giovanni fazio Hi Andrew, Got my package today, thanks! 2 quick clarifications on Cufra: 1. Italian air enters on Turn 1? Or Turn 5 with "all other combat units" as reinf.? 2. My "set-up" chart was for SITW! Do Italian units have fixed entry hexes, or is North map edge entry OK anywhere? Jassin looks great too! Thanks, Gio Dennis L. Bishop - Oct 2, 2003 9:08 pm (#1128 Total: 1165) Gio, 1. The Regi Corpi Air Unit is available beginning the first game turn, but be careful about how you decide to use it. 2. All Italian reinforcements enter anywhere along the north edge of the map. 3. Sorry about the snafu. I guess that you got an invitation to purchase SITW to complete the partial (set up chart) game. 4. Jassin is pretty cool, and keeps getting better with Andy's "living rules" that is catching some interesting things. Later, Dennis L. Bishop giovanni fazio Hi Dennis, Yes, Cufra is very small, very fast, but furious and fun. *Every* die-roll counts in this game, big-time. 2 more clarifications sought; 1.) Exchange results: is the defender's strength treated as face value or plus terrain? i.e. a Senussi INF. unit in dunes that's exchanged takes down 2 or 4 Italian combat factors? 2.) The "AE" result on a die roll of "6" at 2:1 odds. Not a typo, I presume? This one is a real joker in the deck . . . Games so far? The Senussi won #1 with exactly one civilian exited, and one unit left on board. #2 saw the first Italian column take heavy losses in a massed Senussi charge though the clear terrain. The reinf. were largely devastated and pushed back too. Italian air took shot after shot at Senussi in the open and missed! #3 was a tie; a cautious Italian advance took some losses in the clear, but the mobile Blackshirts broke through and assaulted the towns. The armored cars *just* caught one group of civilans before they hit the safety of the dunes, while the rest were trapped in the oasis. A few Senussi infantry survived, however, and an inopportune AE at 2:1 odds took out enough Italians to allow them to escape into the southern dunes. Very tense games, every time. A lot seems to depend on that fickle Italian air support . . . giovanni fazio - Oct 3, 2003 11:45 pm (#1135 Total: 1165) One other thing: the "Hold At All Costs" rule seems to require careful use. It's good when attacked at 1:1 or 3:1, but doesn't seem to be as useful at 2:1 or 1:2 . . . giovanni fazio - Oct 4, 2003 3:20 am (#1136 Total: 1165) Warning to counter-mounters re. Jassin: don't use double-sided tape! This is the method I've perfected with Vae Victis counters, but for whatever reason --different paper thickness, or type of printing-- it's very hard to get a clean cut with this one, and the paper peels off the edges easily. I lost a lot of morale numbers and unit IDs and ended up with quite a ragged set of units. Fortunately, I made a color copy, so I'll try again with paste . . . Andrew Preziosi - Oct 4, 2003 6:05 am (#1137 Total: 1165) Today's Latin Lesson: I hate you Paramecium to piecium! 1.) Exchange results: is the defender's strength treated as face value or plus terrain? i.e. a Senussi INF. unit in dunes that's exchanged takes down 2 or 4 Italian combat factors? Face value, Gio. 2.) The "AE" result on a die roll of "6" at 2:1 odds. Not a typo, I presume? This one is a real joker in the deck . . . No, we're not using typical SPI type stepped odds result table here, there are some wild fluctuations at all levels. This is one of Dennis's trademarks. Hope that helps Andrew Dennis L. Bishop - Oct 4, 2003 6:08 am (#1138 Total: 1165) Hi Giovanni, Good to have someone playing this game. Answers to questions: 1. Exchanges do not include terrain modifications, but we played with this idea during playtesting. 2. The AE at 2 -1 is correct. The more that you play the game, the more you will see uses for this "joker." I can see by your progressive games that you are learning things each game that you play. I might add from the designer's notes that each defending unit may be attacked three times: once by air, once by artillery, and once by infantry. The combat results from these three types of attacks can be devastating. Technically, 9 out of 12 of the Senussi combat units can be attacked and wiped out on one of the die rolls by the end of the game. However, that will not win the game for the Italians. I am surprised that you think that Italian victory hinges on the "fickle" air support. Use air as a "bonus" attack, concentrate more on the more reliable ground units. However, I have played many a game where the Italians won by destroying a civilian unit in the last southern hex with airpower. Thanks for the updates on your battles. It is a fluid, fast, and furious game with both sides defending and attacking. I am also happy to read that you have foud that "Hold At All Costs" has its weaknesses as well as its strengths. That was a real consideration when we were playtesting. It is part of the original intention of the game. Also, I always make color copies of all DTP counters for just the reasons you described. I can't wait to read your take on JASSIN. However, I hope that you continue playing DEFIANCE for a while until you discover all the secrets I planted in the game. Dennis