Lawrence Hung - Oct 22, 2005 10:27 am (#11030 Total: 11030) Now playing Sword of Rome,Devil's Horsemen,Bitter Woods,Alesia, Empire of the Sun,Blue vs. Gray,Group of Soviet Forces Germany, ASLSK,For the People II,Thirty Years War,Joan of Arc,To the Green Fields Beyond,The Big Push,Fortress Berlin On the table today: ATO magazine game "The Big Push". The British major offensive the Somme river area with their French comrades in 1916 July to November. We played the 4-turns scenario "Over the Top" as a learning exercise. It took some time to get used to the game system at the first place. So we just barely able to finish 3 turns in 5 hours. A bit slower than I thought. Primarily because, I think, of Roger Nord's usual approach taking as many variables as possible into his integrated design. A lot of different dieroll modifiers should be aware of and calculated at the time of resolving combats. Otherwise, we are pretty much happy about the game's neat treatment of command resources, whereas the British has more options than the German at the corp strategic planning level. One thing we try to figure out initially is the use of the HQ for both movement and combat. It is because an HQ in command range and in command mode should be there for assault commitments. At the same time, they should be in supply mode when actual combat take place to avoid that nasty +2 DRM. Soon, naturally we know that the Brits have the advantage in the number of HQs available! One HQ would allow the Tommies to get close to assault. Another HQ should supply them in combat. Speaking of assaults, we are confused by assault, which is a normal one, and close assault. In the later, defensive fire get to fire first before the attackers. While close assault has a +1 DRM for EACH close assaulting unit to inflict greater damage, we forgot to apply this one. We had all defenders getting to fire first in a normal assault... I would hope that the rules in assault should have clearly stated this, not only just a DRM description on the Assault Resutls Table. The Brits could have pushed the German more aback. At the same time, since we played it wrong on the close assault rule, there was no point for the German to go over the top for a close assault, given the fairly bloody combat resutls for the attacker. So the result is a false victory to the German...as the Allied could not clear all the German units from the starting trench line. Actually despite rain-clear-drizzle weather, the Brits had done well in the center part of Somme river, breaking through the German line with the cavalry advancing into the trench upon hex vacated by the defenders. The process of Artillery bombardment is more efficient than that found in To the Green Fields Beyond, with lifting and creeping barrages being the command resources for the Allied to use. There are no tanks in this scenario. So we don't get to see the tank breakdown. Replacement is calculated by coutning the number of assault, steps lost and disordered units. Most Allied units have 4-steps and the Germans have 3. Victory points would go to the opposing side for each replaced. Since the Allied victory conditions hinge on territorial objectives and not VPs, it is almost a wild spree for the German to get the replacements up running and send'em to the front via roads as soon as possible. Overall, we like the game system. The numebr of units and low stacking limit on the one map is very manageable. We get used to move on the squares map without problem. The treatment of counterbattery fire is also fun. There are 4 shorter scenarios (4 to 7 turns each) to choose from dissecting each segment in the campaign very well. Along with the 21-turns campaign game, definitely we would give it another spin sometime soon.