From: Roberto Chiavini <mumaye@libero.it>
Subject: A couple reviews

A mere matter of marching (Microgame Coop)

This one is from Bruce McFarlane and it is a very unusual design on the
Niagara campaigns of the War of 1812. Using three different scenarios
for the three years of the war and company as the size for most units,
the game try to capture the feeling of that particular war and it is
certainly a very unusual game. Graphics is good without being
owerwhelming beatiful: the counters are nice, while the point to point
map is too computerish for my taste, but it is very functional. Each
year may lasts up to 30 turns, during which each force may try to move
and have combat. Object for the game for the Americans is to get two of
three English forts on the map, while the British may win a major battle
(a battle involving more than a half of the total starting force)
against the Americans and get the game. 

Movement is based on rolling two dice and checking the result against
the march value of the units involved: here is one of the clever ideas
of the design: the greater the force the harder to make that move (and
only for a space in the map, two if cavalry moves alone). So, to move
all the army is very difficult, while moving brigades or regiment or
single companies may be increasingly easy. But here is the second point
of interest in the rule: only a force (of any size) for each turn may
move through a certain rout, so you have to be very wary in your
strategy. 

When forces from both size occupy the same zone a battle is possible if
the defender doesn't retreat: a battle is fought over a battle board,
where the pieces are put according to a few simple rules and then dozens
and dozens (should I say hundreds?) of dice are rolled, each six
producing a hit that in the following round must be compared to a morale
check or otherwise the unit that suffered the hit is removed from play.
Again, another interesting idea, but this time I didn't like it at all:
to complete a combat could take forever (and if a major battle occur,
normally it leads to the end of the game, as the Americans, if involved,
must win the battle or lose the game). 

There are also rules for siege combat and leader losses, but they are
not innovative, nor interesting enough. 

What you get for your money: a mixed design, with a great manouver
system and a not so great combat one. If you are like me, anyway, you
get such a design, because a DTP designer need to be encouraged and
because it could be fun to try at least once or twice all the scenarios.
If you are a wristler it is a game for you, but if you prefer a more
realistic and more fast combat system then look for another design. 

I rate the game 6 + in a 1-10 scale