From: "William Sariego" Subject: Reds! (GMT) Variants for GMT's REDS! by William Sariego REDS! is a remarkable game, and IMHO cements Ted Raicer's place in the Hall of Fame. After two playings following its initial release I was inspired enough to write a short review for Web-Grognards. Two years and five playings later (three Red, two White victories), I have decided to expound on the two possible variations mentioned in my earlier, rather hasty review. None of the below are earth shattering, but variety is the spice of life. More are from the White perspective, as I feel the game is slightly in favor of the Reds. Balance is not as bad as I initially thought in 2001. Aggressive White play (if you win Initiative....USE it well) and the rules which favor the attacker can go a long way to reversing the October Revolution. RED options: 1] RED VERDUN: A nice rule to simulate the epic struggle for Tsaritsyn, later Stalingrad, and then Volgagrad (amazing how Russian history seems to be written in pencil). Yet, it could have happened anywhere..... Variation: During set-up allow the Red player to place the Red Verdun marker in the city/resource city of choice. Once placed, normal rules apply to the marker's function. 2] STALIN/VOROSHILOV: Use the odd colored "Done" marker to represent the team of Joseph Stalin and Kliment Voroshilov. This is a Red Leader with a value of 1 on its front side. The counter has a 0 for its flip side (this represents Voroshilov alone). Variation: If this leader counter is drawn the Red player is allowed to place it in the Front of choice (a roll is not needed). It cannot be placed in the Field Staff command box. Place with the "1" value up. After its entry in the game, flip to its "0" side if the Red Verdun marker is removed from play. If the Red Verdun marker is already gone when this leader is drawn, it still enters as normal. In this case it is flipped as soon as a RED resource city is captured by the Whites. The removal represents Stalin's temporary setback in his power struggle with Trotsky. WHITE Options 1] FLEET: Change the Attack Modifier of the White Sea naval flotilla to "0", rather than "-1". 2] KOLCHAK: At the Paris conference, the Allied Powers officially recognized the Kolchak government as the official government of Russia. This rule loosely simulates the extra supplies and money Kolchak would have recieved had he been able to stay around a bit longer, or if the recognition had come earlier when he was winning. Variation: Anytime after Strategic turn B, the Whites can Rally any Disordered Siberian units on a 1-3 roll during a Logistics Phase. The Kolchak option is usable only once per game, and if not used by the time of Allied Major Withdrawal, it is voided. It cannot be invoked if the Semenov Cossack Raid is in effect. 3] SIBERIAN AIF FORCES: The Allies sent troops to Siberia, though the farthest west any of them reached was a Japanese contingent in Irkutsk. Though unlikely, small numbers could have moved into the area covered by the game. Variation: Make a Siberian AIF unit. It becomes available on Strategic Turn B at Omsk on its Disorderd side and is removed when the Allied Minor Withdrawal occurs. It is a Division sized unit with a Manpower Value of 1, is non-replacable, and can only operate in the East sector of the map. Ordered, it has an Attack Modifier of +1, a Defense Modifier of 0, and 3 Movement Allowance. Disordered, it has an Attack Modifier of -1, and a Defense Modifier of -2 and its Movement Allowance is unaffected. It abides by all AIF rules. 4] AIF GARRISON UNIT: Make an AIF Garrison unit, with a Manpower Value 1 and a Defensive Modifier of (-1) and a non-replaceable dot. It can be created per 20.5 by any AIF unit. It is removed when the Allied Major Withdrawal occurs. {Note: If you don't have any oversized blank counters, their are more than enough "Done" markers in the counter mix to make the above White units} RANDOM EVENTS: Nothing is more irritating in life than a Random Event that has no effect. Okay, plenty of things are more irritating, just not when playing REDS! How many times, as the White player for example, have you groaned because you rolled a 2 and Strategic Turn B was still in the future? The variants below give four options to the White player, and two to the Red player, if such an Random Event occurs (or doesn't occur, more accurately). The first time an Event is rolled that would otherwise have no effect, the rolling player gets Option 1 in his/her list. The second time, Option 2, and then Option 3 for the Whites. After that, you are out of luck! RED RANDOM EVENTS 1] WHITE POGROM: White atrocities against the revolutionary peasantry and ethnic minority's cause a surge in Red sympathy. Replace a White control marker on any any City with a Red control marker. The Red player chooses the city, though it cannot be occupied by a White unit. 2] PARTY DISCIPLINE: The Red Army of Workers and Peasants rises to the defense of the Motherland. During this Logistics Phase, all Disordered Red units Rally on a 1-3, rather than a 1-2 die roll. WHITE RANDOM EVENTS 1] SOCIALIST REVOLUTIONARY REVOLT: The Left SR's, once allied with the Bosheviks, revolt and attempt to assasinate key Red leaders and generally raise havoc, diverting the Red Army. During this Logistics Phase, Red units can only Rally on a 1. The Red Train cannot Rally automatically, but can make a Rally roll for eligeable units, succeeding on a 1-5 result. 2] WORLD CAPITALISM: Massive seizure of Russian assets and trade embargos occur overseas, and people like J.P. Morgan pour massive funds into the most reactionary White coffers. During the next Strategic turn, the Reds are considered to have one less Resource for purposes of their Replacement Allowance. In addition, as long as Allied Minor Withdrawal has not occured, the White player can replace one eliminated Cossack unit. This is in addition to normal replacements per rule 14.3 . The replaced unit (if one is available) can belong to either the AFSR or Siberian faction and returns Disordered in its home Krug. 3] WAR COMMUNISM: Forced grain requisitions alienate the local peasantry. The control marker of an applicable city switches from Red to White. This is the White players choice from the following guidlines: It cannot be occupied by a Red unit, it must not be a Resource City or a Red (or Red Terror) City. 4] WHITE GUARDS VOLUNTEER: Whites from Finland cross the border to aid the counter-revolution. If it is after Strategic Turn B, immediately Rally the White Northern Army if disordered. This occurs at once and not in the Logistics Phase. If the unit has been eliminated, it can be "replaced" on its Disordered side in any White controlled city in the North sector. If replaced in this manner, it can never leave the North sector and can never rally to its Ordered side. If neither situation applies, then apply the following........ ......KRONSTADT REBELLION: If before Allied Major Withdrawal, eliminate any Red Garrison unit in Petrograd. If after Major Withdrawal, change control of the Baltic Sea to White until the next Strategic Turn. Sadly, if NONE of the above apply, extra Event #4 is wasted and the White player gets nothing :-( That's all folks. Hope you enjoy the twists on this great game. In an age of collecting and dust covered bookshelf ornaments, this is a game to be played.