Its the end of the world as we know it….I think that is a fair statement, not in a panicky sort of way, but things are most definitely going to change after this crisis is over. The one constant though is GMT Games and their Monthly Update email that dropped last Thursday afternoon. It was a welcome release for me as I have been trying to work from home and frankly the walls are closing in on me! There were four new P500’s announced in the update and they were really interesting ones.

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In case you missed the Monthly Update email, here is a link: https://mailchi.mp/ab01e89b618d/march-19-update-from-gmt-new-p500s-news-production-update

Also if you are interested in my thoughts on the February Monthly Update you can read that post here: https://theplayersaid.com/2020/02/27/february-2020-monthly-update-from-gmt-games-call-in-the-tanks/

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New P500’s

As I mentioned in the introduction, there were four new P500’s announced this month. I am really interested in only 3 of them as I just am not into the 18xx genre. We played 1846 and had an interesting time but not enough to become converts.

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1833NE

As I said above, we are not converts to the 18xx genre of games. But, when I saw the designer name of Tom Lehmann, I actually perked up a bit and took a little bit more interest. You see, Tom Lehmann is the designer of one of my all time favorite card games called Race for the Galaxy. In 1833NE, 3-5 tycoons compete to earn money and build the best stock portfolio by investing in and operating railroads within New England and Montreal, Canada.

From the game page, we read the following:

1833NE is an ’18xx’ game that moves the 1846 rules to New England to portray regional railroading with a vengeance. Players must contend with a rapidly changing landscape as Boston interests first try to link to the Erie canal; then out-flank it entirely via Ogdensburg or Montreal combined with Great Lakes shipping; and finally surrender and deliver New England freight to New York City. New features include passenger ferries (the ‘business class’ travel of the age), freight interconnections, and “dot” cities that portray both rural New England towns and Boston’s subsidies for commuter traffic. For players familiar with 1846, a quick start summary of rules differences will be provided.

Map

The game shares a lot of the same rules as 1846 but there are some new options. From the game page, we read the following:

1833NE is two games in one: a Standard game, plus a Takeover game, which adds 5 more railroads and takeover rules. The takeover rules portray the two different ways that railroads grew in New England: not by mergers, but by financial takeovers (J.P. Morgan’s approach to create the New York, New Haven, & Hartford) or by acquiring near-bankrupt railroads for a pittance (the Boston & Maine’s approach). Takeovers provide valuable flexibility and extra station markers. Railroads who do not pull off at least one successful takeover will find themselves limited to just one train in the later portion of the game, limiting their options.

If you are interested in 1833NE, you can pre-order a copy for $58.00 from the GMT Games website at the following link: https://www.gmtgames.com/p-864-1833ne.aspx

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Almoravid: Reconquista and Riposte in Spain 1085-1086

We played Volume I in the series called Nevsky recently and can tell you that this new system is very different from other wargames that we have played. It is focused on the logistics of the campaigns as well as the process of building and maintaining standing armies through the Levy Calendar. This 2nd Volume is a bit different though and it appears will have not as much difficulty in the supply arena due to high qualify Roman roads that will make moving of supply much easier. From the game page we read the following:

Almoravid, Volume II in Volko Ruhnke’s Levy & Campaign Series, takes us from Nevsky’s frozen northeast frontier to medieval Latindom’s opposite corner. The same base rules show the muster of lords, their levy of forces and capabilities, and their command of armies on campaign across 11th-Century Spain. But al-Andalus was not Russia: your lords will enjoy good Roman roads and gentler seasons but must bypass or smash against Iberia’s profusion of tough Moorish fortifications. Taifa politics and Parias tribute will guide your military strategy. African troops, bloodthirsty crusaders, the avaricious Cid—each may or may not make their appearance. And all will play out across a field half again as large as that of the first volume.

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This volume is larger, covers a bigger area mapwise and still uses the same principles. We are sold on the system, for a change of pace, as it is very interesting and forces you to think about some different problems as you play. This is one you will not want to miss.

If you are interested in Almoravid: Reconquista and Riposte in Spain 1085-1086, you can pre-order a copy for $63.00 from the GMT Games website at the following link: https://www.gmtgames.com/p-861-almoravid-reconquista-and-riposte-in-spain-1085-1086.aspx

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Twilight Struggle: Red Sea – Conflict in the Horn of Africa

We have always loved Twilight Struggle for its historical setting and its back and forth tug of war style Card Driven Game mechanics. If you have not played TS, you need to get a copy and sit down because it is a tense 3 hours for sure that is very well done.

