From: "Renaud.Gary" Subject: Re: For Whom the Bell Tolls Robert March asked: "Has anyone out there played [For Whom the Bell Tolls] yet? Anyone interested in providing a short review? " I have it and has played most of the way through it (solitaire) twice. It is a very detailed game, considering the scale (mostly regiment/brigade). Two very important (and frustrating, realistically I suppose) requirements are supply and support. You need (basically) need supply points, of which only a few are available per turn, to make an attack. The "What the heck, I'll attacdk HERE, too; what can it hurt?" method will not work. The combatants in the Civil War were mostly very poorly equipped, so the few artillery units become VERY important early in the game. Because of this, the Italians actually become the most powerful units in the game, when they show up. As with most other GR/D Europa games, each turn is two weeks long, so you have some 80 turns or so. This is NOT a single afternoon game. There are some production problems, with some units being the wrong color. This is understandable, considering you have: Loyalist, Nationalist, Colonial, Falange, Anarchist(!), Catalan, Foreign Volunteers (both sides), Several Gobernitos (regional armies of small states that were practically independant),Germans, Italians, and I don't remember what else. Otherwise, the quality is MUCH better than previous GR/D games. The lines are very tenuous, with small enclaves of each side trying to coalesce into their main body and trying to wipe out the other side's pockets. The Loyalists get unpredictable help from France and the outside world. Transport and logistics are very important. You will usually find that your supply is over HERE, your units are over THERE, but you need to attack THERE, and you don't control all the rails necessary. A simplified naval system, similar to Second Front, is available and you can even try amphibious invasions (hint: don't bother). There are additional scenarios, dealing the Operation Felix (which requires many counters from Fall of France, which is out of print), and a Spanish invasion in lieu of Operation Torch (which requires Torch, which is out of print, or the new War in the Desert, which will be released later this fall). Portugal is included, too, so you can have a silly little Iberian war. (I did that, too; I'm more interested in having fun than matching history exactly.) I live in Anaheim and have a brother in Ventura. Perhaps we could arrange a get-together, maybe Columbus Day?