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Black Lotus (novel)

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Black Lotus
AuthorLaura Joh Rowland
LanguageEnglish
SeriesSano Ichirō
GenreHistorical mystery
PublisherSt. Martins Press
Publication date
2001
Publication placeUnited States
ISBN0-312-26872-6
Preceded byThe Samurai's Wife 
Followed byThe Pillow Book of Lady Wisteria  

Black Lotus is the sixth in a series of historical mystery novels by American writer Laura Joh Rowland, set in late 17th-century Genroku-era Japan featuring the samurai investigator Sano Ichirō. It was published by St. Martins Press in 2001.

Plot

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A fire destroys a building in the compound of the Buddhist sect known as Black Lotus, and three bodies are discovered inside the building, all of them murdered before the fire was set. The shogun sends Sano Ichirō, his Investigator of Events, Situations and People, and Sano quickly determines that one of the dead people is Oyama Jushin, a chief police commander. But the identities of the woman and the two-year-old child are unknown, and the Black Lotus sect denies knowing who they are.[1]

A young girl, Haru, was found hiding near the fire, but refuses to answer any of Sano's questions, becoming hysterical instead. Sano asks his wife Reiko to interview Haru, who tells Reiko she is an orphan who joined the Black Lotus sect after her parents died. She led a happy life in the sect, and doesn't remember what happened the night of the fire, but her body is covered with bruises. Reiko also interviews the head nun, the head of security and the cult's doctor, and leaves convinced that none of them are telling the entire truth about the Black Lotus sect. On her way out of the compound, a young monk, Pious Truth, comes out of hiding and tells her that the Black Lotus sect hides many dark secrets. Young monks like him are starved and beaten, young nuns are sexually abused, young children are kidnapped and hidden away in underground chambers, and the entire sect is preparing for a religious apocalypse. Before Pious Truth can tell Reiko anything else, he is dragged away by Black Lotus monks.[2]

When Reiko reports these things to Sano, he is unconvinced. He finds Haru's story of not being able to remember the events of the fire the usual story told by guilty people. Sano also believes that the story told by Pious Truth of abuse, underground chambers and kidnappings a fantastical invention. A rift develops between Sano, who believes Haru is guilty of murder and arson, and Reiko, who believes Haru is innocent.[2] Both have a passion for the truth, which now threatens to tear their marriage apart.<refe name=pw />

As Sano investigates further, he discovers that Haru is not an orphan, but that she had been married to an abusive husband who had died in a mysterious house fire. This strengthens Sano's resolve that Haru is guilty of arson and murder. But he also uncovers stories about young children disappearing after Black Cult monks have visited the neighbourhood, further confusing the issue.

Sano puts Haru on trial for arson and confronts her with both her parents, and the truth about her past. Haru breaks down and confesses that she killed Chief Police Constable Oyama Jushin after he sexually assaulted her, but she says she ran from the building afterwards and denies setting the fire or killing the woman and child. She confirms the stories of sexual and physical abuse of young members of the cult, and she describes a network of underground tunnels and chambers.

Sano immediately marches on the Black Lotus compound with a force of soldiers, and takes Haru, accompanied by Reiko, to show him the underground chambers. However, when they arrive, Sano's force is attacked by hundreds of fanatical Black Lotus believers. In the confusion, Haru escapes and enters an underground tunnel, followed by Reiko. Sano pursues them, setting up a final confrontation with the Black Lotus leadership, where the real murderer and arsonist is revealed, and the evil plot to instigate a religious uprising is thwarted.[1]

Publication history

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Following the success of her debut novel Shinjū, published by HarperTorch in 1994, Laura Joh Rowland created a series of books featuring Sano Ichirō. Black Lotus is the sixth book of the series, published by St Martins Press in 2001. Rowland would go on to write nine more titles in the Sano Ichirō series.