Twilight Struggle: Red Sea – Conflict in the Horn of Africa is a two-player, stand-alone, card-driven game that builds on the award-winning Twilight Struggle. The year is 1974, and the Soviet Union and the United States have been locked in a life-or-death struggle across the globe. As so often happened during the Cold War, a relatively obscure region of the world suddenly took center stage. Emperor Haile Selassie I of Ethiopia, a bedrock U.S. ally in Africa, had grown old and increasingly dictatorial. In 1974, a group of young Marxist officers staged a coup and took hold of the the reins of power. This revolutionary leadership sparked a chain of events that upset the regional balance of power and unleashed all the familiar elements of Cold War competition in the Horn of Africa.

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The game is much faster playing than TS but doesn’t lack for the opportunity for strategic decision making and strategy.

Twilight Struggle: Red Sea asks players to once more answer the summons of the trumpets and bear the burden of a twilight struggle, this time centered around East Africa, the Arabian Gulf, and the vital sea lanes stretching between them. Twilight Struggle: Red Sea is an addition to GMT’s Lunchtime Series and packs deep decision-making into a time frame that allows players to get in a quick game or explore different strategies several times in one session. With a more limited scope and much shorter playtime, Twilight Struggle: Red Sea is the perfect way to introduce new players to the Twilight Struggle system. And yet, this game maintains all the tension, decision making, and theme of the original classic. 

If you are interested in Twilight Struggle: Red Sea – Conflict in the Horn of Africa, you can pre-order a copy for $27.00 from the GMT Games website at the following link: https://www.gmtgames.com/p-863-twilight-struggle-red-sea-conflict-in-the-horn-of-africa.aspx

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Wing Leader: Legends 1937-1945

We have really enjoyed our experience with the different Wing Leader Series games we have played and this new expansion attempts to tie them all together. From the game page, we read the following:

Wing Leader: Legends 1937-1945 is the fourth expansion for GMT’s Wing Leader system. In Legends, we seek to cap the Wing Leader game system by bringing together previous games and expansions in a series of crossover scenarios.

Featuring combat from the beginning to the very end of the war, Legends features some of the smaller air forces. The Chinese over Nanking, the Yugoslavs over Belgrade, and the Bulgarian defense of Sofia all appear. The last gasp of the Regia Aeronatica over Sicily and Calabria are captured in a series of exciting scenarios. There are new scenarios for China and France. Old favorites, including the Pacific and Eastern Front, also feature, matching Italians against Soviets or recreating the famous Battle of the Bismarck Sea.

There are also a lot of obscure aircraft and a campaign mode that can bring it all together, which I think is pretty great. From the game page, we read the following:

Featuring combat from the beginning to the very end of the war, Legends features some of the smaller air forces. The Chinese over Nanking, the Yugoslavs over Belgrade, and the Bulgarian defense of Sofia all appear. The last gasp of the Regia Aeronatica over Sicily and Calabria are captured in a series of exciting scenarios. There are new scenarios for China and France. Old favorites, including the Pacific and Eastern Front, also feature, matching Italians against Soviets or recreating the famous Battle of the Bismarck Sea. New Aircraft range from the obscure Yugoslav IK-3 interceptor to the American P-26 ‘Peashooter.’ Italian types including the G.55 fighter and the Z.1007 bomber also appear.

Players will need copies of all previous Wing Leader products to fully enjoy this expansion. In addition to new aircraft and scenarios, Wing Leader: Legends features a whole campaign system, replicating the experience of the desperate air battles over Kursk in the summer of 1943.

If you are interested in Wing Leader: Legends 1937-1945, you can pre-order a copy for $28.00 from the GMT Games website at the following link: https://www.gmtgames.com/p-862-wing-leader-legends-1937-1945.aspx

With the current situation that we find ourselves in, Gene provided some very helpful resources so we can keep ourselves entertained as we ride this thing out.

