indicated number. “ ce | 6.10 25 26..30| 31.35] 36..40 | more 2 |p-2 p-1 |p [psi [ps2 3 [a2 Bart [per fo-r 4 |p-2 pet |as2 o-1 fo- s|p-1 pez }o-1 |e-1 |e 6 fat pet fav2 {e-1 |c-1 fe fev 7 |p pez fo-1 fe-1 lc |i fev2 fae c2in| Cee SRI CN Sa 9 | ps2 c-1 fe |v |cs2 | s-2 [s-1 w |c-i (cle |i cea | SEES ufe-1}e |e fes2 |s-2 |s-1 |s_— |sor ail cia ltcHT casa Seal Se Bs Roll again; 1-3 NATO receives a combat column shift; 46 Warsaw Pact receives ‘3 ceasefire akes effect, 4~ 6 NATO surrenders, S: Rol riders, 41,422 Second dice toll result increased by indicated pie ‘TABLE 2. Honors of War Probabilities (from Warsaw Pact perspective) ‘Surrender Point Differential Outcome 610 11-15 16:20 21-25 26-30 31-95 36-40 Unfavorable $6.0 S13 47.7 458 41.7 36.2 29.6 Nill Result - = = 23 6S 120 18.5 Favorable 440 48.7 523 S19 SLB 51.9 ‘West Berlin Falls 12 85 24 33 308 454 gain control of West Berlin in either of ovo ways. He must control all objective hexes within West Berlin (and there are lots of them!), plus all the hexes of the Gatow, Tegel, and Tempelhof airfields (including the Tegel and Tempelhof control towers), plus all NATO barracks exes. The operative word here is all. Alternatively, NATO must surrender via the Honors of War table. Regardless of which approach is taken, the city must fall for any victory points to be awarded to the Warsaw Pact. At this ime (if it ever occurs), the number of Warsaw Pact rnon-police units remaining on the map is multiplied by the victory point multiple found on the Game-Turn Record Track. An ‘early surrender of West Berlin is imperative since the victory point multiple decreases as the game turns pass. The Warsaw Pact also may gain 5 victory points for each unit ofits reinforcements which are withheld from the map. The only victory points which NATO may receive are for interdicting or occupying 2: Second dice rll result reduc:4 the East German railroad line (S_vitory points per turn for interdicting and 8 points per turn for occupying) by dedicating one of his artillery units to the sole purpose of inter- diction, or by physically moving a unit onto the rail line. The degree of vietory (marginal, substantial or decisive) is determined by the difference between the Warsaw Pact and the NATO victory point totals Because of the large number of widely dispersed objective hexes and the relatively short time (16 game turns) available 10 achieve a victory, the Warsaw Pact player ‘cannot realistically hope to fulfill the first set of victory conditions to gain control of Berlin, Asa result ofthis limitation, the over- riding objective of the Warsaw Pact forces should be to force a NATO surrender by means of the Honors of War Table. This table, more than any other element of the game, controls the actions of both players, and its interpretation is essential 10 effective play of the game, Honors of War ‘The Honors of War Table is undoubted ly the most interesting and the most critical in the game. Its intended to represent the in fluence of political and military intangibles an the morale of the combatants and, ultimately, to produce a surrender of West Berlin, if the situation becomes sufficiently grave.’ The table results reflect the relative losses taken by each side (an effect on morale reflected by a one column shift on the CRT ly since itis pivotal to satisfying the War- saw Pact victory conditions. ‘The breakdown of the probability of each of the preceding four results is presented in Table 2.asa function of the sur- render point differential. Just what does Table 2 illustrate? The first observation is that under the best of con- ditions (using the 41 + column) only a 50 per- cent chance exists of a West Berlin surrender ‘occurring on a given game-turn. Conse- quently, surrender is not at all automatic just because the Warsaw Pact has amassed a large ‘number of surrender points. Because time is Of the essence (remember that that the vic- tory point multiple is decreasing asthe game- turns pass), the Warsaw Pact player must accumulate’a large total of surrender points as early as possible in order to allow for the likelihood of needing several attempts to get a surrender result on the Honors of War Table. [A second point 10 keep in mind is that, in general, regardless of the number of sur” render points, a roughly even probability ex- ists of either being hurt or obtaining a null result rather than being helped by invoking the Honors of War Table. (I should point out here that the Honors of War Table i used on a given game turn at the discretion of the Warsaw Pact player only.) Based on this result, in the early game-turns when the sur- render point differential is low, the last thing the Warsaw Pact player needs is any addi tional adverse combat colurin shifts — life is tough enough. Consequently, unless you are a gambler by nature, stay away from the Honors of War Table until a large surrender point differential has been achieved. My own personal preference is to hold out until at least a 31 to 35 point differential exists, preferably more, It makes litle sense 10 me to risk exposure to additional losses un- necessarily ‘When one looks at the Honors of War Table, it is always possible to debate the specific probabilities of the various results, and their adequacy in “realistically” representing the real world, However, the Honors of War Table works admirably well in game terms by introducing the influence of some of the intangibles surrounding