Reception

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Publishers Weekly called this the latest installment in Rowland's "outstanding series set in Shogun-era Japan." PW noted "The question of religious cults and the abuse of their influence gives this story contemporary resonance. and concluded, "Well-developed characters, a complex, absorbing plot and rich historical detail should help win the author, the daughter of Chinese and Korean immigrants, many new readers as well as a place on mystery bestseller lists."[3]

Kirkus Reviews commented "In a final confrontation that makes Waco look like a throwback to the shogunate, Haru, the Ichiro family, and the Black Lotus Temple finally show their true colors. Honor and spiritual emptiness have a suspiciously contemporary feel in a mystery that can't decide which is more dangerous: love or the coming apocalypse"[1]

In Issue 19 of The Historical Novels Review, Suzanne Crane noted, "Rowland’s latest novel of 17th century Japan will not disappoint her readers." Crane commented, "As with her previous novels, Rowland superbly portrays life in feudal Japan. The rigid societal structure is tested in the course of Reiko's investigation and the danger to Sano's honor is keenly felt. Buddhist temple life and religious fervor are beautifully described." Crane concluded, "Rowland’s talent is wide-ranging: to imbue her characters with powerful traits, to plot suspense beautifully and to entertain while teaching."[2]

In the June 2001 issue of The Internet Writing Journal, Claire E. White commented, "Rowland will keep you guessing until the very last page as to Haru's motivations, and hoping that Reiko and Sano can find a way to patch up their marriage." White concluded, "This is another fascinating entry in an excellent historical series."[4]

References

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  1. ^ a b c "Black Lotus". Kirkus Reviews. 2010-05-19. Retrieved 2025-03-25.
  2. ^ a b c Crane, Suzanne (February 2002). "Black Lotus". The Historical Novels Review. Retrieved 2025-03-25.
  3. ^ "Black Lotus". Publishers Weekly. Retrieved 2025-03-25.
  4. ^ "Black Lotus". The Internet Writing Journal. June 2001. Retrieved 2025-03-25.



Operation Typhoon: The German Assault on Moscow, 1941

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Operation Typhoon
Designers
  • [Joseph Balkoski]]
  • Joe Angiolilo
IllustratorsRedmond A. Simonsen
PublishersSimulations Publications Inc.
Publication1978
GenresWorld War II

Operation Typhoon: The German Assault on Moscow, 1941 is a board wargame published by Simulations Publications Inc. (SPI) in 1978 that simulates the German attempt to capture Moscow during World War I.

Background

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On 22 June 1941, less than two years after signing the non-aggression Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact with the Soviet Union, Germany attacked the Soviets across a wide front, with several strategic goals in mind. One of them, the capture of Moscow, enjoyed initial gains by Army Group Central, but slowly ground to a halt in the suburbs of Moscow as the Soviets responded by quickly constructing three defensive belts, while throwing armies in front of Moscow created from newly raised reserve forces, and troops from the Siberian and Far Eastern Military Districts. Believing that the Soviets must be close to collapse, Hitler and his generals decided on one last throw of the dice, code-named Operation Typhoon. Laucnhed on 17 November 1941, Typhoon involved two pincer offensives, one to the north of Moscow by the 3rd and 4th Panzer Armies, and another to the south of Moscow Oblast by the 2nd Panzer Army, while the 4th Army advanced directly towards Moscow from the west. [1]

Description

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Operation Typhoon is a game for two players, one controlling Soviet forces and the other controlling German forces. The game is large and complex, with 800 counters and three 22" x 34" hex grid maps scaled at 2.7 miles (4.3 km) per hex.[2]

Gameplay

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The game is based on the system developed for SPI's 1977 game Wacht am Rhein, allowes the German side to start each game turn with the following sequence:

  1. Weather and ground determination phase
  2. German support allocation (Every fourth game turn, the German player must randonly determine how many corps in each army can be supplied.)[3]
  3. Mutual supply determination phase
  4. Movement phase
  5. Combat phase
  6. Interdiction phase

The Soviets then have the same opportunities, with the exception of the support allocation phase. This completes one game turn, which represents one day of the battle.

To simulate the fog of war and the variable quality of Soviet divisions in 1941, neither the Soviet or the German player knows exactly what the strength of each Soviet unit is until it is drawn at random.

Various rules cover the worsening weather, operational support, limited intelligence, air power, supply, unit morale, German divisional integrity, and Russian entrenchments. Optional rules allow for the Germans to move into a "hedgehog" formation; Soviet ski troops; and German support.

Scenarios

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There are four scenarios included with the game. The first three are all shorter scenarios only involving one sector of the battle using one map. These all start on 15 November and end on 30 November (16 turns). The fourth scenario covers the entire battle, uses all three maps and all counters, and runs from 15 November to 15 December (31 turns).

