Author's Foreword:man who has not seen and suffered and felta war deserves to write about it. With thisthought in mind, I wish to make my intentions clear in regard to this GamePanorama on the Vietnam War. My mainobjective is to bring to light and to yourattention those games and those creativepeople who have attempted to simulate withthought and cardboard the complexities ofa war which divided our nation for nearlyten years. To many of you the memories ofthose days are fresh and conjure up amyriad of images; to others the war ishistory...

LAST REFLECTIONS ON A WAR

The man who could best help us inunderstanding Vietnam is dead. His namewas Bernard B. Fall and he was killed inSouth Vietnam on February 21, 1967, whileaccompanying U.S. Marines onChinookWithout Joy' (between Quang Tri andHue). The legacy of his literary insights ismore valuable tfor this Panorama on Vietnam, I quotefrom an article he wrote for AmericanHeritage's

There once was a country called Vietat the eastern rim of the Southeast Asianmainland where it abruptly terminates in abalcony jutting out into the South ChinaSeas. Significantly, German geographerscalled the area Hinterindien' (BeyondIndia) and left it at that; but as early as1812, Malte Conrad Bruun, a Danishgeographerthe essential characteristic which made itdifferent from the rest of Southeast Asiathe intimate mixture of Indian and Chinesescivilizations. It was Malteknown) who gave the area the name Indochina.'

To be sure, the part of Indochina that isnow called Vietversions of that nameNamyears) has not disappeared from the mapsas a geographic location. It is still there, thesizvery elongated `S' for more than a thousandmiles from just north of the equator to thetwentyto think of their country as dragondragons being considered luckanimals.

It is Vietentity which is threatened with extinction.While its lovely land has been battered intoa moonscape by the massive engines ofmodern war, its cultural identity has beenassaulted by a combination of Commuin the North and superficial Americanism inthe South.

Vietmelting pot of cultures but a battlegroundfor foreign armies and foreign ideologies.The history of the South has been shapedby the kind influence of tof the North, where China has alwaysprevailed, by the far sterner philosophies ofConfucius and Lao

Author's Foreword: It has been said that noman who has not seen and suffered and felta war deserves to write about it. With thisthought in mind, I wish to make my inten-tions clear in regard to this GamePanorama on the Vietnam War. My mainobjective is to bring to light and to yourattention those games and those creativepeople who have attempted to simulate withthought and cardboard the complexities ofa war which divided our nation for nearlyten years. To many of you the memories ofthose days are fresh and conjure up amyriad of images; to others the war is justhistory...

LAST REFLECTIONS ON A WAR

The man who could best help us inunderstanding Vietnam is dead. His namewas Bernard B. Fall and he was killed inSouth Vietnam on February 21, 1967, whileaccompanying U.S. Marines on OperationChinook — up in his old area, 'StreetWithout Joy' (between Quang Tri andHue). The legacy of his literary insights ismore valuable than ever. To set the stagefor this Panorama on Vietnam, I quotefrom an article he wrote for AmericanHeritage's Horizon magazine in 1967:

There once was a country called Viet-Nam,at the eastern rim of the Southeast Asianmainland where it abruptly terminates in abalcony jutting out into the South ChinaSeas. Significantly, German geographerscalled the area Hinterindien' (BeyondIndia) and left it at that; but as early as1812, Malte Conrad Bruun, a Danish-borngeographer working in Paris, recognizedthe essential characteristic which made itdifferent from the rest of Southeast Asia —the intimate mixture of Indian and Chinesescivilizations. It was Malte-Brun (as he wasknown) who gave the area the name In-dochina.'

To be sure, the part of Indochina that isnow called Viet-Nam (it has carried variousversions of that name — Dai-Viet, Annam,Nam-Viet — for more than a thousandyears) has not disappeared from the mapsas a geographic location. It is still there, thesize of New Mexico, stretching out like avery elongated `S' for more than a thousandmiles from just north of the equator to thetwenty-fourth parallel. The Vietnamese liketo think of their country as dragon-shaped,dragons being considered luck-bringinganimals.

It is Viet-Nam as a cultural and historicentity which is threatened with extinction.While its lovely land has been battered intoa moonscape by the massive engines ofmodern war, its cultural identity has beenassaulted by a combination of Communismin the North and superficial Americanism inthe South.

Viet-Nam's location has made it not only amelting pot of cultures but a battlegroundfor foreign armies and foreign ideologies.The history of the South has been shapedby the kind influence of the Buddha; thatof the North, where China has alwaysprevailed, by the far sterner philosophies ofConfucius and Lao-tse. And as far back as

history and mythology can recall, the Vietnamese have fought among themselves,though maintaining a surprising amount ofcultural unity. Many remains of a long andglorious past, which had withstood theinroads of dozens of invasions and whicharchaeologists had lovinglynow disappeared without a trace...

