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Figures...

Hellenes: Campaigns of the Peloponnesian War

From BGG:

Hellenes: Campaigns of the Peloponnesian War (GMT Games) is 2 player game on the Peloponnesian War of the Greek classical age designed by Craig Besinque (EuroFront series). Based on a variant of the Hammer of the Scots/Liberty system, Hellenes features good historical flavor, fast play, and lots of options for both players.

One player plays Sparta, the dominant land power of the era; the other plays Athens, the dominant sea power. Each side also seeks the allegiance of minor Greek city-states and barbarian tribes: some that persevere and others that come and go. Revolts, sieges, leaders, wintering, and civic discord all play important roles.

The object of the game is to erode enemy morale to the point of Surrender by capturing cities, winning battles, and devastating enemy territory with raids. Walled cities are very strong in defense, leaving Siege as a common method of reduction. But if a Siege is broken by a relieving force, the lost battle reduces the besieger's morale!

The map depicts Ancient Greece in the Aegean area, including the Peloponnese, continental Greece, Macedonia, Thrace and Ionia. A separate area on the map contains Sicily. Units include fleets, cavalry, archers, infantry and hoplites. Cards drive military actions and special events. Each card has both an Action value and an Event, and can be played for either purpose but not both. Actions include unit buildup, adding new units and group movement. Events include leader change, plague, barbarian uprisings, revolts, civil unrest, etc.

Hellenes includes 4 scenarios: The 431 BC Campaign (10 turns), The Sicily Campaign (5 turns), The 415 BC Campaign (12 turns), and The 413 BC Campaign (10 turns). Each one plays in about 3-6 hours.

Designer: Craig Besinque
Developer: Joel Toppen

Home Page: http://www.gmtgames.com/p-142-hellenes.aspx

1960! Fun game!

This is 1960: The Making of the President (2007). I great gem from Z-man games. Monica and I like as a switch out for Twilight Struggle.




From the author:

"Sometimes the history of a nation can be defined by the relationship between two individuals. The Election of 1960 is the story of two men, John F. Kennedy and Richard M. Nixon. One is the scion of a wealthy, politically powerful family from New England. The other is the son of a Quaker grocer in Whittier, California. While they belong to opposing political parties, they start out as friends. The complex development of that friendship, however, would shape a pivotal presidential election and cast a long shadow over American history for the remainder of the 20th century.

"In 1960: The Making of the President, you take on the role of one of these great protagonists vying for the right to lead his country into the heart of the Cold War. However, it is not just foreign policy that poses a challenge to American leadership; this is also an era of great social turmoil and progress. As the United States continues to build upon the promise of its founding, candidates must contend with the question of civil rights and balance their positions on social justice against the need for valuable Southern electoral votes. Of course, the ever-present issue of the economy also rears its ugly head, and both Nixon and Kennedy will compete to be the candidate with the voters' pocket books in mind.

"The contest is fought out on an electoral map of the United States as it stood in 1960—a map where Louisiana and Florida share the same number of electoral votes, as do California and Pennsylvania. Using a card-driven game system, all the major events which shaped the campaign are represented: Nixon’s lazy shave, President Eisenhower’s late endorsement, and the 'Catholic question' are all included as specific event cards. The famous televised debates and final election day push are each handled with their own subsystems. Candidates vie to capture each state’s electoral votes using campaign points in the four different regions of the country. At the same time, they must build momentum by dominating the issues of the day and attempt to gain control of the airwaves.

"As with any election campaign, the challenge is to adapt your game plan as the ground shifts out from under you. There are never enough resources or time to do everything, but you need to make the tough calls to propel yourself into the White House. This fast-playing strategy game for two players challenges you to run for the most powerful elective office in the world, at one of its most unique crossroads. Will you recreate history, or rewrite it? 1960: The Making of the President provides you the opportunity to do both."

ASL at ASLOK

Wow,


I went to my first ASLOK (Advanced Squad Leader Oktoberfest) in Cleveland this year and had a blast. I arrived on Tuesday afternoon and left on Saturday after midnight. I didn't know what to expect but went full of optimism. The convention fully blew away my best hopes and has earned an annual place into my future schedules.