any con flict. In addition, the Honors of War Table ‘adds an interesting element of uncertainty in to both players" planning. This one single feature ensures that Berlin '85_ will not become a “set-piece” simulation after several playings. Combat Results Tables Let us now turn our attention to the ‘Combat Result Table (CRT) and some of the factors which must be taken into account during the heat of the battle, The results on the CRT are a function of the combat strength differential (the difference between [7.61] COMBAT RESULTS TABLE ‘Combat Differential (Attacking Strength minus Defending Strength) for all attacks made in the current game turn), external political maneuverings (the ceasefire result), and, of course, the possible final acknowledgement of the futility of Fur ther resstance (West Berlin surrenders) ‘The Honors of War Table operates as a function of the net surrender points amassed by the Warsaw Pact player. These surrender points are awarded for destroying enemy units and for capturing certain objectives, (Gee Table 1). Unit losses taken by the War- saw Pact subtract from the total, which is why it becomes so important that, whenever possible, the Warsaw Pact player avoid mak- ing attacks which involvea significant risk of aan exchange result. ‘The Honors of War table results can be grouped into four categories: 1. Results unfavorabie to the Warsaw Pact player. These consist of a combat morale shift in favor of NATO or a cease fire for the current game turn, A cease fire is regarded as an adverse result since it deprives the Warsaw Pact of one game turn in which to amass additional sur- render points. 2. Null result — one which has no effect on either player. 3. Results favorable to the Warsaw Pact player. These consist of a combat morale shift in favor of the Warsaw Pact or the surrender of West Berlin, 4, West Berlin surrenders. ‘This result is a subcase of (3) and is broken out separate- =) Ax Br Al AL AL Az Al Al Al 10.3.4): Defender retreats the number of hexes indicated. ANQ,3,4): Attacker retreats the number of hexes indicated. Br! Both Defender and Attacker retreat_one hex, Defender fist, Ae: Attacker eliminated. De: Defender eliminated, Ex: Exchange; all de- fending Strength Points eliminated and an ‘equal or greater numberof atacking Strength Points eliminated, Ax: All defending units +23 +45 +68 +911 +12 D2 D3 D4 De De DI D2 D3 Ds De Ex Ex DI D2 D3 D4 Ax Ex Ex DI D2 D3 Br oAK. DI D2 AL Br Ex DI +1 DI Ex Ax Ex fone hex and a number of attacking ‘equal to or greater than the ‘of the defending units, are See 7.6 fr detailed explana tion of combat results. Combat at a differen. ‘al less than ~7 iresolved on the —7 column, combat at a differential greater than +12 i resolved on the + 12column, ABLE 3. Probability of Attacker Losing a Unit by Suffering and Exchange Result Attack Differentiat Oo 46 +9 thru thru thru 145 8 +t +12 333 167 006 [10.6] COLLATERAL DAMAGE, TABLE “rae end pono Park/Rough | 7| 8 | 9| 10 [11 Forest/Suburban | 6] 7 | 8] 9 | 10] 11 Industriat/Urban | 5| 6 9 the attacker's and the defender’s strengths) and, of course, the die rell, In addition, the effects of terrain occupied by the defender, possible collateral damage, the supply status ff both the attacker and the defender, the relative morale (Irom the Honors of Wat Table), and the optional use of poison gas are integrated into the CRT as cumulative col- umn shifts. The effects of these column shifts are pivotal 10 planning optimal attacks, defending effectively, and minimizing one’s losses. ‘The CRT isa bloody one. The distribur tion of exchanges is particularly troublesome and mandates attacking at the highest com- bat differential in combination with as many favorable column shifts as can be mustered. For example, Table 3 shows that even when attacking at +6 to +8, a 33 percent chance exists of the attacker suffering a loss via an exchange result. The Warsaw Pact player can bee seriously damaged when attacking West Berlin police units; particularly when the police are in good defensive terrain. In this case, the elimination of one or two NATO. strength, points (worth one surrender point) ‘could cost the Warsaw Pact a unit of con- siderably greate: strength (and worth «wo surrender points). Clearly, this is no way to win a war! The Warsaw Pact problems are compounded by the fact that low strength units, useful in exchange situations, are ex- tremely hard to come by. This necessitates making fewer attacks on a given turn in order to generate the highest possible relative strengths and thereby minimize the high risk of exchanges which exists below +9 combat differentials, The units to be attacked must also be chosen with care to gain, if possible, a favorable combination of column shifts. None ofthis is easy, and careful pre-planning is essential ‘AL first glance this disparity in losses may seem unfeasonable. Upon reflection, however, the real world costs to an attacker assaulting a stubborn, prepared defender is well simulated. For instance, it is believed that the Soviets estimate that'a 10 to 1 ratio of strength in city fighting is approximately TABLE 4. Probability of Collateral Damage Torrain Type rrage/ Air Points Industrial, Urban 5s 6 7 8 9 10 Forest, Suburban Saas ieero wenger Park, Rough 7 8 9 oN BR Probability of Ruin 16.7. 