The historystretches back to the late 3rd Century B.C.,when the area was conquered by ChineseGeneral Chao T'o during the fall of theCh'in Dynasty. The Chinese occupation ofVietnam was to last, with a few brief interruptions due to rebellions, for 1,050 years,until 939 A.D.

Next came the Mongols. In 1215 Peking felland the Mongol hordes flooded the RedRiver valley with over a quarter of a millionmen. The Vietnamese, as they would sooften do later, abandoned theirheaded for the hills. The Mongols, ravagedby the tropics, disease and their fruitlesspursuit of the Vietnamese,

In 1284, the third Mongol invasion of Vietnam began. The Mongols were by thenmore acclimated to the area. At this important moment a great military leader steppedforward for Vietnam: Marshal Hung Dao.He withdrew up into the mountains andwrote hisArts and began to train his troops in whatwe now ca`The enemy must fight his battles far fromhis home base for a long time... We mustfurther weaken him by drawing him intoprotracted campaigns. Once his initial dashis broken, it will be easier to destroy him.'

And that is exactly what happened. TheMongols

The Chinese invaded again in 1407. Theywere defeated by the same mixture ofguerilla and attrition warfare.

At long last there were no enemies left andthe Vietnamese settled down to what seemsto be a 'favorite national pastime': bitterquarrels among themselves in general andbetween Northerners and Southerners inparticular. This was also the time of European trade and colonial expansion, and thearrival of the Westerners furthercomplicated the split. Thanks to the moremodern arms the conflicts became moredeadly.First came the Dutch in 1637, then theFrench in 1680 and then the British in 1683— by 1700 only the French remained, andthe CatholiChina, and the Spice Islands ripe for thepicking, the European merchants lostinterest in Vietnam.

Then came a period of internal power struggles leading up to the reign of emperor GiaLong. For the first time in almost 200 yearsVietnam was a single country. Theinfluence of the small group of Frenchwaned as their numbers were depleted bydisease. By 1820, when GiaVietnam was a consolidated state; it hadeven incorporated C

history and mythology can recall, the Viet-namese have fought among themselves,though maintaining a surprising amount ofcultural unity. Many remains of a long andglorious past, which had withstood theinroads of dozens of invasions and whicharchaeologists had lovingly-preserved, havenow disappeared without a trace...

The history of Vietnam as a 'battleground'stretches back to the late 3rd Century B.C.,when the area was conquered by ChineseGeneral Chao T'o during the fall of theCh'in Dynasty. The Chinese occupation ofVietnam was to last, with a few brief inter-ruptions due to rebellions, for 1,050 years,until 939 A.D.

Next came the Mongols. In 1215 Peking felland the Mongol hordes flooded the RedRiver valley with over a quarter of a millionmen. The Vietnamese, as they would sooften do later, abandoned their cities andheaded for the hills. The Mongols, ravagedby the tropics, disease and their fruitlesspursuit of the Vietnamese, withdrew.

In 1284, the third Mongol invasion of Viet-nam began. The Mongols were by thenmore acclimated to the area. At this impor-tant moment a great military leader steppedforward for Vietnam: Marshal Hung Dao.He withdrew up into the mountains andwrote his Essential Summary of Military

and began to train his troops in whatwe now call guerilla warfare. He wrote,`The enemy must fight his battles far fromhis home base for a long time... We mustfurther weaken him by drawing him intoprotracted campaigns. Once his initial dashis broken, it will be easier to destroy him.'

And that is exactly what happened. TheMongols withdrew in 1287.

The Chinese invaded again in 1407. Theywere defeated by the same mixture ofguerilla and attrition warfare.

At long last there were no enemies left andthe Vietnamese settled down to what seemsto be a 'favorite national pastime': bitterquarrels among themselves in general andbetween Northerners and Southerners inparticular. This was also the time of Euro-pean trade and colonial expansion, and thearrival of the Westerners furthercomplicated the split. Thanks to the moremodern arms the conflicts became moredeadly.First came the Dutch in 1637, then theFrench in 1680 and then the British in 1683

by 1700 only the French remained, andthe Catholic missionaries. With India,China, and the Spice Islands ripe for thepicking, the European merchants lostinterest in Vietnam.

Then came a period of internal power strug-gles leading up to the reign of emperor Gia-Long. For the first time in almost 200 yearsVietnam was a single country. Theinfluence of the small group of Frenchwaned as their numbers were depleted bydisease. By 1820, when Gia-Long died,Vietnam was a consolidated state; it hadeven incorporated Cambodia.