Victory conditions

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Before the game begins, the German player must choose one of three objectives, which is not revealed to the Soviet player until the end of the game.[4]:

  1. Direct assault on Moscow (the historical objective)
  2. Encirclement of Moscow
  3. General eastward push

Each has their own victory conditions; attaining these victory conditions results in a German victory. If the Soviets prevent this, the Soviet player wins.

Publication history

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Operation Typhoon was created by Joe Angiolilo and Joseph Balkoski, and published as a boxed set by SPI with graphic design by Redmond A. Simonsen. When the game was released in the fall of 1978, it entered SPI's Top Ten Bestseller List at #2, and two months later rose to #1.[5]

Ten years later, Hobby Japan acquired the game license and published a Japanese language version. In 2023, Kokusai-Tsushin Co., Ltd. (国際通信社) also published a Japanese version. In 2024, Decision Games re-published the original SPI game.[6]

Reception

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In Issue 19 of the British wargaming magazine Phoenix, Brian Laidlaw was not pleased with the rules concerning winter weather, pointing out "[In this game], it is possible in mid November to have days of snow which will disappear overnight and from the beginning of December rivers are liable to freeze and then flow quite freely from day to day. Now I'm no meteorologist but this looks odd to me. We're not talking about your Berkshire Christmas card type winter here but undiluted Arctic conditions which could and did freeze men solid." However, Laidlaw found the supply rules quite solid, commenting, "They are well integrated into the system." L:aidlaw concluded, "Undoubtedly the game will sell well containing as it does the wonder ingredient - tanks on the Russian front, but it also deserves recognition in its own right as a 'clean' manageable and often fascinating game with a wealth of strategic alternatives. There are few games one could recommend unreservedly and this certainly isn't one of them but if you enjoy Operational level simulations and the subject appeals to you then I think you'll find Typhoon is a very good buy."[4]

In Craft, Model, and Hobby Industry, Rick Mataka warned, "Operation Typhoon ... should only be recommended to experienced gamers because of its size and complexity of play."[7]

In Issue 50 of Moves, Steve List commented, "Despite the presence of three German Panzer Gruppen, this game is somewhat in favor of the Soviet. Most of the terrain is heavily wooded, to armor's detriment. The Germans are hampered by weather and by their supply situation." List concluded by giving the game a grade of B+, noting, "The game is a challenge to both players, but especially the German."[8]

In a retrospective review in Issue 14 of the wargaming magazine Simulacrum, Luc Olivier commented "OT emerges directly from the good old era when games were big and beautiful ...In spite of its sheer size, OT is very playable ... A team of two players per side can manage the Campaign Game in less than a weekend. The whole game is hard to win for the German and very dependant on the chits picked for combat: some good or bad defensive values of the initial or last Russian line can ruin or save the German day. But in all cases, the game will be tense for both sides."[2]

Other reviews and commentary

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  • Fire & Movement #15 and #63
  • Science & Vie #31 (in French)
  • Le Journal de Strategie #53 and #54 (in French)

References

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  1. ^ Shirer, William L. The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich. pp. 275–87.
  2. ^ a b Olivier, Luc (January 2002). "Operation Typhoon". Simulacrum. No. 14. pp. 18–19.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference moves was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ a b Laidlaw, Brian (May–June 1979). "Operation Typhoon". Phoenix. No. 19. pp. 7–11.{{cite magazine}}: CS1 maint: date format (link)
  5. ^ "SPI Best Selling Games – 1978". spigames.net. Retrieved 2025-08-25.
  6. ^ "Operation Typhoon: The German Assault on Moscow, 1941 (1978): Versions". boardgamegeek.com. Retrieved 2025-08-25.
  7. ^ Mataka, Rick (March 1979). "Boardgaming Showcase". Craft, Model, and Hobby Industry Magazine. p. 90.
  8. ^ List, Steve (April–May 1980). "On the Eastfront". Moves. No. 50. p. 26.



















Bonaparte in Italy

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Bonaparte in Italy
DesignersKevin Zucker
PublishersOperational Studies Group
Publication1979
GenresNapoleonic

Bonaparte in Italy is a board wargame published by Operational Studies Group (OSG) in 1979 that simulates the Italian Campaign of 1796–1797 led by Napoleon Bonaparte.