I have owned ASL for years and years but have only really been playing it “seriously” for about 6 months. My concerns about being an ASL newbie at ASLOK were unwarranted and there were plenty of newer players then even me there having a good time.


I arrived Tuesday after about a 6 hour drive. It was about 1 pm and I had no problem finding the hotel. I immediately went up to the top floor where they were holding the convention and located the main event table. This is where I met night shift master “Wild” Bill and the overall event “boss” Bret Hildebran. Both were friendly and got me my ASLOK badge right away. Bill immediately asked me if I was ready for a game and we sat down and he “schooled” me. After being broken in ridden hard by Bill and wondered around and admired all the ASL goodies that were sitting out. There was table after table of ASL stuff set up and all those expensive hard to find modules just laying around. There is a high code of ethics between ASLers and leaving your huge collection sitting around is not an issue and no one I asked had ever heard of anything being stolen. Wild Bill stays up all night to watch the stuff, but I think that is more to watch it from the hotel staff then the other players.


Wednesday I tried my hand in the “Gunned Up in the Desert” mini tournament and was quickly defeated in round one. Never having played a Desert battle before didn't help. Wed – Sat there are many “mini-tourneys” that you can enter in an effort to win the convented “wood”. The winner of each mini receives a wooded plaque. I was also eliminated Thursday in round one of the mini I entered. The competition at ASLOK is top-notch and I was happy with my win-loss record my the end of the week (4-7). The GROFAZ (GROeSSTE FELDHERN ALLE ZEI, Greatest Field General of All Time) is the big tournament where the winner is deemed the best ASL player in the world for the year and gets all the bragging rights! I didn't bother to even try to qualify for that tournament but wow it was fun to watch those guys play.


I stayed up overnight twice, each time playing a battle. I won one and got spanked in the other. I got in a lot of games over the week and as far as the game of ASL goes had a huge blast but I have to admit the best part was the social aspect of ASLOK. I was able to meet with old friends, meet some ASL legends, and make a bunch of new buddies. We had fun between games eating the free snacks and drinks and trading war stories. There is a strong scene of fraternity in the ASL crowd that I just don't feel in other genres of gaming. I was able to sit down and get to know guys like Steve Pleva (officially one of the best ASL players around), newer players like me, and ASL celebrities like Mark Pitcavage and Perry Cocke. Everyone was very friendly and being able to put a face to many of the guys I read in the forums or play on VASL was really cool.


I am on boat for 2010 and watch out Steve Pleva (GROFAZ winner) I am coming for you!

Great War A-Z

An Austrian Archduke, assaulted and assailed,
Broke Belgium’s barriers, by Britain bewailed,
Causing consternation, confused chaotic crises;
Diffusing destructive, death dealing devices.
England engaged earnestly, eager every ear,
France fought furiously, forsaking foolish fear,
Great German garrisons grappled Gallic guard,
Hohenzollern Hussars hammered, heavy, hard.
Infantry, Imperial, Indian, Irish, intermingling,
Jackets jaunty, joking, jesting, jostling, jingling.
Kinetic, Kruppised Kaiser, kingdom’s killing knight,
Laid Louvain lamenting, London lacking light,
Mobilizing millions, marvellous mobility,
Numberless nonentities, numerous nobility.
Oligarchies olden opposed olive offering,
Prussia pressed Paris, Polish protection proffering,
Quaint Quebec quickly quartered quotidian quota,
Renascent Russia, resonant, reported regal rota.
Scotch soldiers, sterling, songs stalwart sung,
“Tipperary” thundered through titanic tongue.
United States urging unarmament, unwanted,
Visualized victory vociferously vaunted,
Wilson’s warnings wasted, world war wild,
Xenian Xanthochroi Xantippically X-iled.
Yorkshire’s young yeomen yelling youthfully,
“Zigzag Zeppelins, Zuyder Zee.”

– John R. Edwards

Watch out here comes Monica!