NIEUCHESS: AN ADULT STRATEGY GAME (published by Avalon Hill, 1961) 

It’s been forty years since I ran across NIEUCHESS, but it was rewarding
then, and having picked up a copy several months ago, rewarding now.
Games can be classified as toys, tools, or simulations. NIEUCHESS is a
tool. Simple, explains concepts like maneuver, mass, and what, and you
don’t have to count past ten. 

This is a traditional Avalon Hill game, hexes and a combat results table
revolving around a 3:1 CRT table (if you rate an AH game’s age by
publication number, this was #509; TACTICS II by comparison was #502). 

Board: 25 by 36 hexes, half the size of D-DAY’s board (the inevitable
fold being the division between players.The board has a series of
impassable areas that confine playing area to an hour-glass shape. The
center consequently is narrower, with a few passes to flanks. Two
replacement centers to the rear of each player, two banks of five
‘invasion hexes’ on either flank, to the rear. 

Pieces: Each player has 20 pawns. 

Movement: Pretty simple. Five hex movement per pawn; all pawns can be
moved within a turn. Two invasions (per game) may be launched from the
‘invasion hexes’. A red line down the middle also provides faster
movement, simulating a rail line or whatever. 

Combat: What you don’t know about the traditional three to one combat
results table, and if you haven’t memorized it by now, well, fine. But
it’s worth taking a look at (Rand Corporation certainly did during the
1950s) and if nothing else, you can better your craps game. 

Tactics and strategy: Some folks have mentioned this is a frustrating,
idiot’s game. Nope. Just surprising. 

1) Tactics: 

Try to maintain groups of five pawns (remember that 3:1 CRT base?). You
may even remember ‘soak-offs’ as a tactic. 

Attrition is your enemy. You don’t have to attack. Take a breather,
unless your enemy is on the ropes. And you’re not. 

Finally, you can always outflank an opponent by using the invasion hexes
within your own area. Unlike launching a 'foreign invasion,' you can
launch any number you want in your own half of the board. He's down
there, strangling, so hit him; even a single stray pawn can be
disruptive. 

2) Strategy: 

The farther you advance, the fewer units you’ll have for the final
conflict. It’s simple attrition. Remember the First Battle of the Marne?
Calculate how many pawns may be moved up for a critical moment, so
you’ve got sufficient mass. 

Line them up and shoot it out: if you’re careful, you can actually gain
some room around the flanks. But only do this at the beginning of a
game. 

Always maintain the central position and control the forward passes, so
you can shift pawns from left or right flanks (sound like the central
ploy in chess?) 

Invasion: each player may launch an invasion into his opponent's
territory of up to five pawns, twice per game. If you’re gaining on your
opponent, try it. The key point is using five pawns (going back to the
above, five pawns is the key number for tactical/strategic movement).
It’ll certainly bother him with another flank that has to be dealt with.

And remember, always make sure you’ve got those two pawns across the
line so you get replacements (yes, you have to have a pawn across the
line for each of the replacement centers). If on the ropes, play the
Jubal Early routine; he threatened Washington, D.C. in 1864 to divert
Grant's pressure on Lee: just send two pawns across the line into
nowheresville, and your opponent is going to have to divert something to
stop you/tromp you/and have to divert his own replacements. 

Finally, if you get a chance, pick up a copy of NIEUCHESS and plunk
around with it. Don't worry that it's found in a backyard sale as a
'toy,' just make sure you've got the rules and the board. I've found it
simple enough to interest cynics who've never played a 'war game'
before. Good luck, and always roll a '1'.