Gia-Long's successors began to expell theWestern merchants and Christ ianmissionaries. Between 1827-1856, 130,000Catholics were murdered; the largestpersecution of Christians since Nero.

It was this persecution of the Catholics thatbrought the first United States miltaryintervention in Vietnam. The time: May 10,1845; a U.S. Marine detachment from theU.S.S. Constitution, under the commandof Captain John (Mad Jack') Percival land-ed and marched ashore at Danang. Theyhad been informed, while on duty in Asianwaters, that the Vietnamese had sentencedFrench Bishop Dominique Lefebre to deathin Hue. Upon landing at the port ofDanang the Marine detachment capturedseveral high Vietnamese officials, held themhostage and thus secured the safe release ofthe bishop.

The French followed in 1856 with a landingof their own in Danang — ostensibly tosave the Catholics from persecution. Thistime they came to stay as a colonial power.

For nearly a century, France controlledVietnam. Then, during the Second WorldWar, Vietnam had a new 'master' — Japan.The latter turned out to be less willing tounderstand the inhabitants than theWesterners had been. The Japanesecollapse in 1945 left a total void in Vietnam.The only group willing and capable oftaking power were the Viet-Minh (whichincluded Communist and non-Communistnationalists under the leadership of Ho ChiMinh).

For a moment, Vietnam was an indepen-dent nation. But the French returned. Anda new war began. The French held the citiesand towns; the Viet-Minh held the villagesand jungle. The French lashed out withineffectual 'search and destroy' operationsand the Viet-Minh, following MarshalDao's doctrine, refused to be drawn into amajor battle. Finally, the French offeredthem 17,000 troops in the valley of DienBien Phu as 'bait.' After a 56-day battle theFrench lost. Thus ended French controlover Vietnam.

In the following year, 1954, the GenevaConference on Far Eastern Affairs resultedin an agreement for a cease-fire and dividedVietnam into North (Communist) andSouth (anti-Communist) at the 17thparallel. The United States accepted theagreement, but refused to sign it, reservingthe right to take whatever action wasnecessary.

Between 1954 and 1965 South Vietnam wasinvolved in continuous insurrection byrebellious factions (Viet Cong) that werebeing supported by troops and equipmentfrom North Vietnam (who in turn wasbeing aided and supported by CommunistChina and the Soviet Union).

Dateline: October 11, 1961, the UnitedStates agrees to support the government ofSouth Vietnam against at tacks byCommunist Viet-Cong guerillas.

December 11, 1961, two U.S. Armyhelicopter companies arrive in Saigon.

February 8, 1962, U.S. Military AssistanceCommand is established.

November 1President Diem is overthrown and killed bya military

November 22, 1963, U.S. President John F.Kennedy is assassinated.

August 2on duty in the Gulf of Tonkindestroyer is attacked by Vietnamese PTboats.

August 5, 1964, President Johnsonretaliates for the PT boat attacks by ordering U.S. air strikes against North Vietnam.

August 7, 1964, the Congress of the UnitedStates gives President Lyndon Johnsonauthority to take 'all necessary to repel! anyarmed attack' against U.S. Armed Forces.

February 7, 1965, the U.S. begins its air waragainst North Vietnam in retaliation for itscontinued assistance to the Viet Cong. Inresponse, the Viet Cong intensifies itsterrorism and sabotage against U.S.installations and personnel. Ominously, onthe night of March 8,. 1965, the people ofthe United States view on television thelanding of a U.S. Marine brigade atDanang. By midsumbat forces number 25,000the year total U.S. strength in Vietnam isnearly 200,000...

VIETVietnam War, 1965Gamescience Corporation, 1965Designer: Phillip Orbanes

This was the first game to cover the subjectof the Vietnam War. It was a highboxed game with a mounted strategicstyle map and plastic pieces. It was soldthrough arrangement with Avalon Hillthey would accept orders which Orbaneswould then fill. He later upgraded the gameby printing the map on Texoprint (likeoilcloth), with die cut counters and printedrules.

John Prados explains how the game plays:`Vieta framework of multiple factors. Phil'sdesign makes a distinction betweenterritorial control of provinces and distancefrom 'victory' in the guerrilla war. Orbanesallows players to devote resources topsychological warfare, ambush, terror,cultivating 'world opinion' and to reinforcing political stability. When one player overmatches the resources of the other devotedto psychological warfare, that player is ableto take over provinces controlled by theother. A second, unrelated method ofing over provinces is moving troop piecesinto them and forcing the opponent's piecesout. Provincial control that results fromgains in psychological warfare countstoward victory, while the use of puremilitary force has no such effect. Thispacification system was wellwas basically realistic, except that it remainsundifferentiated with respect to the use ofparticular resources. For example, therewas a reason in Vietnam why particularmilitary units that were regarded as elit

February 8, 1962, U.S. Military AssistanceCommand is established.