Background

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In 1796, the young and untested Napoleon was given command of France's Army of France, largely due to the influence of his new wife, Joséphine de Beauharnais. Napoleon arrived to find the army largely quiescent, but quickly roused it and set off, determined to defeat the Kingdom of Sardinia in Piedmont before their Austrian allies could intervene. If he was successful, this would leave the way clear to besieging the city of Mantua, which in turn would open the door to Austria itself.[1]

Description

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Bonaparte in Italy is a Napoleonic board wargame for two players in which one controls the French forces, and the other controls their opponents. The hex grid game map, scaled at 3.2 kilometres (2.0 mi) per hex, is composed of three 22" x 34" sections; each scenario uses only one or two of the maps. Although there are 300 counters, only leaders are placed on the board — the units under their command are gathered off the map in strategic displays to show their current strength.

Gameplay

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The game uses the system developed by OSG for the previously published Napoleon at Bay.

Supply

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The generally poor state of the Po Valley at that time and the resultant lack of foragable food is reflected in significant attrition each turn. Losses due to attrition are calculated in units of 200 soldiers. When losses reach 1000, the unit's Stregth Points are reduced. As critic Charles Vasey noted, "if you march hard through bad terrain you can lose a very great number of men, often more than you lose in combat."[2]

Movement

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The active player receives a pool of Administrative Poinmts at the start of their turn. The player can choose to move units using one of two methods:

  1. Use an Administrative Point: Attrition will be based on the unit's supplies and distance marched.
  2. Use Leader's Initiative: The player rolls a die. If the result is equal to or less than the leader's Initiative Rating, then the unit can move. However, attrition is based on distance travelled and forage values determined at the end of the march.

Reaction

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Once the active player has finished moving, the non-active player has a chance to react by Force-Marching units, again rolling a die versus the leader's initiative. If the unit can move, it can leave an enemy's zone of control before the actiuve player's combat phase.

Combat

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The active player must attack all adjacent enemy units. Once combat is finished, retreats and prusuits are resolved, then disorganized troops have a chance to rally. Once rallying has been resolved, the active player's turn ends and it is the other player's turn.

Scenarios

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The game comes with seven scenarios representing the various battles fought by Napoleon during the Italian campaign:

  • "Montenotte": The French must push the Piedemontese into an armistice in 7 turns.
  • "Lodi": The French must clear the Austrians from the western-most map in 4 turns.
  • "Borghetto": The French must clear Genoa and Milan of Austrians in 5 turns.

The last four scenarios each deal with a phase of the French siege of Mantua, each marked by a different battle as Austrian armies arrive and attenmpt to lift the siege

An eighth scenario, "Marengo", simulates Napoleon's return to Italy three years later for the Battle of Marengo.

Publication history

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Kevin Zucker, a managing editor for wargame publisher Simulations Publications, Inc., decided to start up his own games company, Tactical Studies Group, in 1978. Due to the similarity between the company name "Tactical Studies Group" and "Tactical Studies Rules" (TSR – the publisher of Dungeons & Dragons) — Zucker quickly changed the company name to Operational Studies Group (OSG).

Zucker conceived of a series of board wargames titled "Campaigns of Napoleon", and published the first of the series, Napoleon at Bay, in 1978. The following year, OSG released a microgame titled Arcola: The Battle for Italy, 1796 as an introduction[3] to the next game in the "Campaigns of Napoleon". Bonaparte in Italy, again designed by Zucker, was released in 1979 with interior artwork by Larry Catalano, and with the 1801 painting Napoleon at the Saint-Bernard Pass by Jacques-Louis David on the cover. This was followed by two other games in the series, Battles of the Hundred Days and Napoleon at Leipzig, both designed by Zucker and published in 1979.

In 2000, OSG revised and republished Bonaparte in Italy, retitling it Bonaparte in Italy: The Defense of Mantua & the Quadrilateral, July 29, 1796–January 30, 1797

Reception

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In Issue 48 of the British wargaming magazine Perfidious Albion, Charles Vasey commented "Now this is a rather good game, and rather good history as well. You get some of the sense of the period as you manoeuvre trying to arrive at a mutually supporting set of positions." Vasey felt the game really shone in the area of supply, noting, "Where this game goes further is in its illustration of the worries of attrition. One is no longer quite so able to utter tedious platitudes about marching to attack at full speed, when to do so could lose you thousands (yes thousands) of your troops." Vasey also warned that the scenarios as presented are historical "and that means they are not balanced." Vasey concluded, "Even with that this ia a game that repays thought — the best trad game I have played in a twelvemonth."[2]