Some Resources for Filling Your Downtime. We’ve had numerous requests from customers to give them some ideas of what GMT-related material they can read or use online to help fill the downtime, especially if they are at home for an extended period. Here’s a list of some resources that we hope you’ll find helpful:

  • GMT Games on VASSAL: We have VASSAL modules for most of our games. So if you’re missing face-to-face play, you and your friends can continue your gaming fun playing on VASSAL. The link at the start will send you to the VASSAL.org page that lists GMT Games available.
  • PBEM Vassal Tournament: Next War Korea, Death Valley, and The Dark Valley. The wargameleague.com PBEM ladder site is having a PBEM Vassal Tournament. To sign up for this tournament, you must send an email to jeff.lange@mac.com prior to March 31, 2020. Late players beyond that date will be slotted in as well on a first-come, first-served basis. Registration is free. Further information will be provided after sign ups.
  • InsideGMT Articles. If you’re looking for reading material that includes more background and detail on our games, especially upcoming P500 games, InsideGMT has a LOT of it. Check out the latest articles here, or use the site’s Search function to pull up all the articles about a game of your choice. Also, later in this update in the InsideGMT section, Rachel has included a bunch of links to various article series that you may find interesting.
  • GMT Website. The main page lists all of our most recent shipments and new P500 additions, plus sections below detailing all our latest News and Recent Additions to the website. Click here for the P500 Pre-Order Page to browse or make orders. You can use the Search function from any page to quickly find a game page for any in-stock or P500 game (and for most of our out-of-stock games). Each of those game pages contains a list of online resources specific to that game.
  • Our GMT Games Facebook Page. Feel free to drop in here to discuss or ask questions about our games with over 5,800 other GMT enthusiasts.
  • Play our Digital Games! You can now play digital versions of Twilight Struggle, Fort Sumter, and Labyrinth—all from our friends at Playdek. See the Digital Games section later in this update for links to the apps on various platforms.
  • Check out articles from The Players’ Aid. Grant and Alexander do a great job of offering a mix of print and video replays, first looks, interviews, and strategy articles about a variety of games, both from GMT and other companies. Here’s a link to one of their most recent articles—on the history behind one of the cards in our upcoming Red Flag Over Paris.

Thanks as always to Gene for sharing our stuff. I know that we cover a lot of GMT Games but it is really nice that they support so feverishly the content creating community at large. We owe a large amount of our viewers to GMT Games and we appreciate they way that they continue to share our stuff.

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Charging and Shipping

Shipping. Their next P500 shipment will include the following 5 products:

Labyrinth: The Forever War Expansion

Men of Iron Tri-Pack

Space Empires 4X 4th Printing

Space Empires 4X 3″ Box

Wing Leader: Origins, 1936-1942

As you may have heard, they were planning to ship these games out in early April but the State of California has issued a shelter in place edict and GMT Games, while they seem very important to us wargamers, didn’t make the cut for an essential business so they had to shut down the warehouse.

They also will not charge for those games until they have the ability to ship so it will be just a while.  One comment I have about the games in this section. The sweet, sweet 3″ box for Space Empires has got to be mine. I will get one…for sure!

New P500s on the Horizon

New P500’s on the Horizon

I did a good job last month with 3 of my guess being correct. We shall see how I do this month. Here is the information that Gene shared in the update with my guesses added:

Here is a brief tease for P500 additions lining up in the coming months. Note that this is not a comprehensive list, so I will switch these up a bit from month to month. My recent hints of “A new 18xx title” referred to this month’s new 1833NE; “a new Wing Leader expansion” referred to this month’s new Wing Leader: Legends; “A new Levy & Campaign series game” pointed to Volko’s new Almoravid, and January’s hint of “A new Lunchtime game from Jason Matthews” referred to Twilight Struggle: Red Sea. Over the coming 1-6 months, I anticipate that we will add:

  • A new WWII block game featuring paratroopers – hhmmm. Sounds intriguing but I don’t have any intel. Sorry.

  • A new GMT version of a 1980s Victory Games classic – this one will be a remake of the Victory Games classic Pacific War designed by Mark Herman. I cannot wait!

  • A new game based on the popular Sekigahara system – I know of a game from Compass Games that uses the Sekigahara system called Granada: Last Stand of the Moors but I don’t know anything about this one unfortunately.

  • An operational level WWII game set in Italy – Salerno ’43 designed by Mark Simonitch.

I feel like I got 2 correct this month. 50% isn’t bad. Gene, how did I do?

Conclusion and Summary of My P500 Orders/Tracking

As I always tend to end these posts, I will post a summary of where my 41 P500 games stand as of March 23rd. I routinely check the status of each of my games and also will show the change in orders as compared to the last time I wrote them down on February 26th.