November 1-2, 1963, South VietnamesePresident Diem is overthrown and killed bya military coup d'etat.

November 22, 1963, U.S. President John F.Kennedy is assassinated.

August 2-4, 1964, finds U.S. naval forceson duty in the Gulf of Tonkin — a U.S.destroyer is attacked by Vietnamese PTboats.

August 5, 1964, President Johnsonretaliates for the PT boat attacks by order-ing U.S. air strikes against North Vietnam.

August 7, 1964, the Congress of the UnitedStates gives President Lyndon Johnsonauthority to take 'all necessary to repel! anyarmed attack' against U.S. Armed Forces.

February 7, 1965, the U.S. begins its air waragainst North Vietnam in retaliation for itscontinued assistance to the Viet Cong. Inresponse, the Viet Cong intensifies itsterrorism and sabotage against U.S.installations and personnel. Ominously, onthe night of March 8,. 1965, the people ofthe United States view on television thelanding of a U.S. Marine brigade atDanang. By midsummer, U.S. ground com-bat forces number 25,000 — by the end ofthe year total U.S. strength in Vietnam isnearly 200,000...

VIET-NAM (out of print)Vietnam War, 1965Gamescience Corporation, 1965Designer: Phillip Orbanes

This was the first game to cover the subjectof the Vietnam War. It was a high-quality,boxed game with a mounted strategic-areastyle map and plastic pieces. It was soldthrough arrangement with Avalon Hill —they would accept orders which Orbaneswould then fill. He later upgraded the gameby printing the map on Texoprint (likeoilcloth), with die cut counters and printedrules.

John Prados explains how the game plays:`Viet-Nam handles the rice-roots war withina framework of multiple factors. Phil'sdesign makes a distinction betweenterritorial control of provinces and distancefrom 'victory' in the guerrilla war. Orbanesallows players to devote resources topsychological warfare, ambush, terror,cultivating 'world opinion' and to reinforc-ing political stability. When one player overmatches the resources of the other devotedto psychological warfare, that player is ableto take over provinces controlled by theother. A second, unrelated method of tak-ing over provinces is moving troop piecesinto them and forcing the opponent's piecesout. Provincial control that results fromgains in psychological warfare countstoward victory, while the use of puremilitary force has no such effect. Thispacification system was well-conceived andwas basically realistic, except that it remainsundifferentiated with respect to the use ofparticular resources. For example, therewas a reason in Vietnam why particularmilitary units that were regarded as elites

(e.g., U.S. 1st Air Cavalry Division) wouldbe used for fireshifted all over the country to intervene inplaces where the GVN/US programs wereendangered. One sees nothing of this aspectof the war in

THE BELLOWING SILENCE

1966-1970nam War raged like a gigantic firestorm,yet it was a period of silence in the hobbyno games were published on the subject.For most of us this was a time ofchange,

When a man is born, a bullet is fired,his conscience— and it ricochets off the events of histime until he is struck by it. That canbe a shattering colli son or anillumination. It is the time a mancompprogress.

During this time a handful of designersworked on games covering the war, butunfortunately none of their efforts sawprint. John Prados, one of those 'pioneers',fills us in on this interesting period in thehistory of our hobby:

Jim Dunnigan'sanother of his hyphothetical games, whichhad an 'average country' for a mapboard.The army was set up and then there were dierolls for rebellion, etc. Supply was important and insurgent forces could changemode (to guerrilla status) to conserve. Theinsurgent would have to concentrate forcesin order to make attacks, and so forth.

Luis Romero'sprimitive, handfour or five guys I knew in high school whoused to game with me. In Luis's game wehad two maps and used acetate overlays.There was a square grid, with brigadesallowed to cover two hexes with theirspecific patrol areas (called TAORS inVietnam), and divisions more. The playerswould note on the overlays the parts of theboard covered by the patrol areas of all thepieces. The NFL would fight battles withthe counterpatrol areas of the respective sides overlapped. It soon became clear that it was easierfor the countercoastal plain than the central highlands.Airstrikes were plotted on hexes, based onthe player's analysis of opposing dispositions in the previous turn and the player'ss t ra t e g i c p lan . Whe n the s i mo ve(simultaneous movement) was complete agame judge took the Government of Vietnam/United States sheet over to the VietCong table. Combat was mandatory. Thejudge noted the number of attacks and theodds. The identities of the VC units involved were made known to the GVN/USplayer as the basis for his future strategy. Ibelieve the turns were monthly and thegame coveredtary pacification rules and the device of apoliticial events matrix which Luis borrowed from one of my games on the French Indochina War. (Luis and other members ofthat group are mentioned in GDW's

(e.g., U.S. 1st Air Cavalry Division) wouldbe used for fire-bucket brigades, beingshifted all over the country to intervene inplaces where the GVN/US programs wereendangered. One sees nothing of this aspectof the war in Viet-Nam.'