In Issue 52 of Moves, Ian Chadwick admired the components, calling them "superb; the maps are almost excruciatingly pretty, using a gradual change of of colour from beige ("bottomland" to dark green (mountain) to suggest different elevations." Chadwick found the game "easy to assimilate for those who have played ... Napoleon at Bay. Chadwick concluded by giving this games grades of "A" for playability, historical accuracy and component quality, saying, "This is, as we have come to expect from OSG, a fine game. It is especially enjoyable to see a game dealing with a particular area of history left relatively untouched by the wargaming industry. Recommended highly."[3]

Other reviews and commentary

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References

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  1. ^ Schneid, Frederick C.; Colson, Bruno; Mikaberidze, Alexander (2022). Napoleon's Italian Campaigns, 1796–1800. Yale University Press. doi:10.1017/9781108278096.018. ISBN 978-0-3001-3754-5.
  2. ^ a b Vasey, Charles (October 1980). "Bonaparte in Italy". Perfidious Albion. No. 48. pp. 13–14.
  3. ^ a b Chadwock, Ian (August–September 1980). "C'est la Guerre". Moves. No. 52. p. 15.





Raiders and Traders

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Raiders and Traders
DesignersDonald Dupont
IllustratorsDonald Dupont
PublishersChaosium
Publication1979
GenresAncient history

Raiders and Traders, subtitled "The Heroic Age of Greece", is a board game published by Chaosium in 1979 that simulates the world of Hellenic Greece..

Background

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[1]

Description

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Raiders and Traders is a board game for 2–6 players where each player attempts to build an empire in the setting of ancient Greece.

There are three scenarios:

  • Raiding: Players conduct raids to expand into other territories.
  • The Beginning: Indo-European tribes migrate into the Aegean Basin, and use select patron gods, build walled settlements, make

beneficial marriages, and use diplomacy to expand their territory.

  • Empire: Pirates and random action cards are added to play.

There are also optional rules for deities, the Oracle of Delphi, and Heroes (who bring both advantages and disadvantages to the player.)

Publication history

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Raiders and Traders was created by Donald Dupont and published by Chaosium in 1979 as a boxed set with cover art by Donald Dupont.

Reception

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In Issue 45 of the British wargaming magazine Perfidious Albion, Charles Vasey liked the components and the "clear rules with an excellent summary sheet." Vasey concluded, "Piracy, raiding, empire building, family marriages et al all have their place. There is an overrun rule which unbalances the games, but the basic system is interesting, testing, and it's multiplayer."[2]

In Issue 29 of Dragon (September 1979), Jim Ward called this "a perfect collection of all the concepts that anyone who has taken the time to study that era could have formed." Ward noted that the game with all of the optional ruoles "force players to think fast and move fast in the efforts to win." Ward concluded, "The game has many interesting facets and can be played on several levels from a beginning/nongamer’s standpoint, to the most veteran wargamers side."[3]

References

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  1. ^ — (1998). The Long Nineteenth Century: A History of Germany, 1780–1918. New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-1950-7672-9.
  2. ^ Vasey, Charles (February 1980). "Raiders and Traders". Perfidious Albion. No. 45. p. 7.
  3. ^ Ward, Jim (September 1979). "The Dragon's Augury". Dragon. No. 29. p. 47.




Chimaera (magazine)

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Chimaera was a British zine published between 1976 and 1983 that became first Diplomacy-based zine to focus on other play-by-mail games that were often adapted from popular board games of the time.

History

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The strategic board game Diplomacy was first published in 1959. Because of its length (4–12 hours), it was difficult to find seven players able to commit that time to a game. In the United States in the 1960s, this led to the publication of "Dippy zines" that enabled play by mail games of Diplomacy.

In 1969, Don Turnbull published the first British Dippy zine, Albion, and this was followed by a large number of others. In June 1975, Clive Booth published the first edition of Chimaera with the stated intention of not only administering games of Diplomacy but other games that could be adapted to a postal system as well. The first issue was only four spirit duplicated pages that only focused on Diplomacy, and this was the pattern for the next four issues.

