From: terryr@smiley.mitre.org (Terry L Rooker) Date: 10-DEC-1993 07:14:20 Description: Re: Sands of War In article , Will Hartung wrote: >Is anyone willing to share their thoughts on this game/system? I saw >the SoW boxed set, and the components look pretty nice (11 maps????), >don't care much for the counters (always like the SL counters). I >guess there is a compatible Eastern Front game as well, and an >expansion. > It's a pretty good game. I agree that the counter artwork is not as good as other games, but they functional. The maps are also much smaller than a standard map, about 17x11. It is compatible with the East Front game called Blood & Thnuder. A West Front game is also in the works. >The box doesn't mention the scale, but I imagine that it's several >vehicles per counter and platoon level infantry. (Chadwick likes that >scale). > Of course it uses that scale. Chadwick's reasons for this choice are described very convincingly in Assault. >How does it compare to the Assault series? Does it have similiar >command/control rules etc? The box implies that it seems to cover the >gamut from vehicles to air strikes, and it seems to have a hefty >component count and rule book (80 pages). > If you liked Assault you will probably like this series. It does cover everything from air strikes to chemical weapons to rubber boats! It also does this over 50 years of military technology. Rather ambitious to say the least. While I originally felt it couldn't work, it does. It is a very accurate portrayal of those military operations. Still the scale and scope leave the game feeling, 'generic'; more so than other tactical level games. The system allows for the tactical nuances you would expect, it is just harder to get emotionally involved in the action. Over all it probably plays similar to Assault. It does not uses the original Assault C&C rules, but it does use the system that was included in the last, unpublished, revision to Assault. Basically, the command points are replaced with either lead or command orders. Lead orders are placed on a commander and that gives all subordinate units within 2 hexes C&C to move and fire. A command order can be placed on another hex, but it only has a 1 hex radius. Chadwick argues that this system simulates the 'affect' of the Assault system, by observing that the Assault system caused units to bunch up around commanders. That much is true. It does not capture the difference in how fast a formation can react. For example, I regularly used Soviet battle drill to make wholesale changes in my force configuration. Then the NATO player would take a couple of turns adjusting his forces to compensate. That just would not happen with the new system. I think Chadwick just bowed in to pressure to change the system. The nice thing is that if you have Assault, all the pieces are their to simply use that C&C system in place of the one in SoW. If you are interested in the period(s) covered SoW is a worthwhile purchase. You might as well get the expansion while you are at it. If you liked Assault you will probably like the First Battle series (or what it has become). If you didn't like Assualt, then stay away from these games.