33.3 60,0 66.7 63.3 100.0 equivalent toa3 to 1 ratioin other, more open types of terrain. This result does, in fact, oc- cur in Berlin '85 because of the successful in- tegration of the CRT with the terrain, sup- ply, and morale effects. The Warsaw Pact player must exercise discretion in selecting his attacks and must anticipate NATO ef- fects on his combat advantage. Clearly, the losses are going to be heavy if indiscriminate attacks are made on a regular basis. Terrain benefits for the defender range from zero to four column shits for the ter- rain within the hex; an additional shift of up to two columns can be obtained if an assault crosses various types of hexsides. The op- timal defensive terrain on the map is the ur: ban area which, in addition toa four column stift, is not influenced by enemy zones of contro}. This prevents the easy elimination of surrounded defenders who are forced 10 retreat. In addition, itis not possible to cut off the defender’s ‘supply at the instant of combat, except by completely surrounding the hex with attacking units — a most ineffi- cient use of one’s forces. The benefits of defending in urban hexes give the feeling of having to “dig out” pockets of stubborn resistance in a most realistic manner. Each of the other terrain types conveys its unique characteristics in a similar fashion, Unit supply status atthe time of combat is often crucial to the outcome. When out of supply, the affected unit(s) suffer an adverse wo column shift on the CRT. Obviously, putting a defender out of supply can go a Jong way toward offsetting a strong defen- sive position or high combat strength. The value of urban hexes, which negate this tactic [17.3] REINFORCEMENT TABLE pir Result 25 No ssinforcements 6-10 No effect 1 Ait Support 12 Air Support and Jager brigade See 17.1 for explanation of Reinforcemens Table results in most instances, cannot be overstated for aiding beleaguered NATO units in the later ame-turns when mere survival may be in doubt. Morale is reflected by aone column shift fon the CRT which may result from using the Honors of War Table (atthe discretion of the Warsaw Pact player). The optional use of poison gas by the Warsaw Pact seriously tilts the game in its favor and is not recommended. In any event, the use of gas — moral and practical issues aside — should not be taken lightly, since vi- timized opponents generally have long “Among the new features is the concept of collateral damage, which simulates the ef- fects of heavy bombardment on various types of terrain. Basically, as the number of barrage and air support points used against a specific target hex increases, so does the likelihood of collateral damage (1... ruin). The resulting movement penalties and defen= sive combat bonuses retard the Warsaw Pact advance, since only he has sufficient bom- bardment resources (0 inflict collateral damage. Table 4 presents the probability of inflicting collateral damage on various types of terrain, The figure can be used as a guide when deciding whether to commit toa heavy bombardment of a specific hex. Since col- lateral damage is a two-edged sword, the temptation to “load up" against targets ddiscriminately (which prevails in some similar games) should be tempered a bit Table 5 summarizes the possibilities of NATO reinforcements. A glance at the table confirms the futility of NATO merely trying TABLES. Probability of NATO Reinforcements Probability of Given Outcome 27.8 Reinforcements lost for remainder of game. Noeffect (future reinforcements are possible). 5.6 NATO Air Suppor only. 2.8% Jagerbrigade dispatched plus NATO Air Support. ‘There is a 0.9 probability of the agerbrigade's sae arvval, a .4 probability of 3916 TABLE6. Paratroop TABLE 7. Paratroop Landing Probabilities Landing Probabilities in Enemy Zone of Control Terrain Type Destroyed Scattered Total Terrain Type Destroyed Scattered Total Airfield 00 83 Airfield 10 20.8 278 Park, Bos 0.0 16.7 Park, Boz B9 207 a6 Suburban, 28 25.0 Suburban, BT 34.7 58.4 Industrial Industrial Rough 83 33.0 a6 Rough 35.2 a7 Ra Forest, 16.7 47 58.4 Forest, 48.7 347 w. Urban’ Urban [18.5] SURVIVAL TABLE. ore Result 1 Unit destroyed 24 Unit scattered $-12 Safe Landing ‘See 18.6 for modifiers to Survival Tabled ols, to hold out until the West German Jaeger- brigade arrives. Although it appears that a whopping 3 percent chance exists of the rein- forcements arriving, a second die rol is also required. This die’ roll has a 50 percent chance of the brigade being intercepted and destroyed in the air (14 surrender points to the Warsaw Pact), a 17 percent chance of aborting (lost for the game) and only a 33, percent chance of actually arriving safely. These probabilities, combined with the 3 per: cent chance on the reinforcement table, result in only one chance in 100 of any rein: forcements ever becoming available to the hard-pressed NATO. forces in Berlin. Likewise, the NATO forces cannot even realistically hope for air support more than ‘once or twice per game. NATO moral: mini- mize your losses, use the most favorable defensive terrain, keep in supply and avoid costly counterattacks, all of which are easier said than done ‘Since you must lose units try to sacrifice the West Berlin polices units in hard-fought delaying tactics in order to minimize the sur- render points which the Warsaw Pact will in- ‘exorably amass asthe strugele continues. Itis important to realize that NATO's best hope is to keep the Warsaw Pact from quickly pl ing up a high total of surrender points. Keep in mind that as long as you have viable units fon the