With Issue 6, Booth broke the pattern — while he continued to adjudicate Diplomacy games, he also started to allow other game administrators to use Chimaera for different postal games, making it first British Dippy zine to do so.[1] The first game was Soccerboss, a football (soccer) management game. Many players in the British Diplomacy community were not pleased with this, renaming the game Soccerdross, and calling it a trivial game that required little skill, where dice throws trumped strategy. Stephen Agar recalled that "Throughout 1977 zines were full of letters either supporting Soccerboss or denigrating Soccerdross." Alan Parr noted that the game as presented in Chimaera "inspired game after game, and in the search for increasing realism the games became complex enough almost to qualify as genuine simulations."[2] Charles Vasey commented that "it is one of the few games that reads well for non-players."[3]

Despite the controversy, Chimaera continued to feature Soccerboss as well as other games. As Robin Hood noted, "Clive runs Diplomacy games, but also allows anyone to run any other game that arouses player interest providing that the person making the game suggestion is prepared to run the game himself."[4] Over the years, the list of other games included:

  • a Dungeons & Dragons campaign called The Pits of Cil that lasted for 47 issues over 4 years
  • Sopwith, a World War I aviation combat board game adapted to postal play (launched by Tom Tweedy as a sub-zine within Chimaera called Dib Dib Dib; Tweedy would eventually publish Dib Dib Dib as a separate zine.[5]
  • En Garde!, the tactical dueling game published by Game Designers' Workshop[6]
  • War of the Great Jewels, a Diplomacy variant based on J.R.R. Tolkien's The Silmarillion
  • Kingmaker, a postal version of the Avalon Hill game[6]
  • Railway Rivals, a postal version of the educational board game administered by the game's creator, David Watts. The game presented in Chimaera was more popular than Watt's actual board game sales to schools.[2]
  • 1829, a postal version of the popular rail-building game.[6]
  • Mastermind[7]
  • Backgammon[7]
  • Formula 1, a popular British car-racing game of the time published by Waddingtons[7]

The zine also contained various columns about gaming, such as Booth's own description of his involvement in a game of Empire of the Petal Throne, which

Booth's enthusiasm for the zine waned in the early 1980s, which was noted by critic Pete Tamlyn, who wrote, "These days Chimaera is something of a shadow of its former self [as compared to the time] when it twice won the Zine Poll."[8] Booth ended his involvement after Issue 102 (July 1983), handing it over to Richard Morris, who renamed it Boojum.

Awards

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Chimaera won the U.K.'s 1976 "Zine Poll" after less than a year of publication.[9] It won again in 1977, then came third in 1978 and 1979.[10]

Reception

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In Issue 7 of Perfidious Albion, Charles Vasey wrote, "Every now and then one makes a discovery that makes all the trash worth it, Chimaera is such a magazine ... This really is a splendid 'zine, try a copy. It will certainly affect the way I present things in Perfidious Albion."[3]

In Issue 8 of Owl & Weasel, Steve Jackson and Ian Livingstone were "quite enthusiastic about [it], mainly because it's a general games zine as opposed a one~gamer. It is rapidly improving, and no.5, which we've just re— ceived, contains letters, zine reviews, humour (of sorts!), cartoons (don't line drawings really liven a mag up?) and games.

In Issue 15 of Owl & Weasel, Steve Jackson and Ian Livingstone wrote, "We've always been happy to receive copies of Chimaera from Clive; it's one of the few 'games' zines (i.e. ones that run their own games) that gets read before it's filed away. It has now developed into an excellent little paper with a character of its own and apart from the useful (and useless—but-interesting) articles and comments, it actually makes you laugh!"[11]

A 1978 poll of British gamers ranked Chimaera in second place for "Best Zine" and "Best Zine for Games Playing", and in third place for "Best Letter Column".[12]

In Issue 45 of Diplomacy World, Alan Parr wrote, "Clive Booth's Chimaera is one of the half-dozen classic magazines of the British hobby. For most of its immensely long life (well over one hundred issues) it appeared frequently, had a famous letter column, and offered its many readers twenty or thirty pages of genuine reading matter every issue." Parr noted, "Clive wasn't a great inventor of games, but he had an enormously wide breadth of interest coupled with the vision to see how almost any game could be fruitfully offered in a postal context."[2]