THE BELLOWING SILENCE

1970 were the years in which the Viet-nam War raged like a gigantic firestorm,

it was a period of silence in the hobby —games were published on the subject.

most of us this was a time ofchange, confusion and conflict...

When a man is born, a bullet is fired,his conscience — some will say his soul

and it ricochets off the events of histime until he is struck by it. That canbe a shattering collison or anillumination. It is the time a mancomprehends his purpose and hisprogress.

Mort Sahl, Heartland

During this time a handful of designersworked on games covering the war, butunfortunately none of their efforts sawprint. John Prados, one of those 'pioneers',fills us in on this interesting period in thehistory of our hobby:

Jim Dunnigan's Viet-Nam (1967) wasanother of his hyphothetical games, whichhad an 'average country' for a mapboard.The army was set up and then there were dierolls for rebellion, etc. Supply was impor-tant and insurgent forces could changemode (to guerrilla status) to conserve. Theinsurgent would have to concentrate forcesin order to make attacks, and so forth.

Luis Romero's Viet-Nam (1968) was aprimitive, hand-drawn game. He was one offour or five guys I knew in high school whoused to game with me. In Luis's game wehad two maps and used acetate overlays.There was a square grid, with brigadesallowed to cover two hexes with theirspecific patrol areas (called TAORS inVietnam), and divisions more. The playerswould note on the overlays the parts of theboard covered by the patrol areas of all thepieces. The NFL would fight battles with

nter-insurgent forces wherever thepatrol areas of the respective sides overlap-ped. It soon became clear that it was easierfor the counter-insurgent to occupy thecoastal plain than the central highlands.Airstrikes were plotted on hexes, based on

ayer's analysis of opposing disposi-tions in the previous turn and the player'ss t r a t e gi c p la n . Wh e n th e s i mo v e(simultaneous movement) was complete agame judge took the Government of Viet-nam/United States sheet over to the VietCong table. Combat was mandatory. Thejudge noted the number of attacks and theodds. The identities of the VC units involv-ed were made known to the GVN/USplayer as the basis for his future strategy. Ibelieve the turns were monthly and thegame covered 1967-1968. It had rudimen-tary pacification rules and the device of apoliticial events matrix which Luis borrow-ed from one of my games on the French In-dochina War. (Luis and other members ofthat group are mentioned in GDW's Pearl

Harbor, which John dedicated to them.)

Albert J. Morales' Viet-Nam (1971), anunf in ished project, came close tosimulating agitprop (political agitation andpropaganda). It had the most comprehen-sive arrangements for pacification in any ofthe games on the subject. The designdistinguished between the general, coun-trywide pacification effort, and special`showcase' provinces, or 'provinces ofspecial responsibility, as Morales calledthem. Countrywide pacification is affectedby a player's government effectiveness,disbursements of aid, and the proportion ofhis military forces committed to theprovince war. The combination of thesefactors designate a certain number ofprovinces of 'special responsibility, and theparticular provinces involved are selectedby the players. The general pacificationresults divide up the control of the remain-ing provinces of Vietnam between theplayers, while the control of provinces of`special responsibility' are determined by aseparate, more detailed, procedure. Thisshifting focus, increasing in resolution likea camera moving in on its subject, isa major strength of this game, enabling thedesign to contend with some of the finetactical points of pacification withoutlosing the strategic scope of the game.

GRUNT! (Tactical Game 11:American Forces in Vietnam)Strategy & Tactics #26, March 1971Designer: John Kramer

SEARCH & DESTROYTactical Combat Vietnam: 1965-1966SPI, January 19752nd Edition Designer: John M. Young

Grunt! was the first contemporary-periodgame to come from SPI. It simulates squadlevel combat and is set in a village context.The black-and-white mapsheet depicts atypical Vietnamese hamlet and itsapproaches on a scale of 50 meters to thehex. The unit counters represent Americanor ARVN (Army of the Republic of Viet-nam) troops versus Viet Cong or NorthVietnamese troops (or NLF for short; stan-ding for National Liberation Front).A typical game of Grunt! starts off with thelanding of a stripped-down U.S. Airmobilecompany near the 'enemy village.' As thetroops land by helicopter they may comeunder enemy fire or be met by an eeriesilence. Their primary mission is to searchthe area for caches of food and equipment.They are faced by a host of invertedcounters spread around the map by theNLF player — the counters represent 'hard-core' troops of the NVA, NLF leaders, VietCong militia, snipers, non-combatants(peasants and porters), anti-personneltraps, ambushes, anti-tank mines, or justdummy counters. The task of confrontingand dealing with these inverted counters isthe heart of the game — it's a combinationof cat and mouse, hide and seek, andRussian Roulette.Grunt! does an excellent job of capturingthe period 'feel' and flavor of the war inVietnam in the mid-60's. For example, there

