From: Doug Murphy Subject: Review: Nordkapp S&T 94 Boy, it's been a while since I've posted a review to the list... S&T 94 was one of the TSR-produced S&Ts and as such, marked by a decent production quality, good editing, but in my opinion a certain lack of passion for wargaming. Fortunately, the issue game, Nordkapp, a look at a Soviet invasion of Norway during a third world war, was designed by longtime S&T designer Chuck Kamps (who designed the Central Front series of games). Kamps has designed more a simulation than a game althought Nordkapp is a terrific game, a nailbiter where the Soviet player can't really bring his traditional preponderance in strength to bear as a result of the climate and terrain in Scandinavia. Nordkapp is more a simulation in that Kamps allows you to manipulate force structures, weather, reinforcements and a host of other issues in exploring the situation. The accompanying article by Kamps is an excellent detailed overview of the operational situation at the time in the North. In a later Moves issue, Kamps even added alternate forces structures and counters, as NATO tinkered with the Marine and Canadian reinforcements in the mid 80s. The map is very much a TSR product of the time -- almost a watercolor of Norway with strong colors rather loosely regulated by the hexgrid. The counters are serviceable; a mix of NATO icons and a few silhouettes, and including lots of relatively exotic units like Finnish and Swedish forces, and a multinational reinforcement pool of US Marines, Canadians, Dutch and British units. There are a lot of unique units on both sides with their accompanying, interesting chrome. Among this game's highlights -- units can be in Heavy or Light modes (depending on whether or not they have joined up to their equipment). This allows troops to move a bit more easily in the greatly restricted terrain at a cost in combat power -- and is a neat mechanic to represent mobilizing or reinforcing units with pre-positioned equipment. Also, again because of the terrain, ZOCs are pretty limited -- most units don't have them. Restrictive stacking limits for heavy units accurately reflect the paucity of road space and deployment limitations. The CRT is pretty brutal -- even at high odds, you can get an adverse result, representing in Kamp's words "perhaps an ambush or loss of communications." Air units are matched against each other in a series of mission choices, resolved by a die roll with the winner having a chance to interdict the road net (crucial in this game), escort airmobile units or hit enemy units. The Sov player has a real choice at the beginning whether to invade Finland and/or Sweden. Doing so opens up the front considerably but brings in significant winter-hardened enemy forces. Our play revealed the Sov. must use his amphib, heliborne and para forces aggressively to hit the vulnerable Norwegian coastline -- outflank NATO blocking forces, seize pre-positioned equipment hexes and the all-important airbases -- capture of which determine victory. The game is actually won or lost by the NATO reinforcement die rolls -- the mix of reinforcements being variable because of their possible diversion to other areas in an all-European war. There is an optional rule which gives more control over this which I haven't used much -- because the variability significantly impacts the tactical decisions NATO must make as the game progresses about where to hold and where to retreat. Turn sequence is pretty straightforward. A typical turn sees the Sov determine weather, both sides resolve air interdiction, airborne/heliborne movement, and the Sov determine his supply status, make amphib. movements, ground moves, air moves with air units not used previously in the turn, then conducting combat. Then the NATO player does the same with the exception of weather. Combat resolution is also straightforward -- determine the odds ratio, there are column shifts for terrain, air cover, Sov chemical attacks, surprise attacks (using Sov airborne or if NATO flanks a Sov), roll the die on the CRT -- the results are expressed in Loss points for both sides. Loss points are fulfilled by retreating or eliminating units according to a simple ratio -- interestingly, for every loss point which cannot be fulfilled, the opposing player reduces his own total. Supply consists of tracing LOS from the unit not more than half its MA to a road net. Each Sov division (there are three) must trace supply over a separate road...this gets dicey as the road net contracts. OSS units are limited in movement and combat -- this effectively kills Sov momentum -- so a supply-blocking NATO unit can wreak havoc. There are arty, AT and air defense units...you can airdrop supply, paratroops, commandos, even equipment (to make certain units into Heavy). There are two flavors of heli-lift -- for heavy and light units -- a neat bit of chrome. All told, this is a neat game that truly gives you an insight on the fragility of combat units in an Artic situation -- The Sov can't win WW3 in Norway but NATO sure can lose it -- their collapse presupposing Sov naval and air use of Norway like that of the Germans in WW2. Doug Murphy