References

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  1. ^ Agar, Steve (Summer 1994). "The First Decade". Diplomacy World. No. 73. p. 33.
  2. ^ a b c Parr, Alan (Winter 1987). "Diplomacy in the United Kingdom: A Retrospective". Diplomacy World. No. 45. p. 32.
  3. ^ a b Vasey, Charles (July 1976). "Magazine Reviews". Perfidious Albion. No. 7. p. 13.
  4. ^ Hood, Robin (September–October 1978). "Herald". Phoenix. No. 17. p. 12.{{cite magazine}}: CS1 maint: date format (link)
  5. ^ Agar, Stephen (Winter 2008). "Tom Tweedy, 1948–2008". Diplomacy World. No. 104. p. 15.
  6. ^ a b c Jackson, Steve; Livingstone, Ian (February 1977). "Postal Games". Owl & Weasel. No. 23. p. 16.
  7. ^ a b c Jackson, Steve; Livingstone, Ian (September 1975). "Zine Reviews". Owl & Weasel. No. 8. p. 9.
  8. ^ Tamlyn, Pete (August 1983). "Tavern Talk". Imagine. No. 5. p. 16.
  9. ^ Gaughan, Pete (December 1990). "The 1991 Marco Poll". Perelandra. No. 82. p. 13.
  10. ^ Fisher, Ron (July 1979). "The Zine Poll". Tinamoue. No. 53. p. 5.
  11. ^ Jackson, Steve; Livingstone, Ian (April 1976). "Zine Reviews". Owl & Weasel. No. 15. p. 4.
  12. ^ Miller, Jon (March 1979). "The Mr Gladgrind Awards for 1978". Tinamoue. No. 49. p. 4.



















Hastings, 1066

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Hastings, 1066 is a board wargame published by TSR in 1987 that simulates the Battle of Hastings. The major part of the game was developed by Simulations Publications Inc. (SPI) in the late 1970s, but was not published before the company was suddenly taken over by TSR in 1982.

Background

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Following the death of the childless English king Edward the Confessor in 1066, a several powerful men vied for the throne. Anglo-Saxon Harold Godwinson was crowned king, but had to defeat a Danish army at the Battle of Stamford Bridge before hurrying south to cade William of Normandy at Hastings.

Description

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Hastings, 1066 is a two-player board wargame in which one player controls the Anglo-Saxons and the other the Normans.

The game is relatively simple, with only 200 die-cut counters, a 17" x 22" hex grid map and only ten pages of rules.[1] The turn sequence is an alternating "I Go, You Go" system. Each turn is divided into two phases:

  • Order Phase: Each army is divided into three parts. Each player secretly chooses a strategy for each part of their army, and rolls two dice to determine the Battle Plan
  • Battle Phase: Composed of six segments, with Norman player active:[1]
  1. Active player: Rally
  2. Active player: Missile fire
  3. Active player: Movement
  4. Non-active player: Reactive movement
  5. Non-active player: Missile fire
  6. Active player: Melee combat between adjacent units

The Anglo-Saxon player then has the same opportunities, which completes one game turn. The battle lasts for two days (8 turns each).[1]

Players also track unit morale and fatigue, which are influenced by the battle strategies used by each part of their armies.[1]

Victory conditions

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Victory points are gained by eliminating enemy units and leaders. The Normans win by having more victory points than the Saxons, as well as either clearing the road to London or eliminating all the Saxon house carls. The Anglo-Saxons win by preventing the Normans' victory conditions.[1]

Publication history

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In the March–April 1978 issue of the SPI house magazine Strategy & Tactics, game designer Richard Berg announced he would be developing a series of six easy-to-play wargames called "Great Battles of History." One of these would simulate the Battle of Hastings.[2] Throughout the remainder of 1978 and most of 1979, Berg kept S&T readers up-to-date on how he was developing and testing these games. However, game development was suddenly halted in late 1979, and none of Berg's six games were published by SPI.[2] Instead SPI was taken over by TSR in 1982. Five years after the takeover, Berg's game about the Battle of Hastings, with some rule modifications, was published as a pull-out game in Issue 110 of Strategy & Tactics."

Reception

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In Issue 6 of Battleplan, Keith Martens was enthusiastic about the game, especially by the Order Phase, noting that "the player can influence the final Battle Order by picking a strategy which will maximize the chances of rolling that Order, but does not have the absolute command control found in many games." Martens also thought the tracking of morale and fatigue was "Brilliantly linked with the Battle Order determination." He concluded, "All in all it is the moes realistic tactical ancients game I have seen. If you are interested in the period, try a game."[1]

Other reviews and commentary

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f Martens, Keith (June–July 1988). "Hastings: The Battle of Senlac Hill". Battleplan. No. 6. pp. 5–7.
  2. ^ a b Gifford, Russ (2021), 1066: The Battle of Hastings (PDF)





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Guinness323/sandbox
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