map, and Berlin has not surrendered, the Warsaw Pact player is at the merey of the Honors of War Table — and your willingness to provide him with surrender points. Sacrificing. police units (at one surrender point per nit), while delaying the advance, is the most effective means of keeping him on the low side of the Honors of War Table. Hold out as long as possible — after all, maybe the U.N, will intervene with a Strong condemnation. That would fix "em, eh? One final, rather obvious, point regard- ing use of the Reinforcement Table. Refrain from using the table on night turns, since any air support which you might get cannot ‘operate at night! Effectively, you are expos- ing yourself to the 28 percent chance of los- ing the West German reinforcements forever with only a one percent chance of getting any useful assistance at all, and no air support — a bad risk in anyone’s book. Paratroops ‘The last area I would like to touch upon is the use of the Warsaw Pact paratroops. Before committing these units, a careful balancing between usage and cost must be reached, a situation which is ever present in Berlin aS, Withholding the paratroops from the map is worth S victory points per unit. Committing the paratroops is fraught with risks which begin with the decision of whether to airland them ata friendly airfield ‘or to paradrop them behind NATO lines. Airlandings involve no losses. However, much of the usefulness of the paratroops is lost since they are undoubtedly entering the fray on the friendly side of the front lines. Paradrops, on the other hand, involve possi= ble losses just getting on the map. If the decision is made to paradrop the units, careful consideration must be given 10 the terrain into which they are to drop. The Survival Tableisreferred to for each unit and, like the forward pass, three things can hap” ppen, two of which are bad. unit may: (1) land safely, (2) scatter into an adjacent hex; fo (3) be destroyed. Landing in an enemy zone of control further increases the possibility of sustaining losses ‘Table 6 summarizes the probabilities of paratroops being destroyed or scattered dur- ing the drop into various types of terrain. ‘The additional effects of landing in an enemy zone of control are shown in Table 7. (For those purists out there, Table 7 also includes the possiblity of a unit scattering on top of fan enemy unit, thereby being destroyed. 1 assumed that only one such hex existed within a scatter zone.) Its clear from these tables that drops into built-up or rough hexes should be avoided unless a desperation at- tack is absolutely your last hope. In general, it has been my experience that the withholding of the paratroops' for vietory point purposes isthe most productive use for them since the Warsaw Pact units already committed to the map can usually keep NATO backing up without additional assistance. In addition, most of the potential drop areas threaten ‘significant casualties before the paratroops ever engage the enemy. (Besides, by withholding these units you are able to prolong your opponent's mental torment — a mosi satisfying pros- pect, indeed.) ‘Ascan be een, Berlin ’8Sis fraught with challenges and suspense for both sides. Prop- erly played, the outcome is in doubt until the final turns. Hopefully, the above sam- pling will whet your appetite to explore the situation more fully and reach your own con- clusions concerning how best to conduct the battle for Berlin. Are You Changing Your Address? If you are, you must let us know in advance in frder to avoid missing any of your issues of, S&T and/or MOVES. 1. Your name — as it appears on the mailing label of your S4rand/or MOVES. 2. Your Customer Code and Expiration Codes this is the very topline of information on your mailing label, 3. Your old address (clearly indicate it is old address). 4. Your new address (clearly indicate it is “new” addres) 5. Theeffeetivedare of your new address When you send us a change of address, don't enclose any other correspondence that doesnot pertain co that change — it just slows up the Processing of the ‘change’ and creates @ possibilty of missed information. A postcard ISbest, Writeto: Simulations Publications, nc. Customer Service, COA Dept. 257 Park Avenue South Now York, New York 10010OPERATIONAL ANALYSIS: ROUGH GOING IN ‘64 a A First Look at Drive on Washington by Gary Gillette and Alexis Turkalo This time we're pretty quick off the mark ~ getting an article written before a gameis ac- tually published so that it can appear in the same time frame as the game. Along with Pea Ridge, Drive on Washington is part of four series, Great Battles of the American Civil War, in which all of the games are based fon the ever-popular Terrible Swift Sword system. If you folks buy these items, we'll Continue and do an entire shetf-tull (witness Wilson's Creek in the upcoming issue of San Redmond The simulation of the Battle of the Monocacy in SPI's recently-published Drive ‘on Washingron presents the opposing players with many of the same problems that faced Generals Early and Wallace in the event. As in most Civil War battles, confusion was the order of the day as the outnumbered Union forces attempted to delay the battle-weary veterans of Early's command so that rein- forcements could be sent to man the defen: sive positions around Washington, D.C. So that confusion is not the order of the day for the players of Drive on Washington, wo battle-weary playtesters