  1. 1989: Dawn of Freedom 2nd Printing – 495 [+33 orders] – Only 5 more orders…but I saw a note on the Update a few months ago that this was in the art department. That means they are reprinting even without the needed 500 orders which is very cool. No thanks to all of you “Johnny come latelees” who are just taking advantage of the price! Shame… Currently at the art department awaiting a shipping date.
  2. Bayonets & Tomahawks – 954 [+14 orders, made the cut!] – I love a good game about the French & Indian War. Read my interview with designer Marc Rodrigue about B&T! Getting really close now. Still in the art department with shipping scheduled for the next 5-9 months.
  3. Imperial Struggle – 3,620 [+108 orders, made the cut on 1st day!] – A game depicting the rivalry between France and Britain in the 18th century designed by the Twilight Struggle dynamic duo. Currently at the art department awaiting a shipping date. Here is a look at some finalized art for the cover:IS_Box Top_f_CS6_24FEB20
  4. Roads to Leningrad 2nd Edition – 190 [+1 order] – This game is medium complexity and has high suitability for solitaire. Also, this is the 2nd edition and they are fixing some of the rules, updating the map and player aides (full color) and also there are 528 counters! I love counters and this game has 528. Read my interview with designer Vance von Borries. Game was saved from P500 purgatory last year! Thanks for all who ordered. Maybe it is time that I start looking for this one some other way. Vance’s games are amazing and we have really enjoyed our plays of Demyansk Shield from Legion Wargames.
  5. Plains Indian Wars – 411 [+3 orders, made the cut! thanks to a mystery donor] – A great game that looks at the inevitable wars between the expanding United States and the proud Native American tribes of the west. Read our interview on the game with John Poniske. We posted a few videos on this one to help push it on up toward the P500 goal. Review video and How to Play video. How far this one has come. After being announced as being in danger of being removed from the P500 if orders don’t pick up an anonymous donor has bought the remaining +/- 100 copies to get this one printed. Yeah!
  6. A Time for Trumpets: The Battle of the Bulge, December 1944 – 937 [+13 orders, made the cut!] – A monster wargame covering the Battle of the Bulge (5 maps and 1,600 counters). This design seems to take many familiar elements from other designs and adds some new shiny things to spice it up. I’m really interested to see the different colors used for the various formation/HQs as this one purports to include the entire rainbow. Congrats to Bruno on making the cut so quickly. Here is our interview with Bruno for your reading pleasure. Currently in the art department and should be shipping over the next 3-5 months.
  7. All Bridges Burning: Red Revolt and White Guard in Finland, 1917-1918 – 1,321 [+31 orders, made the cut! in the first month] – Here is a link to an InsideGMT article that describes the game: https://t.co/TPCssBT76U I also posted an initial interview with designer VPJ Arponen last year and now have a follow-up piece with him discussing the design experience. Really excited about this 3-player COIN Series game. We also worked with Vez on a series of posts where we are spoiling several Event Cards from the game along with Vez’s comments on the history behind the card, what they do, how they are best used by the factions and other neat elements. Here are our posts for the cards: #3 November Revolution in Russia, #8 General Strike, #9 Declaration of Finnish Independence, #27 The Reds Launch a Major Offensive, #43 Rough Justice, #45 Finland’s Fate Hangs in Balance, #24 Red Revolt!, #25 Disarming Russian Garrisons, #11 Weapons from Russia? and #30 Meetings in the Catacomb. Currently at the art department awaiting a shipping date.
  8. Flashpoint: South China Sea – 626 [+5 orders, made the cut!] – Another new entry in the Lunchtime series that was announced last year and for which the first entry is Fort Sumter. The South China Sea is a source of great concern for the West and this game looks at the struggle between China and the rest of the world over influence and control in this contested quadrant of the world. We were lucky enough to meet up with the designer Harold Buchanan at GenCon 2018 and got to play and shoot a video interview on the game. Nearing art department readiness.
  9. People Power: Insurgency in the Philippines, 1983-1986 – 820 [+9 orders, made the cut!] – Volume XI in the COIN Series, this game is another introductory level game set in the Marcos years in the Philippines. New additions, such as key personality cards and an Election Cycle, are sure to make this game a unique addition to the series. Here is our interview with designer Kenneth Tee. We also posted the first few cards in our series of Event Card spoilers for the game including #51 Aquino Dead, #31 The First Lady, #12 Another Beirut, #72 Rolly Kintanar, #9 Call for Unity, and #53 Alejo Santos to give you some more historical and game play background into the design. Nearing art department readiness.
  10. Beneath the Med: Italian Submarines at War, 1940-1943 – 814 [+44 orders, made the cut!] – A follow on to the The Hunters Series, this game takes you into the Mediterranean Sea during World War II to battle beneath the waves as the Italians. Designer Gregory M. Smith knows solo sub games and this one looks fantastic. Here is our interview with Gregory and it is a really good looking game. Currently at the art department awaiting a shipping date.
  11. Atlantic Chase – 1,027 [+9 orders, made the cut!] – Simulates the naval campaigns fought in the North Atlantic between the surface fleets of the Royal Navy and the Kriegsmarine between 1939 and 1942. It utilizes a system of trajectories to model the fog of war that bedeviled the commands during this period. This leads to my affectionate nickname for the game “Ticket to Ride: North Atlantic” as you will see lines of ships on the map much like the lines of trains in that game. Alexander posted an interview with Jerry White last year that you should read. Great looking game! Currently in the art department and should be shipping in the next 3-5 months.
