Crimea: The Dawn of Modern Warfare is a board wargame published by Game Designers' Workshop (GDW) in 1975 that simulates the Crimean War.
Crimea: The Dawn of Modern Warfare is a board wargame published by Game Designers' Workshop (GDW) in 1975 that simulates the Crimean War.
In 1853, Russia and the Ottoman Empire went to war, with England and France backing the Ottomans, hoping to maintain the current European balance of power in the Concert of Europe. When Russia scored several victories against the Ottoman Empire, England and France entered the war against Russia, and made Sevastopol their main objective, hoping that its surrender would force Russia to sue for peace. [1]
Crimea is a two-player wargame where one player controls the Alliance, and the other controls the Russians. The game is very complex, having a relatively large 22" x 28" hex grid mapsheet subdivided into a strategic map and four smaller tactical maps, 450 double-sided die-cut counters, a large rulebook and many charts and game aids.
In contrast to most wargames of the mid-1970s that used a simple alternating "I Go, You Go" system of turns, Crimea mixes movement and combat from both players in an open-ended structure that does not end until combat peters out. Each Tactical Turn is divided into three segments:
The Action segment only happens when opposing units are adjacent to one another, or if the Allied player during the Strategic movement segment declares an intention to fire siege guns. Either of these situations instigates the Action segment, which is a complex series of phases involving both players:
At this point, if opposing units are still adjacent to each other, then another Action segment happens immediately. This cycle of Action segments continues until no opposing units are adjacent to each other at the end of an Action segment. Play then returns to a new Tactical Turn. If three Tactical Turns take place without any melee combat, then the battle comes to an end.
The game comes with Basic and Advanced rules.
These can be combined into a long campaign game that simulates the entire war. There is also a smaller "micro-game" included that simulates the Charge of the Light Brigade during the Battle of Balaklava.
Crimea was designed by Frank Chadwick and published as a ziplock bag game by GDW in 1975. [3] [ better source needed ] The game initially sold well, and in a 1976 poll conducted by Simulations Publications Inc. to determine the most popular wargames in North America, Crimea was ranked very highly, placing 7th out of 202 games. [4] By 1980, initial popularity had faded, and game critic Nick Palmer reported that "This game deserves to be played more frequently than it is. In part, lack of interest in it stems from the very unusual rules." [5]
In Issue 1 of Phoenix , Dave Mylie thought that the game was good value, saying "Physically the game is beyond criticism and definitely value for money." But although he found the rules "well written and clearly indexed", Mylie felt that the innovative actions system should have been explained better; he also highlighted some rule ambiguities, commenting, "the rules can be something of a problem and the player may find he has to do a little rule writing himself at times." He also warned that "The play of a tactical segment can take several hours and as there are twenty three strategic turns it can be a very, very long game." Nonetheless, he concluded with a positive note, saying, "Whether a player is looking for a relatively simple, complex, long or short game, Crimea provides the answer with its battle, basic and campaign games. It generates such a feel for the period that it must be regarded as a classic." [2]
In his 1977 book The Comprehensive Guide to Board Wargaming , Nick Palmer commented "This game's enthusiastic reception from the hard-core[gamers] demonstrates the potential interest of this subject." He also noted that the "Innovative combat system reinfoces correct period 'feel'." Palmer concluded "Another delight for aficionados, intimidating for beginners." [4] Three years later, in his 1980 sequel, The Best of Board Wargaming , Palmer added "Sadly, there are some holes in the rules; these are being cleared up slowly but steadily." For this reason, Palmer warned "do not make my mistake and plunge straight into the campaign game." He concluded by giving the game an "Excitement Grade" of only 50%, sayng, "This game is first and foremost for enthusiasts of the period, and is not suitable for novices." [5]
In the 1980 book The Complete Book of Wargames , game designer Jon Freeman noted "This is a unique game; nothing like it has been done before — or since." However, Freeman found that "the problem is that the game isn't really a game. There's too much jockeying for position (as opposed to maneuvering for position) [...] And , like history, the game bogs down around Sevastopol." He concluded by giving it an Overall Evaluation of "Fair to Good", saying, "It is an interesting design, and for that it may be worth inspection." [6]
In The Guide to Simulations/Games for Education and Training, Martin Campion was not impressedd, saying, "Several of the rules, especially those having to do with battles, are poorly thought out or poorly presented." [7]
Drang Nach Osten! is a monster board wargame published in 1973 by Game Designers' Workshop (GDW) that simulates Operation Barbarossa, the German invasion of the Soviet Union in 1941. The game was the first of what was envisioned as a series of games with identical wargame rules and map scale that would simulate the entire Second World War in Europe.