of the game here of- fer some pointers on strategy and tactics of this litle-known battle as represented by the game. The aspect of the game that makes it ‘most interesting is the relative vulnerability of the two forces; both players are presented with tough problems and hard decisions, yet both are so weak in key areas that disaster is, always a distinct possibility. This analysis is reflected by the outcome of the actual battle. Although Early managed to smash the Union and force a general retreat late in the day, Wallace had sufficiently delayed Early 10 allow Grant to send troops to Washington. Further, Early's command was severely weakened by the battle and probably could not have overcome the capital’s defenses even if they had not been reinforced, While Early had caused great consternation in the North, he had reached the zenith of his cam- paign at the Monocacy and would pose little treat from that time onward. ‘A comparison of the relative strengths and weaknesses of the Union and Con- federate forces in Drive on Washington is il- luminating. Major General Lew Wallace, nominally in command of the Ist Separate Brigade and Ricketts’ division, is on the defensive and has only to stop the Con- federates from crossing the Monocacy and/or clearing the Washington Pike before the end of Game-Turn 15 in order to be assured a vietory. Though his troops are ewer in number than the enemy, his unitsare larger, his morale is much higher, his am. munition resupply is adequate, his subor- dinate commanders are effective (as. is Wallace himself), his weapons are good (ome of his units are armed with Colt repeaters, and he has three highly effective ‘mountain howitzers), and the terrain plus the entrenchments at Monocacy Junction ensure that any Confederate attack will be costly. Moreover, the river can be crossed only at five sites — the Stone Bridge, Crum’s Ford, the Railroad Bridge, the Wooden Bridge, and the “hidden ford, With all these advantages, what is the problem? Simply this: Wallace has too few Units to adequately guard all the potential crossings, so he isextremely vulnerable 10 be- ing flanked, surrounded, and destroyed in detail, I even one Confederate division can cross the river in force, the defenders can find themselves in a disastrous position By contrast, the Confederate units of Lieutenant General Jubal Early seem to lack all the requisite factors for a successful at- tack. The Confederate regiments are low in strength and have equally low morale, their ‘weapons are poor (several regiments are armed with smoothbore muskets), their ammuni tion resupply is very limited, and theirleaders and commanders are of low caliber (reflected by the rules for Confederate Limited In. itiative and the low Brigade Combat Erfec: tiveness ratings for the Confederate com: ‘mands). The only significant advantages that the Confederate player possesses are his areater number of units and his consequent ability t0 threaten the Union positions at ‘more points than can be effectively defended. Given these parameters, the Confederate player may find that his performance im- proves greatly with repeated playings of Drive on Washington —a blowout in is ist game or two is not necessarily indicative of the actual game balance when more ex perience has been acquired Sot-Up and Initial Considerations Since the Union player does not know the Confederate plan of attack, he must guard both Crum’s Ford and the Stone Bridge with substantial numbers of troops from the Ist Separate Brigade. Fortunately, {his is made possible by the presence of two leaders for the brigade, Brigadier General ‘Tyler and Lieutenant Colonel Clendenin, He should place the Ist Maryland Regiment at ‘one of the above crossings (with either Tyler ‘or Clendenin stacked with the regiment) and place the 149th Ohio Regiment at the other crossing with the remaining leader. The presence of these units in the crossing hexes (1530 and 0739) makes it relatively unlikely that the Confederate player can successfully, melee across the ford or the bridge due to the high strengths of these regiments, and the possibility ofa rout is reduced to almost zero by their high morale and the presence of the leaders. This latter point is especially true if the Union player stacks the 144th Ohio with the Ist Maryland. The rest of the Ist Separate Brigade should be distributed between the ford and the bridge according to the perceptions of the Union player as to the likely attack points. ‘The 159th Ohio Cavalry Regiment and the Loudoun Rangers are excellent choices for a mobile reserve which can be rushed to either the ford or the bridge according to the Con: federate threat. In fact, these units can be switched between the two crossings with ease at any time during the game. The Union player has no choice in the deployment of the regiments in Ricketts’ division except for their arrangement in the entrenchments at Monocacy Junction, Once again, a regiment with a morale of “5” and a high strength should be placed in the crossing hexes at the Junction, stacked with a leader for insurance (the 106th New York Regiment and the 110th Ohio Regiment are ideal choices for these assignments). Ricketts, Truex, or McClennan should be placed in hex 1917 and Major General Wallace in hex 2214. It is highly advan- ageous to the Union to burn the Wooden Bridge as soon as possible after the start of the game, as this reduces the number of possible crossing