Rick Trnka - 11:38am Feb 3, 2002 PST (#4317 of 4338) "Who controls the past now controls the future.... who controls the present now controls the past"- Rage Against the Machine from "The Battle of Los Angeles" Post #4294: Jim said "Tell me more". Glad to! The game simulates U.N. (and U.S.) intervention in Somalia. It is for two players although there is a multiplayer option with one player the U.N. and up to four bandit players as there are four factions in the game. This is a good simplification IMHO. There are 100 double-sided counters. The map is a simple map of Somalia divided into irregular zones which are either rough or desert and 4 boxes for Mogadishu (North, South, Airfield and docks). The time scale is approx. monthly turns and the troop scale is roughly battalion/brigade for the U.N. and "gangs" for the bandit player. Each turn starts with random events which includes famine, surplus weapons for the bandits, atrocities, extra U.N. aid , short term bandit unity, and even a visit from the U.N. Secretary General.The U.N. forces are never eliminated, they just leave when there is no political will to continue. The game ends when all the bandit units are eliminated (has never happened for me) or when the end of the turn track is reached. The turn marker is advanced based on the number of victory points each side gets in a turn. This is a very clever mechanic because it is conceivable that the marker may stay put for a number of turns. Following the random events is the Logistics Phase. Supply point counters represent humanitarian aid and standard military supplies. U.N. aid is a die roll modified by U.S. intervention and random events. These are kept in a pool but have to be distibuted and are subject to bandit raids. The bandits can build new units with the SP's and score political capital because they prevent supplies from reaching the civilian population. Next is the Operations Phase. The U.N. player missions are Convoy/Convoy Escort, Flush and Developement. I like the Flush mechanic because U.N. forces cannot engage the bandits unless they are succesful in the flush operation. Flush can only be undertaken in one zone per turn so this alone will not suffice to win the game. Developement can only be performed by Engineer, Military Police and Civic Affairs units. There are a variety of results if the mission is succesful including placement of government militia (which hinder bandit recruiting and raids) building bases and succesfully disbursing aid. The bandit player missions are Raids, Ambushes, and Movement. Movement for the U.N. is unlimited and the bandit can only move one zone per turn unless they undertake a movement mission which is then all that unit can do in that turn. Another interesting twist is that during Flush, Ambush and Raid if the the U.N. player scores a 0 result the bandit player gets a V.P. and a random bandit unit because there is collateral damage and a resultant political setback and if the bandit player scores a 0 the U.N. player is "confined to base" and cannot perform Flush or Developement for the rest of the turn. There are also rules for helos, bandit leaders, and the inability of different bandit factions to be in the same zone together unless modified (temporarily) by random events. I enjoy this game immensely and would encourage anybody who likes this sort of thing to give it a try. It is available from Schutze Games.