Mike Galandiuk  - Nov 1, 2006 8:51 am (#3307 Total: 3309)  
The time has come the walrus said, to speak of many things, 
(Northcoast Gamers Alliance (NGA) Cleveland, Ohio) 	 

A LOST VICTORY (MMP)

The newest game from MMP is about the months after the Stalingrad
disaster, up to the "backhand blow". 

With about five pages of text in the rule book, this is a simple game,
similair to MMP's Gamers line: Standard Combat Series (SCS). 

The map is beautiful and proffessional, mostly white, as the campaign is
during the Russian winter. 

The counters are bright colors of red and grey, with German tactical
symbols, rather than the more common NATO symbols. In an interesting
twist, MMP included an extra set of mechinazed units, with armored
vehicle silhouettes, like Tigers and T-34s, as opposed to the German
symbles. You can pick which you'd rather play with. I've now playwed
with both, and prefer the silhouettes. 

The game begins with both players picking a number of "chits", which
each activates specific HQ on the map. The HQ can move and attack with
each unit in there command range. The Russians have a STAVKA chit, that
activates all Russian HQs on the map. The STAVKA chit is always bad news
for the German player, as mostly all the Russian units on the map can
move an attack. The Germans get special Manstein chits, which allow them
to choose any Axis HQ on the map to activate. 

The German and Russian chits are placed in a common cup. When a chit is
pulled from the the cup, the appropriate player locates the HQ and
determines which units are in command. The player may then move and
attack with those units. 

Movement is as simple as paying +2 movement points to leave an enemy ZOC
and +2 movement points to leave. This is a simple design, as there's
also no minimum move. To move from one ZOC to another, in clear terrain
would cost 5 movement points! Crossing a major river without a bridge
takes an entire movement phase, but may not take place from one enemy
ZOC to another. There are several major and minor rivers running across
the map. Attacking units are halved across all rivers. Rivers and their
bridges are key to both players plans. 

Depending on the turn, there are 7 to 9 chits in the cup, and turns are
completed quickly. Pick a chit, move your in -command units, then
attack. 

The combat results table is based on a six sided die, with attacker step
losses, defender retreats, and defender step losses. Most units have two
steps, for only the Rumanians, Italians and Hungarians have one step
units. defending units in rough or towns get an odds shift, while those
in a city get two odds shifts. 

The game is won on victory points, with the five cities on the map worth
five victory points each. That has the Germans starting the game with 25
VPs. Only five more and they'd win a sudden death victory at 30 VPs.
It's not going to happen. 

The Germans also get one point for each Russian tank/mech unit
destroyed. The Russians get three VP for each German tank/mech unit, and
one for each other German units destroyed. The Russians get nothing for
the big pile of destroyed Italians, Romanians and Hungarians! Without a
sudden death victory of 30 VPs, the player with the most VPs at the end
of the game wins. 

To say the least, I like this game! You'll curse the chit draw, the dice
and your opponent! There's plenty of desperate attacks, last stands,
rear guards, bridgeheads, river crossings, and breakouts! You play the
game and not the rules. It's wargaming fun at it's best! 

I hope designers take notice, and see if there's an opportunity to make
this system a series. 

Thanks, 

Mike