points and frees troops for the eventual defense of the wheatfild, Placing Wallace in hex 2214 exposes him to possible Confederate fire until the bridge is burned, but this small risk is outweighed by his effect on increasing the die roll range for burning the bridge. Once this is accomplished, Wallace can be moved to a safer location, although he is usually needed in the Monocacy Junction area later in the game when the fighting is at its peak, ‘The Confederate player must decide before the game how he will execute his at tacks across the river and position his units accordingly. Rodes' Division can force a crossing at ither the Stone Bridge or at Crum's Ford at high cost, but it cannot do both, Ramseur's Division can attack across18 the Railroad Bridge or Crum's Ford. Having Rodes and Ramseur attack at separate cross- ings keeps the Union player from concen- trating his forces; it also means that the at- tempted crossings will almost surely result in hheavy casualties to the assaulting brigades and the probable loss of Brigade Combat Ef- Fectiveness for most of the brigades in Rodes’ and Ramseur's Divisions. Combining these two divisions at ‘Crum’s Ford allows one to be held in reserve to exploit any crossing that is made with felatively fresh troops; however, it also allows the Union player to mass his powerful units at Crum’s Ford and leave only token forces at the Stone Bridge and the Railroad Bridge. ‘Attacking at Monocacy Junction with Ramseur’s Division should be coordinated with Gordon’s attack through the wheatfield to put maximum pressure on Ricketts’ divi sion. Whatever plan is selected, the Con- federate player should attempt to disguise his intentions for as long as possible from the Union player by detaching brigades from Ramseur’s and/or Rodes’ Divisions to demonstrate in front of the other crossing points which he will not attack. Once the Union player accurately divines the Con- federate plan of attack, though, these detached brigades should be returned to their command so that Confederate Limited In- itiative does not take effect any earlier than necessary for these divisions. ‘The Confederate artillery batteries should be massed at one location in order to have maximum effect. This can be either at the Monocaey Junetion or at Crum’s Ford. Since the Confederate ammunition supply is limited, the artillery should probably be used against Union infantry regiments and not be used in counter-battery roles. When properly positioned on the hills east of the Monocacy River, Union artillery is relatively in- vulnerable to counter-battery fire, and it ‘would be a waste of valuable ammunition for the Confederate player to engage init General Early and the First Confederate Moves Because of the location of General Ear. ly's arrival, the Confederate player should activate Rodes’ Division first, then Ramseur’s Division, and lastly Gordon's Division. To activate these divisions in any ‘other order would just stall the eventual Con- federate attack in the north at the Stone Bridge or at Crum’s Ford. By the time Early activates Gordon's Division, MeCausland’s cavalry should have found the ford; if not, Early should be immediately sent coaid in the search, Once this “hidden ford” is discovered, MeCausland’s units should be sent in a wide flanking maneuver around the Union ines to threaten the ear ofthe entrench- ments at Monocacy Junetion and to look for stray artillery batteries and supply wagons to capture. These cavalry units are also very helpful in surrounding the Union line of defense at the wheatfield If Ramseur's Division has been sent to attack across the Railroad Bridge, it should do so simultaneously with Gordon's advance through the wheatfield and McCausland’s rear-area harassment. If this plan is well exe- cuted, Truex’s and MeClennan’s Brigades should be overwhelmed and the Washington Pike cleared. The teal problem here is time; all Of this must be done before the end of Turn 18. Ibis not critical that Rodes cross the river inthe northf this happens, but he must pin all the units of the Ist Separate Brigade at either Crum's Ford or at the Stone Bridge, Any Union reinforcements sent from the Ist Separate Brigade to the Monocacy Junction can prevent Gordon and Ramseur from suc ceeding. If Ramseur’s Division is sent to Crum’s Ford, then either Ramseur or Rodes must force a crossing of the river in order for Gordon to succeed, ‘The Union player's position in the early stages of the game is basically reactive: he ‘must discern the Confederate plan of attack and shift his troops to the most threatened areas, He can do little about McCausland’s flanking maneuver, since he will not have enough units to prevent it unless he can send some regiments from the Ist Separate Brigade south to help Ricketts" division. ‘The Union artillery batteries should be located in only four hexes during the game — (0638, 1329, 1819, and 1914. These hexes are ideally positioned so that the artillery can pour devastating short-range fire over the hheads of the Union troops below into any Confederate troops massing to cross the river or already across the river. The only time that the artillery should be located elsewhere than these hexes is when the Union is flanked or when the artillery is threatened with capture by MoCausland’s cavalry. The Union ar- Uillery can be shifted from one position to another with some difficulty if the Union player can identify the main Confederate