From: Phil The Subject: Re: VG's NATO Arnaud Bouis wrote: >Eric Pass writes: > >> Hi all, >> >> VG's NATO game was mentioned here with regards to the WP "attack from >> the barracks" scenario. I have an extra copy of NATO I would >> be willing to sell or swap for another title. If anyone wants to >> look through their gamebox for games they'd like to exchange, please >> contact me at: > >Can you sum up the game system of NATO ? Simple Igo-Hugo with >combat-movement ? I bought it in England a decade ago but immediately >exchanged it for FIREPOWER (a move I haven't regretted). I have a bad memory >of the game but now I wonder if it can be simplistic because it is a VG >game (who's the designer ?). > >Arnaud. > Arnaud, VG's NATO is a Div/Rgt level game of (you guessed it) a hypothetical invasion of Western Europe by the Warsaw Pact in the 80's. It's been a long time since I last played it but I've included a description of the game system as I remember it. As VG games go it has a relatively simple sequence of play. Essentially an Igo-Hugo job with a Defensive Nuclear Strike phase played during an opponents turn. * Supply: Trace a line from the unit to a supply source (occasionally via a controlling HQ). Unsupplied units suffer the usual penalties (1/2 strength, move limitations etc.) * Movement: Half a dozen types of movement ranging from Tactical and Strategic Road Movement to Helicopter Transport. The mechanics are simple and basically consist of either hex-path traces across the map or immediate point-to-point shifts followed by an interception check (successful interceptions cause the moving unit to suffer step losses). * Combat: The CRT utilises a simple odds comparison of attack to defence strength resulting in either step losses and/or retreat results. Map terrain has simple effects on combat; either doubling defence strengths and/or subtracting from the combat die-roll. An interesting attacker ploy is the use of limited Offensive Support markers. These allow you to double attack strengths of units within a selected formation. Warsaw Pact Chemical Warfare is also covered by column shifts in their favour coupled with reduced air availability for NATO (simulating strikes against airbases). * Airpower: Simply allocate air points to a mission (Air Strike, Support Suppression or Road/Rail Interdiction) and roll a die. Results include step losses, suppression of Offensive Support markers or increased movement costs/reduced rail capacity respectively. * Nuclear Warfare: Incredibly simplistic simulation of Nuclear Warfare. Basically instigator has a 50/50 chance of losing the war outright. If this doesn't occur then reinforcements for both sides are eliminated or delayed and each player gets Nuke points to toss around the map! Map (and counters) are clean and colourful. Map scale is 15 klicks/hex with 2 day turns. Thats it! 1 map, 400 odd counters, 2 card reinforcement tracks, rules and 1 page of charts and tables. In fact for a 36 page rulebook there is remarkably little content within. Off hand I'd consider the game about as complex as "Panzergruppe Guderian" (and even that's a tad generous). Overall, none of the local gaming group liked it and preferred to play GDW's "Third World War" series or even SPI's "Next War"! In all honesty I cannot recommend this game (I'm also wondering why VG decided to publish a game lacking their world-famous complexity algorithm! - "Ambush" aside? :) * Designer: Bruce Maxwell designed "NATO" and is also known as the designer of WestEnd Games "Air & Armor"; a tactical level NATO vs WP game in the Meiningen Gap (near Wurzburg). If you get the opportunity try "A&A"; Mr Maxwell states that he spent nigh on 8 years perfecting this game prior to print ... and it shows! An infintely, superior product! Cheers, Phil.