are extensive rules covering interrogation.The U.S./ARVN player is allowed touncover the location of enemy caches byinterrogating local peasants and porterswho are discovered in the search. The die isrolled for each attempt to interrogate the`prisoner'. The results range from nointelligence gained to the peasant's death.In this same vein, there are rules coveringU.S. air strikes, Medevac evacuation byhelicopter of U.S. casualties, 'body count'victory points, NLF ambushes and boobytraps — in short, the bitter realities of thistragic conflict.With the passage of a few years and theimprovements made in the state of the artof game designing, SPI decided to rethinkGrunt! The late John Young got the job,and Search & Destroy was the result. Themapsheet was enlarged by 30%, allowingfor more varied terrain and to compensatefor the doubling of movement allowances.The rules were cleaned up and expanded toinclude leadership, tanks, and APC's. Thegraphics were improved with new colors forthe unit counters and color on the mapitself. With a few minor exceptions thechanges were all for the good.

Search & Destroy never did well on the SPIGame Ratings Chart (it reached a high of5.87 in S&T #50). But in my opinion this isone of the finest games on the subject stillin print. For more information on the gameI recommend you read Phil Kosnett'sexcellent Profile in Moves ©23.

YEAR OF THE RATVietnam, 1972Strategy & Tactics #35, November 1972Designer: John PradosDevelopers: John M. Young, John PradosThrough a series of thirteen weekly turns,Year of the Rat covers the Communist 1972Spring Offensive (March-June) in SouthVietnam. The 22 x 34-inch multi-tintedmapsheet depicts all of South Vietnam andparts of Cambodia, Laos, and North Viet-nam on a scale of 10 kilometers to the hex.The units are divisions, brigades andregiments.

The historical game normally opens withnumerous NVA incursions into South Vietnam along its borders with Cambodia andLaos. U.S.forces are located in three bases— Danang, Vung Tau, and Long Binh(they are restricted from moving). Thebattle is principally left in the hands of theARVN troops located throughout thevarious regions of South Vietnam. TheARVN's greatest direct support comes fromstrong U.S. airpower (which nearly doublesin strength by games end). The NVA/NLFforces attain victory points by seizing townsand regions. The game is normally nip andtuck with the Communists seizing a greatdeal of real estate, but hard pressed to 'holdon' to it.

There are special rules covering NLFmilitia, NVA battle groups, dummy combatcounters (to keep the ARVN guessing),supply (which tends to restrict Communistattacks), air and naval bombardment, andmore. There are also numerous Order ofBattle options, including direct US

are extensive rules covering interrogation.The U.S./ARVN player is allowed touncover the location of enemy caches byinterrogating local peasants and porterswho are discovered in the search. The die isrolled for each attempt to interrogate the`prisoner'. The results range from nointelligence gained to the peasant's death.In this same vein, there are rules coveringU.S. air strikes, Medevac evacuation byhelicopter of U.S. casualties, 'body count'victory points, NLF ambushes and booby

in short, the bitter realities of this

With the passage of a few years and theimprovements made in the state of the artof game designing, SPI decided to rethink

The late John Young got the job,was the result. The

mapsheet was enlarged by 30%, allowingfor more varied terrain and to compensatefor the doubling of movement allowances.The rules were cleaned up and expanded toinclude leadership, tanks, and APC's. Thegraphics were improved with new colors forthe unit counters and color on the map

With a few minor exceptions the

never did well on the SPIGame Ratings Chart (it reached a high of5.87 in S&T #50). But in my opinion this isone of the finest games on the subject stillin print. For more information on the gameI recommend you read Phil Kosnett's

Developers: John M. Young, John PradosThrough a series of thirteen weekly turns,

covers the Communist 1972June) in South

tintedmapsheet depicts all of South Vietnam and

-on a scale of 10 kilometers to the hex.

The units are divisions, brigades and

The historical game normally opens withnumerous NVA incursions into South Viet-nam along its borders with Cambodia andLaos. U.S.forces are located in three bases

Danang, Vung Tau, and Long Binh(they are restricted from moving). Thebattle is principally left in the hands of theARVN troops located throughout thevarious regions of South Vietnam. TheARVN's greatest direct support comes from

(which nearly doublesin strength by games end). The NVA/NLFforces attain victory points by seizing townsand regions. The game is normally nip andtuck with the Communists seizing a greatdeal of real estate, but hard pressed to 'hold

There are special rules covering NLFmilitia, NVA battle groups, dummy combatcounters (to keep the ARVN guessing),supply (which tends to restrict Communistattacks), air and naval bombardment, andmore. There are also numerous Order of

intervention with ground forces.