at- tacks soon enough. ‘Other than these reactions, the only ma- {jor decision for the Union player is where he should set up his defensive line to protect the Washington Pike from Gordon, While the tactic of sending a brigade into the wheat- field to set up a forward defense atthe stream and fence in the 26x hexrow (or atthe “hid- den ford’ itself) is appealing, it usually results in a total loss of this brigade to Gor- ddon's Division without seriously delaying the Confederates. This is due to the ease with which McCausland can encircle such a defen- sive position while Gordon launches frontal attack. The best place to set up a defensive line is along the stream and fence atthe east edge ‘of the wheatfield and in hex 1907. This forces McCausland to circle far to the south to flank the Union line. More importantly, it allows the defense to use the entrenchments in hexes 2214 and 2314, where a last-ditch stand should be made when Gordon over- runs the defensive line, since these en- trenchments qualify for masking the Washington Pike if units remain in them. The most serious drawback to such a defensive line is that Ramseur's troops and/or the Confederate artillery at Monocacy Junction can enfilade this line from across the river. Unfortunately, the Union player will have to live (or die) with this since it is unavoidable. Because of ‘Wallace's special abilities, he should be posi tioned with the Union troops at the point of ‘areatest pressure. This will usually mean that he will end up with the troops defending along the edge of the wheatfield Non-Conclusions Once the Confederate player puts into actiom his attack plan and the Union player re-allocates his units, the course of the game is determined for better or worse for each side. Fierce fighting will always accompany any Confederate attack, since the critical hhexes fought over are so few. Confederate fire at Union units in entrenchments is large- ly ineffective unless concentrated in large volumes; in general, artillery fire by itself will hhave no effect on unitsin entrenchments, Confederate crossings at bridges and fords can be attempted in two ways. The at- tacker can mass his units in front of the Union units across the river, take his ‘casualties from the Union rifle and artillery fire, and hope that enough of his units re- main at the end of the turn to successfully melee across the bridge or the ford. Alter- natively, the Confederate can mass his units al two-hex range from the defenders and at- tempt to weaken them sufficiently by ex- cchanging fire until he can rush them late in the game, Early should be sent to the first division to reach Limited Initiative so that its attack does not stall, When a second division reaches CLI, the Union position must be seriously weakened, or else the Confederate attacks will fil. The Union player must fight to the death for the crossing hexes and for the Washington Pike or else he will find himself decisively defeated by the Confederate player.If both players play with skill and tenacity, the battle will result in heavy casualties, but the outcome will probably be in doubt until the last urn of the game. No conclusions about the result of most in- dividual games can be reached, since the out- come depends on the relative skill of the players battering each other over a few precious hexagons. That is what makes Drive ‘on Washington so fascinating and such @ tense game and excellent simulation. Extra Scenario and Optional Rules While Drive on Washington represents the actual forces engaged in the Battle of ‘Monocacy, there were other units potentially available for combat that were not commit- ted to the battle. On the Union side, several regiments of Ricketts’ Division were ex- pected to arrive throughout the day of the battle, and this kept Wallace wondering and worrying. On the Confederate side, General Breckenridge’s motley command of troops was held in reserve guarding the Confederate supply trains, but it could have been commit- ted to action by Early. To represent these forces, the following Order of Battle is listed and the following special rule are suggested, It should be noted that this scenario has not been playtested and the commitment of these troops on either side could drastically alter the balance of the game, Union Order of Battle (the “missing” repiments of Ricketts): 6th Maryland Infantry/MeClennan'sB R&-Sirength/4-Morale (67th Pennsylvania tnfantry/McClennan’s Brigade/R&-Strength/4Morale, 12nd Ohio Infantry/MeClennan’s Brigade/ RS-Sirensth/4Morale ‘Special Rules for Union Reinforcements 1. The 122nd Ohio Infantry Regiment has @ strength of **5” only when combined with the 12nd Ohio Regiment already on the map. Otherwise, the reinforcing unit has a "3" strength counter placed under it (this represents 3 companies of the regiment that had gotten separated somehow in the move to the Monocacy). Both units of the 12nd may operate separately on the map, but the Union player may combine them at any point in which they occupy the same hex during the Union final Command Phase. If either units, routed, combination may not occur. IF either unit has taken losses before combining, the strength of the combined regiment is ‘cor- respondingly reduced. Once combined, they may not be separated. 2. If the Union reinforcements are received, the Brigade Combat Effectiveness Level of McClennan’s Brigade is changed from 9 of I5 to 16 of 26 Strength Points lost or out of ammunition. 