  12. Versailles 1919 – 1,345 [+27 orders, made the cut!] – This game is designed as a more accessible and easy to learn version than Churchill but still will generate significant interest from wargamers who have enjoyed Mark’s other creations in this area. Also, the game will have a solitaire system included. We attended WBC in July 2018 and were able to play a full game of Versailles 1919 with Mark Herman and did the following video interview with him. Great game by the way! Currently at the art department awaiting a shipping date. Here is a look at a near final map:Versailles 1919 Final Map
  13. Expansion or Extinction: A Triumph & Tragedy Series Game – 611 [+10 orders, made the cut!] – If you liked Triumph & Tragedy, you will like this game…only it is in space! We were fortunate enough to play a game at WBC 2018 with the designer Stuart Pierce and also shot this video interview with him. We also posted a written interview with him on our blog in February 2019 which was really good. Nearing art department readiness.
  14. Men of Iron Tri-Pack – 920 [+28 orders, made the cut!] – This Men of Iron Series is a look at battles in medieval times involving men-at-arms, knights, longbowman, etc. The Tri-Pack includes the first three games in the Men of Iron Series: Men of Iron, Infidel, and Blood & Roses, with the Battle of Agincourt thrown in for good measure from C3i Magazine #22. This system is very interesting and we are definitely intrigued as our play of The Battle of Wakefield was very interesting. En route to GMT but shipping has been cancelled due to Coronavirus.
  15. Commands and Colors: Samurai Battles – 1,133 [+18 orders, made the cut!] – A reprint of a former game that looks amazing as I love any type of game focused on feudal Japan. We have been playing lots of C&C Napoleonics and Ancients recently and are really anticipating this title. Nearing art department readiness.
  16. Storm Above the Reich – 703 [+16 orders, made the cut!] – A follow up effort to the wildly successful Skies Above the Reich. A solo game focused on depicting a Luftwaffe squadron of Fw190s struggling to deter and destroy the relentless daylight raids over Germany during World War II. Nearing art department readiness.
  17. Dominant Species: Marine – 1,221 [+35 orders, made the cut!] – If you like Dominant Species, and I sure do, you are bound to love this take on the genre as marine life fights it out beneath the primordial waves! In the art department and will be shipping in 5-9 months.
  18. Next War: Vietnam – 873 [+14 orders, made the cut!] – The fifth game in the Next War Series this game returns the action to Asia and the powderkeg surrounding the South China Sea. This time the Chinese don’t intend a limited, punitive expedition; they intend to squash the burgeoning threat from their southern border once and for all and prove, through force of arms, that the South China Sea is theirs. I can’t wait to slug it out in and above the jungles of Vietnam! Currently in the art department and shipping in 5-9 months.
  19. Rebel Fury: Five Battles from the Campaigns of Chancellorsville and Chickamauga – 735 [+5 orders, made the cut!] – We really enjoyed Mark Herman’s Gettysburg game found in C3i Magazine #32 and when I heard about Rebel Fury, I jumped on it immediately. Low complexity system with some really great elements to simulate fighting in the American Civil War. Nearing art department readiness.
  20. Clash of Sovereigns: The War of the Austrian Succession, 1740-48 – 575 [+2 orders, made the cut!] – As I have said we love CDG’s and this one is on a different subject than we are used to. Very intrigued by this one and have added it to my P500 for now. Need more info though. Nearing art department readiness.
  21. Caesar: Rome VS Gaul, Gallic Wars 57-52 BC – 804 [+11 orders, made the cut!] – Caesar: Rome vs. Gaul is a fast-playing, easy-to-learn, two-player card-driven game on Caesar’s conquest of Gaul. One player plays Caesar as he attempts to gain wealth and fame in Gallia at the expense of the Gauls. The other player controls all the independent tribes of Gaul as they slowly awake to the peril of Roman conquest. This one looks great! This game appeared on my Most Anticipated Wargames of 2020 list at #4 along with several other games on this post. Currently in the art department and should be shipping in the next 3-5 months.
  22. Banish the Snakes – 551 [+16 orders, made the cut!] – A cooperative game that simulates Ireland in the 5th century, while the Roman Empire was collapsing in the west and Ireland was turning to the Christian religion. Players represent Saints Patrick and others (up to six of you) who set out to convert the pagans on the island. You must work as a team to convert the people of Ireland before the barbarians completely overwhelm Britain. We love good and interesting cooperative games. We published an interview with designer Kevin McPartland a few weeks ago.
  23. Labyrinth: The Forever War, 2015-? – 1,715 [+96 orders, made the cut!] – 1-2 player card-driven boardgame simulating at the strategic level the ongoing bid by Islamist extremists to impose their brand of religious rule on the Muslim world. We love Labyrinth and this is simply more goodness. We posted an interview with the designer Trevor Bender last year. We also hosted a series of 6 Event Card spoiler posts over the past few months. #257 Women’s Rights Activism, #315 Khashoggi Crisis, #275 Operation Inherent Resolve, #305 Presidential Whistleblower, #391 Tehran-Beirut Land Corridor and #351 Advanced Persistent Threat (APT). En route to GMT but shipping has been cancelled due to Coronavirus.