PanzerArmee Afrika, subtitled "Rommel in the Desert, April 1941 - November 1942", is a board wargame published by Simulations Publications, Inc. (SPI) in 1973 that simulates the World War II North African Campaign that pitted the Axis forces commanded by Erwin Rommel against Allied forces. The game was revised and republished in 1984 by Avalon Hill.
Air Assault on Crete is a wargame published by Avalon Hill in 1977 that simulates the Battle of Crete during World War II.
Tactical wargames are a type of wargame that models military conflict at a tactical level, i.e. units range from individual vehicles and squads to platoons or companies. These units are rated based on types and ranges of individual weaponry. The first tactical wargames were played as miniatures, extended to board games, and they are now also enjoyed as video games.
Terrible Swift Sword: Battle of Gettysburg Game is a grand tactical regimental level board wargame published by Simulations Publications, Inc. (SPI) in 1976 that simulates the Battle of Gettysburg during the American Civil War. A second edition was published by TSR in 1986.
La Bataille de la Moscowa is a board wargame published originally by Martial Enterprises in 1975, later republished by Game Designers Workshop in 1977, and by Clash of Arms in 2011.
Avalanche: The Salerno Landings is a board wargame published by Game Designers' Workshop (GDW) in 1976 that simulates the nine-day battle for the beachhead at Salerno in September 1943 following the Allied amphibious landing known as Operation Avalanche.
Drive on Stalingrad: Battle for Southern Russia Game is a board wargame originally published by Simulations Publications, Inc. (SPI) in 1977 that simulates Germany's 1942 campaign in Russia during the Second World War.
Wacht am Rhein is a grand tactical monster board wargame published by Simulations Publications, Inc. (SPI) in 1977 that simulates Germany's Battle of the Bulge offensive in late 1944 during World War II.
The Art of Siege, subtitled "Four Great Siege Battles", is a collection of four board wargames published by Simulations Publications Inc. (SPI) in 1979 that simulates four famous sieges.
Coral Sea, subtitled "Turning the Japanese Advance, 1942", is a board wargame published by Game Designers' Workshop (GDW) in 1974 that simulates the Battle of the Coral Sea in the Pacific Theater of World War II.
Battle for Midway: Decision in the Pacific, 1942 is a board wargame published by Game Designers' Workshop (GDW) in 1976 that simulates the Battle of Midway during World War II.
Austerlitz, subtitled "The Battle of Three Emperors, 2 December 1805", is a board wargame published by Simulations Publications Inc. (SPI) in 1972 that simulates the Battle of Austerlitz between Napoleon's French forces, and the Austrian-Russian forces of the Third Coalition.
Tsushima is a board wargame published by Game Designers' Workshop (GDW) in 1975 that simulates naval battles during the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905. Tsushima was part of a two-game collection titled The Russo-Japanese War. The second game in the box was Port Arthur, which covered the land combat during the war. The two games could either be played separately, or combined into one master game.
Burma is a board wargame published by Game Designer's Workshop (GDW) in 1976 that simulates the battle between Japan and an alliance of nations for control of Burma during World War II.
Bar-Lev, subtitled "The Yom-Kippur War of 1973", is a board wargame published by Conflict Games in 1974, only months after the end of the Yom Kippur War. The game simulates battles on the two major fronts of the war: the Golan Heights and the Suez Canal. The game proved very popular, and a second edition was published by Game Designers' Workshop (GDW) in 1977.
Guilford Courthouse is a board wargame published by Game Designers' Workshop (GDW) in 1978 that simulates the Battle of Guilford Court House during the American Revolution. Reviews of the game were mixed: critics liked the rules system but found the game predictable, with only a few strategic options open to either player.
1815: The Waterloo Campaign is a board wargame published by Game Designers' Workshop (GDW) in 1975 that simulates the final three days of Napoleon's last campaign, culminating in the Battle of Waterloo. Reviewers characterized the game as not too complex, playable, fast-moving, and enjoyable. The game was found to be tilted in favor of the French, and GDW released a second edition in 1982 that addressed that issue.
Torgau is a board wargame published by Game Designers' Workshop (GDW) in 1974 that simulates the Battle of Torgau between Prussias and Austrians in 1760 during the Seven Years' War, a costly battle for both sides. Reviews were generally favorable, although gameplay was characterized as very long, complex, and more similar to traditional miniatures wargaming than board wargames.
Quatre Bras: Stalemate on the Brussels Road is a board wargame published by Simulations Publications Inc. (SPI) in 1976 that simulates the Battle of Quatre Bras, one of the engagements leading to the Battle of Waterloo. Quatre Bras was originally published as one of four games in the popular collection Napoleon's Last Battles, but was also released as an individual game.