3. The Union reinforcements are received on the next turn after Game-Turn 9 in which the Union player has successfully rolled the die for them. The Union player may roll one die in his final Command Phase starting on Game-Turn 9; ona die roll of 1," the Union reinforcements enter in the next Union Movement Phase on hex 0105 in column fo mation. Alternatively, the Union player may delay the entry of these reinforcements once hie has received them. If he delays their entry by two turns (ie., three turns after the suc- cessful die rol), they may enter in hex 0123, 0134, or 0138, Confederate Order of Battle (for Breckinridge's command): Major General J.C. Breckinridge/2-Command Points Brigadier General J. Eehols/4-Command Radivs/1-Rally Poini/(4)-Promotion Rating/Echols Replacement/3-Command Radius/0-Rally Point 22nd Virginia Infantry Regiment/Echols/R3- Strength/4 Morale 23rd Virginia Infantry Regiment/Echols/R3- Strength/4-Morale. 26th Virginia tnfantry Regiment/Echols/R2- Strength/4-Morale. Brigadier General G.C. Wherton/S-Command Radius/1-Rally Peint/(3)-Promotion Rating/ Wharton's Replacement/3.Command Radius/0-Rally Point 45th Virginia Infantry Regiment/Wharton/R3- Sttength/4-Morale. 51st Vega Infantry Regiment/ Wharton/R3- Strengih/4-Morale. 30th Virginia Infantry Batalion/Wharton/R Strength/4-Morale. Brigadier General 3.C. Vaughn/4-Command Radius/-Rally Point/(3)-Promotion Rating/ Vaughn's Replacement/3-Command Radius/0-Rally Point, Dismounted Cavalry Detachment/ Vaughn/R3- Strength/3-Morale. Dismounted Cavalry Detachment Vaughn/R2- Strength/3-Morale Dismounted Cavalry Detachment/ Vaughn/R2- Sirengih/3-Morale (Note: The Confederate player should assign an arbitrary identification number t0 the three detachments of Vaughn's Brigade in order (o differentiate them.) 1, The Confederate Limited Initiative rating for Breckinridge’s command is 4." 2. The Brigade Combat Effectiveness ratings for the Confederate reinforcements are as follows: Echols-4 of 8, Wharton-4 of 7, Vaughn-3 of 7, 3. In this scenario, Breckinridge’s units are placed on the Harper's Ferry Road in column formation anywhere north of hex 3518 at the start of the game. These units may not be ‘moved unless the Union player crosses the Monocacy River or the Confederate player successfully rolls a die to commit them. The Confederate player may roll a die to attempt to commit Breckinridge’s troops during any Confederate Final Command Phase after which at least one Confederate division has reached Confederate Limited Initiative. If only one Confederate division has reached CLI, a die roll of “1 or **2" successfully commits Breckinridge’s command. If two Confederate divisions have reached CLI, a die roll of “1” through *4” commits Breckinridge’s command. If three Con- federate divisions have reached CLI, then 19 Breckinridge’s command is automatically commited 4, The die roll to commit. Breckinridge’s command is optional at the diseretion of the Confederate player, Once he attempts a first die roll for commitment, though, he must continue to roll the die every Confederate final command phase. 5. Breckinridge’s units may be moved in the ext Confederate Movement Phase after commitment. 6. There is a penalty in victory points for at- tempting to commit Breckinridge’s com- ‘mand, This penalty is three points per turn re- maining in the game after a successful de roll for commitment of these reinforcements. 7. If Breckinridge becomes a casualty, he is not replaced. 8. If Early becomes a casualty, Breckinridge is promoted and replaces’ Early and Breckinridge is not replaced. 9. If both Breckinridge and Early are casualties, use the standard rules for promo- tions. 10. Breckinridge’s command has no division commander. Breckinridge himself may be used like Early (ie., lend command points, rally units, and negate CLI), but only for the units in his command and for Gordon's Divi- sion. Breckinridge may not function in any way with Ramseur’s or Rodes’ Divisions. 11, The commitment of Breckinridge does not change Early's capabilities in any way ex- cept that Breckinridge and Early may not both lend command points to the same com. rmander in the same turn. 12, Once committed, Breckinridge’s units are counted normally for victory purposes. If they are not committed, they do not count in Confederate victory point calculations. Optional Rules Several of the sources used for Drive on Washington disagree on certain points. At Teast three of these sources, including the Of- {ficial Records, have different Orders of Bat- Ne for the Union artillery units than represented in Drive on Washington, Thus, if both players agree, the Order of Battle for Union troops should be modified as follows. Al optional rules should be used together. 1. The 9th New York Heavy Artillery Regi ment should be deleted from the game as ar- lllery and a counter for its deployment as in- fantry should be made to read: 9th New York/MeClennan/R3-Strength/4-Morale, 2. If the 9th New York is used as infantry as above, the BCE rating for McClennan’s Brigade become 11 of 18. If the Union rein- forcements are later received, MeClennan's Brigade BCE rating becomes 18 of 29. 3. According to both Captain Alexander (he commander of the Baltimore Battery) and General Wallace, the Baltimore Battery had only 6 guns instead of 8 as in the game. ‘Therefore, if both players agree, change both the Baltimore Md. Battery A and B to 3 guns = onoson pete,