From: Doug Murphy Subject: Space Nazis from H*** X-To: Multiple recipients of list CONSIM-L To: Multiple recipients of list CONSIM-L Status: RO Space Nazis from Hell! is another effort under the title: Just Plain Wargames from Pacific Rim Publishing Co. As I mentioned yesterday, this is a simple game of 2- dimension space fighter combat that arises when Germany wins WWII and attempts to take on the Western Hemisphere (which is otherwise known as the Greater USA). The game arrives in a plain white envelope. I paid $10 for it and for what it is, I consider it money well spent. There is an 8 pg rulebook (of which 1 pg is a game chart & 1 pg is design notes. Rules are straightforward with what I found a delightful tongue- in-cheek attitude toward the topic. There is one 22x34 map and 100 counters. The map is pretty simple: black hexes representing space w/ three hexes w/ letter designations to aid setup. Counters are either blue for the Amer and Red for the Space Nazis. There are also elite "SS" fighters and 20 asteroid counters. Each counter contains an id letter, plane image, and 3 numbers rep. turn ratio, attack value and speed. A record sheet is also provided to record damage and note velocity (although I find any scratch paper can be used and this record keeping is pretty minor even with the highest density games). A d10 is needed. Game scale is 1 fighter to a counter and each hex representing "one heck of a long way across, if not farther." Basically, each turn the players roll for initiative, move any asteroids in play, conducts actions (initiative holder first), and repairs. Actions are either move or fire. Players can do either, but all ships that are to move must be moved before one fires and the same w/firing. The Movement rules are an abstraction of physics and IMHO while not as good as those in Triplanetary (to echo Steffan), they work here. Speed numbers rep. forward velocity. Each turn a unit may accelerate or deccelerate by the indicated Speed. Turn ratio is the number of hexes a unit must move forward before it can change direction by one hexside. No reverse move allowed. While an unlimited number of units may stack, one must roll for collision. So in games, there are units sliding all over the place. Throw in a few randomly moving asteroids and the map resembles an arcade. Combat is very simple: a die roll (modified by range, facing, speed & National Socialist Ardor for the SS pilots) is compared to attack table which reveals # of hits. Then roll on damage table for ea. hit. Another die roll range repairs 1 hit. As I mentioned, another amusing unit is the 7-hex-sized Space Fortress Grossdeutschland. This unit can launch and land fighters, fire its own weapons and generally look imposing. Each hex contains either launch tubes, landing decks, weapons, or the command/reactor. The latter hex must be destroyed to neutralize the unit (w/ 10 hits), although one can chip away at the other hexes as well. The explosion that results from a successful attack also vaporized all units w/in a five hex range. There are 7 scenarios and a generator to make your own. Scenarios range from a basic duel to an all unit armageddon. The units in question are detailed very cleverly in the design notes. The rocket propulsion is theorized to involve an energy field surrounding the unit and nullifying gravity, w/ a chemical engine providing thrust. Thus, the SAME AIRFRAMES of fighters are usable in order to meet the production demand. These include the Brewster P-77 Buffalo II, the North American P-151D Mustang II, The Lockheed P-83 Lightning III, the Vought F40U Corsair II. The Volksraketenraumsturmjager Vj-666; Me-307 (based on the 109), FW-290, Me-225 (based seemingly on the V-1) and Sturzraketenkampfraumzeug Ju-287. Need I say more. Designed by Paul Arden Lidberg who also includes a varient which considers altitude. While I purchased mine straight from the firm (got their name out of the Counterattack mag w/ the Korean game in it), I have seen it advertised in mail order houses like GamesByMail. Doug (dmurphy@wppost.depaul.edu)