  24. Storm Over Asia – 439 [+21 orders, made the cut! due to an anonymous donor] – A large companion game to the daunting A World at War that focuses on the Pacific Theater of Operations. Beginning in 1935, there are a lot of options for players to explore different what if scenarios in this deep World War II game. I added it because I couldn’t help myself! Currently at the art department awaiting a shipping date.
  25. No Retreat! Battles: 1942 – 389 [+6 orders] – A game that looks at battles for an individual year during World War II. Game offers solitaire rules for a few of the included battles, of which there are 5 in this edition. We posted an interview with the designer Carl Paradis a few months ago.
  26. COIN Series Volume XII China’s War: 1937-1941 – 1,065 [+33 orders, made the cut!] – Brian Train is back on the COIN wagon as he specializes in counterinsurgency. Love his other two games in the COIN Series (A Distant Plain and Colonial Twilight) and look forward to this one as I have always had a great interest in this part of World War II. We posted an interview with Brian Train a few weeks ago. Nearing art department readiness.
  27. Fall of Saigon – 1,359 [+39 orders, made the cut!] – We love Fire in the Lake and this expansion delves into the period of the Vietnam War from 1972-1975 and really boils down to a play game with the US and VC involved but their role is minimized. We played the game at WBC and posted the following video with Mark Herman and Dan Pancaldi from No Enemies Here. We have also posted a written interview with co-designer Volko Ruhnke. Nearing art department readiness.
  28. The Last Hundred Yards Volume 2: Airborne Over Europe – 600 [+27 orders, made the cut!] – a follow up to the hit The Last Hundred Yards focused on airborne troops. You can’t go wrong with that. I will reach out to the designer Mike Denson for an interview soon.
  29. Ancient Civilizations of the Middle East – 527 [+26 orders, made the cut!] – if you like a bit of chaos and some randomness in your lite civilization building games, then this series will be right up your alley. We have posted an interview with designers Mark McLaughlin and Christopher Vorder Bruegge.
  30. Conquest & Consequence – 580 [+37 orders, made the cut!] – The Pacific Theater of World War II using the Triumph & Tragedy system. We love block wargames and this one is going to be good. Will reach out to the designer Craig Besinque for an interview soon.
  31. SpaceCorp: Ventures – 1,100 [+29 orders, made the cut!] – We really enjoyed the space exploration in SpaceCorp and this expansion will add unique enterprises via fourteen HQ mats, each putting a player in control of a different corporation, agency, or institution with its own capabilities and missions. I reached out to the designer John Butterfield for an interview and hope to have that in a few months.
  32. The Weimar Republic – 877 [+37 orders, made the cut!] – we love CDGs and this one looks really interesting. The game focuses on the political struggle in interwar Germany. Four factions compete for dominance: the democratic Coalition, the Soviet-backed Communist Party, Hitler’s National Socialists, and the far-right Radical Conservatives. I need to reach out to the designer for an interview.
  33. Red Storm: Baltic Approaches – 472 [+34 orders] – an expansion for the very interesting looking “Cold War Gone Hot” air war game Red Stormadding the air forces of three new countries (Denmark, Sweden, and Poland) along with additional units for nations represented in Red Storm.
  34. Seas of Thunder – 502 [+23 orders, made the cut!] – Allows players to re-create the Atlantic or Pacific theaters of the World War II but to see how challenging the entire picture was for their leaders with too much ocean to cover with too few ships.
  35. Red Flag Over Paris – 356 [+31 orders] – a game similar in style and mechanics to Fort Sumter but that deals with the Parisian revolutionaries taking control of the French Capital, leading to the beginning of the Paris Commune, a socialist and popular government that would rule the City of Light from March 18 to May 28, 1871. The tension escalates between the Commune and Versailles until the tragic events of the Bloody Week. I have reached out to the designer for an interview and hope to have that finalized and posted by the end of April. We also started a new series of event card spoilers called History Behind the Cars with the first entry being #1 Victor Hugo.
  36. Congress of Vienna – 593 [+42 orders, made the cut!] – a diplomatic Strategy CDG for one to four players which is based on Churchill but that deals with the Napoleonic Wars and their end between 1813-1814. I have reached out to the designer for an interview.
  37. Into the Woods: The Battle of Shiloh – 755 [+40 orders, made the cut!] – The eighth installment of the Great Battles of the American Civil War (GBACW) series, which is an amazing accomplishment in this day of new systems and new games grabbing most of the attention. This one is a big game as it does include 1,120 counters and two huge 22″ x 34″ double sided maps along with 10 scenarios. I will be reaching out to the designer for an interview but hope that the developer Bill Byrne is involved as he did an interview with me covering Death Valley.
  38. Tank Duel Expansion #1: North Africa – 507 [+142 orders, made the cut!] – Tank Duel moves to the North African desert with new terrain and desert rules and allows you to take on the role of the Germans, using their Panzer III’s and IV’s or the British in their Churchill’s, Valentine’s, Matilda’s and Crusader’s.
  39. Tank Duel Tank Pack #1 – 513 [+128 orders, made the cut!] – 8 new tanks added to the Tank Duel system including KV-1’s, T-26, M3 Lee’s and Puma’s.
  40. Almoravid – 275 orders
  41. Twilight Struggle: Red Sea – Conflict in the Horn of Africa – 549 orders