I asked Designer John Prados how he feltabout Year of the Rat after seven years:

Year of the Rat was my first excursion intothe realm of limited design. When all thework was just for a small circle we couldmake our games as complex as we wished.Anyway, the forces in Rat were originallyon a regimental scale, with individualprovinces. In particular the NVA indepen-dent regiments which had to be combinedinto 'provisional divisions' were veryuseful in the initial version. Airpowerwas not quite so powerful. JimmyDunnigan insisted on 200 counters and onthe elimination of the regiments.

The forces were based on my understandingof the military situation developed overyears of close observation and withprevious experience simulating anIndochina subject. The project was fairlystraightforward, and the game reflectedthat the NVA offensive would eventuallyrun out of steam: the real question waswhether the government of South Vietnamwould be politically out of business whenthat happened. It worked out pretty well inplaytesting, except that Dunnigan felt theNVA chances were too great. Thisresulted in the effects of airpower beingadjusted upwards. I believe one statistic,after the project was completed, was that52% of the games played resulted in ARVNvictories.

In retrospect, it appears that Rat was large-ly successful. It was great fun for me to do,came out as fun to play, and was even judg-

ed to be worth a variant, by Phil Kosnett,for the 1975 operations. A number ofgamers including yourself and Jack Greeneremember the game warmly. I understand

thatCanadian component of the InternationalControl Commission as suggested readingand that it was played by a group in theU.S. Embassy in Thailand. The article (inS&T ©35) has subsequently been used as a

source in Gary Porter's bookDenied.Year of the Rattant games on the Vietnam War and shouldbe in your wargame library. When the gamefirst came out it received wide acceptanceand rated 6.53 in S&Ratings Chart, but with time its popularityhas slippedin the SPI catalog.BATTLE FOR HUETactical Game of the 1968 Tet OffensiveSDC's Conflict #6, October 1973Designer: John Hill

Battle for Huesimulating street fighting in the old imperialcapital of Vietnam during the Communist1968 winter offensive (JanuaryThe 18 x 24depicts the city of Hue and surroundingarea on a scale of roughly 200 yards perhex. With 36sion that play continues until the 'inner city'is cleared of Communist forces, the gamecan be lengthy.

The game opens with major

ed to be worth a variant, by Phil Kosnett,for the 1975 operations. A number ofgamers including yourself and Jack Greeneremember the game warmly. I understand

hat Year of the Rat was given to theCanadian component of the InternationalControl Commission as suggested readingand that it was played by a group in theU.S. Embassy in Thailand. The article (inS&T ©35) has subsequently been used as a

source in Gary Porter's book A PeaceDenied.Year of the Rat is one of the most impor-tant games on the Vietnam War and shouldbe in your wargame library. When the gamefirst came out it received wide acceptanceand rated 6.53 in S&T #38 on the GameRatings Chart, but with time its popularityhas slipped — and today it is not even listedin the SPI catalog.BATTLE FOR HUETactical Game of the 1968 Tet OffensiveSDC's Conflict #6, October 1973Designer: John Hill

Battle for Hue is a company level gamesimulating street fighting in the old imperialcapital of Vietnam during the Communist1968 winter offensive (January-March).The 18 x 24-inch multi-colored mapsheetdepicts the city of Hue and surroundingarea on a scale of roughly 200 yards perhex. With 36 1/3 (daily) turns and the provi-sion that play continues until the 'inner city'is cleared of Communist forces, the gamecan be lengthy.

The game opens with major elements of the

6th NVA Division inside the city and VietCong reinforcements about to arrive. TheU.S. Marines have a small detachmentof troops at the MACV compound onthe south side of the city while elementsof the 1st ARVN Division hold theirheadquarters compound on the northside. What usually developer is adesperate battle for the two compoundsas the Communist troops try to overrunone or both before the Allies blow uptheir armories. Soon, strong US andARVN reinforcements arrive and theCommunists switch from the offensiveto the defensive in order to hold on totheir gains. The battle then rages invarious 'hot spots' throughout the city,especially the northern airfield (whereAR VN airborne reinforcements can beairlifted in). It is a bloody and bitterfight to the end.

