Steve Mitchell - 08:21pm Jan 18, 1998 PST (#401 of 402) White Ensign/Red Sun from Moments in History has just been released. This title covers the Japanese raids in the Indian Ocean in early 1942, using a double-blind system based on designer Jack Greene's earlier Norway 1940. In addition to the historical scenario for April 1942, the game includes a hypothetical Japanese invasion of Ceylon scenario for May 1942. I've had time to play the historical version once, and my general impression of the game is favorable, with a couple of caveats-- The game balance is definitely tilted toward the Japanese. They have more, and better, planes and ships. The British are likely to find themselves thinking in terms of staving off defeat rather than of achieving any kind of victory. All very historical, of course, but the British player should expect to feel a lot of frustration. I felt that the rules writing could have been tighter, particularly since the game was based on an earlier system, and had also been published in a Japanese version prior to the MIH edition. I didn't find any real show-stoppers, but there were more omissions and inconsistencies than there should have been. Perhaps significantly, although Jack Greene receives designer credit, no one is listed as developer. MIH--it didn't work for 3W, and it won't work for you. My first game ended in a Japanese tactical victory, with Japanese points mostly stemming from shipping losses inflicted in Indian and Ceylonese coastal waters. Combat damage was surprisingly light. The Japanese suffered a flotation hit on the Hiryu, delivered during a British night attack. The British took a single hit on the Illustrious during a Japanese daytime strike. One of the Japanese subs found the monitor Erebus and scored a flotation hit on it. And the armed merchant cruiser Hector had the misfortune of encountering the Japanese battlecruiser squadron in a very one-sided night battle. If you're a naval wargamer, and you enjoyed Jack Greene's previous efforts, then I think you will like this one.