I also wanted to include at the end of this post our reviews/interviews/unboxing videos of recent GMT games that we have played and enjoyed:

Unboxing Video: The Hunted: Twilight of the U-Boats, 1943-45

Review Video: Tank Duel: Enemy in the Crosshairs

Review Video: Stalingrad ’42: Southern Russia, June-December, 1942

Written Review: Genesis: Empires and Kingdoms of the Ancient Middle East

Interview with Kevin McPartland Designer of Banish the Snakes: A Cooperative Game of St. Patrick in Ireland

Event Card Spoilers – The Troubles – COIN Series Inspired Multi-Faction Treatment of the Northern Ireland Conflict – #24 RTÉ Television Centre Attack (This game has not yet been announced by GMT Games yet, but it is currently in design by Hugh O’Donnell and he has agreed to spoil some cards on our site)

Interview with Ted Raicer Designer of The Dark Summer: Normandy 1944

History Behind the Cards – A Look at Red Flag Over Paris from GMT Games with Designer Fred Serval – Card #1 Victor Hugo

Best 3 Games with…Commands and Colors! (My Top 3 Games from the C&C Line that includes two games from GMT Games)

I know things are rough right now but hang in there. Thanks for following along on our journey of playing through all of these fantastic wargames from GMT Games. Lots of good content coming from us over the next few weeks to keep you entertained as you are quarantined.

-Grant