steve rupar - 09:46am Jun 21, 2000 PST (#7401 of 7426) Out of the wrapper: Bittereinder from the Microgame Co-op. This covers the Boer War at a strategic level, with area movement, and monthly turns. Total of 32 turns, out to summer of 1902. There are 280 counters which you have to mount yourself, about half of which are combat units. British units have unit designations, mostly brigades and battalions, with red for the infantry, and various shades of blue for the cavalry. Boer units are named after towns, with differing shades of green for the Free State and the ZAR. The counters have what look like actual pictures of either a cavalryman or infantryman. I rather like the look, although the 11 x 17 map makes some of the areas too small for the stacks of counters. Sequence of play is reinforcement and sea movement for the Brits, Republican rail move, Brit rail move, Brit land move, Republican land move, Republican combat, Brit combat, and then morale phases. The alternating sequence seems like it will give the Republican units a good chance to pick their fights or retreat. The Brits have some strong infantry brigades but they move slow and need supply. Attacking is voluntary. The CRT is heavy on retreats, although elimination is possible if you can cover surrounding areas with your troops. British units can come back when killed based on a d6 roll, Boer units are gone for good. British units if in an area with a town may opt to be besieged instead of facing combat, limited to a simultaneous total of 5 sieges. The keys to this game look to be the Empire morale. Empire morale is fragile (I think a 0 to 10 scale, starts the game at 7) and will drop whenever garrisons surrender. It has a chance of dropping every turn based on a die roll compared to the number of Empire towns the Boers have captured. Every three turns, the Brits must check any of his units under siege for surrender by rolling a d6 against the morale. If the Brits survive the initial Boer onslaught it will be tough to win, it looks like they will have to kill every Boer unit out there. At midgame and beyond they can begin constructing blockhouses (by trading in infantry units) which restrict Boer movement. Taking the Boer capitals also allows the British to begin using Barbarism whereby two Brit held Boer areas per turn can be razed denying their supply value to the Boers. So far I have played thru the first two turns (solitaire, I have a 9-month old daughter). Brits are under siege in five areas and Boers have spilled well over the border into the Cape colony, up to the edges of the ports. Brit morale is still at 6 based on loss of one garrisons but this will likely drop soon due to the large area of the Cape Colony controlled by the Boers. But large numbers of British units are scheduled to begin pouring into the ports. I don't know that much about the Boer War, but the game seems to pack a lot of punch for $9. Hjalmar Gerber - 07:58am Jun 23, 2000 PST (#7472 of 7502) steve rupar - 09:46am Jun 21, 2000 PST (#7401 of 7441) Out of the wrapper: Bittereinder from the Microgame Co-op. This covers the Boer War at a strategic level . . . The alternating sequence seems like it will give the Republican units a good chance to pick their fights or retreat. This was my intention - especially to capture the elusive nature of the Boers, as well as the reluctance of a citizens' militia to engage regular forces in a stand-up fight. The keys to this game look to be the Empire morale. Empire morale is fragile(I think a 0 to 10 scale, starts the game at 7) and will drop whenever garrisons surrender. It has a chance of dropping every turn based on a die roll compared to the number of Empire towns the Boers have captured. Every three turns, the Brits must check any of his units under siege for surrender by rolling a d6 against the morale. Actually, barring flagrant stupidity and trardiness by the Empire player the morale should remain quite robust. Clear the Boers out of your towns as soon as you can. Do not forget the other half of the underlying equation: The Republican War Commitment Points. The Empire player has to stomp on and erode the Boers' ability and willingness to continue the struggle as soon and as fast as possible. Therein lies their victory chances. If the Brits survive the initial Boer onslaught it will be tough to win, it looks like they will have to kill every Boer unit out there. Not true. See "Republican War Commitment Points". Taking the Boer capitals also allows the British to begin using Barbarism whereby two Brit held Boer areas per turn can be razed denying their supply value to the Boers. Correction: Historically, taking the capitals did not "allow" the British to start a policy of scorched earth (shorthand: "Barbarism", which should have remained in quotes throughout the rules). When the capture of the capitals failed to deliver a surrender, the British resorted to scorched earth/"Barbarism". The term was coined by the British leader of the opposition, Henry Campbell-Bannerman, in a speech at a restaurant in Holborne. Correction: More than two areas can be razed per turn - as many as are Empire held, and are adjacent to the Kitchener counter. More later. Hjalmar _______