The game has a number of specialrules particular to the action beingcovered. For example, indirect fire forartillery and armor, naval gunfire,heliborne landings, the 'sacredness' ofthe Palace of Peace (use of artillery andarmor is forbidden — your only option isinfantry assault!), and more. The gamereceived a facelift in 1975 when SDCreleased it as a 'Pouch' game, thus most ofthe rule questions were taken care of

I asked Designer John Hill for his views onBattle for Hue after six years:In light of the final outcome of the VietnamWar, it is only natural that there wouldbe much 'review' of the few Vietnamgames' and Hue was certainly one ofthe more popular. Unfortunately, sincethe ending

Division inside the city and VietCong reinforcements about to arrive. TheU.S. Marines have a small detachment

troops at the MACV compound onsouth side of the city while elements

1st ARVN Division hold theircompound on the north

side. What usually developer is acompounds

overrunup

their armories. Soon, strong US andARVN reinforcements arrive and theCommunists switch from the offensive

the defensive in order to hold on togains. The battle then rages in

spots' throughout the city,northern airfield (where

ents can bebloody and bitter

The game has a number of specialparticular to the action being

example, indirect fire forarmor, naval gunfire,

the 'sacredness' ofof artillery and

your only option isinfantry assault!), and more. The game

SDCof

I asked Designer John Hill for his views on

In light of the final outcome of the VietnamWar, it is only natural that there would

much 'review' of the few Vietnamwas certainly one of

popular. Unfortunately, since

was a disaster of the first order,many people feel that a Vietnam gameshould show the North Vietnamese as'supermen' and the ARVN as hopelessincompetents. After all, didn't the finalvictory prove that? In view of this, it hasbeen suggested that I was too generous inmy ratings of the ARVN capabilities inHue. But, even after much th o ug h t , If ee l th a t my b al an ce dinterpretation of ARVN vs. NVA was stillsound — despite the final debacle.

It is my opinion that the final collapseof the ARVN in Vietnam was causedprimarily by the fact that we had taughtthem to over-rely on technologicalfirepower with heavy use of air supportand artillery. In essence, we modelledthem after our own military, and as longas we were there to handle the logistical,technical, and administrative part ofsuch a military system they couldfunction rather wel l. But withoutus (basically to make sure all the looseends were tied up) their armed forcessimply could not operate. They wereused to superb air support withAmerican pilots in the best and deadliestaircraft. Their own pilots with smalleraircraft like the F-5 were s imply a poorsubsti tute. In Hue I portrayed boththe ARVN 1st Division and airborne unitsto be as good as any of their opponents,and I stand by that evaluation.

As an historical parallel, when Francedisintegrated in 1940 there was stillsome very fine fighting done by a numberof their units. Their North African unitswere as tough as anything theGermans had, and

displayed incredible tenacity.theairbornemilitary systemfine soldiers.

But since the ARVN did collapse,deprivedelements of thewarning should be forarmy has some superb elements in it,as did the ARVN. In manymade their armed forces a miniatureof our own. And as a 'military system'failed. Then, since it was a model of us,what will happen to our army shouldtheourandquestionBattle for Hue

Battle for HueGame Ratings Chart (a 5.92 in S&T #45), butin my opinion it was shortexciting game on an unusual subject and canbe recommended to those with a strong interest in the Vietnam War.

LAST DAYS AT SAIGON1975 Campaign and Fall of SaigonBridge V.4 N.1, November 1975Designer: John PradosDevelopers: James Dingeman, Al Nofi

Last Days at Saigongame covering the final, apocalyptic chapterof the Vietnam War. The 11 x 16andregions of the Mekong Delta in the south tothe town of Phan Thiet along the Chamcoast in the north. Its eaststrebodia. Saigon is roughly in the center of themap and is the 'objective' of the game. Theunmounted blackrepresent regiments, brigades, and divisions.The game stretches from late March to lateMay, 1975 (nine game turns).

Last Days at SaigonBasement Workshop Inc., an independent,nonAmericans in New York City. The game wasprinted in their magazine, entitledJohn Prados explains how the game cameabout:

Last Days at Saigonintended as a serious game, as it had toreachbecause it wasfor the editor ofin the fall of 1975accounts and my extenOrder of Battle and otherDayssufficiently to ascertain that theoutcome was possible and that theplayer had at least some chance of adefense through a number of turns. Nofiandme at

As John makes clear,not a superinteresting game. If you wto your collection you can write to:"Bridge", P. 0. Box 477,Canal Street Station, New york, NY 10013(The price of the back issue is $1.50.)

displayed incredible tenacity. Even inthe end the ARVN 1st Division andairborne troops showed that a losingmilitary system can still produce somefine soldiers.

But since the ARVN did collapse,deprived of the expert supportelements of the Americans, the realwarning should be for us. The Americanarmy has some superb elements in it,as did the ARVN. In many ways wemade their armed forces a miniature modelof our own. And as a 'military system' itfailed. Then, since it was a model of us,what will happen to our army shouldthe fortunes of war knock out or neutralizeour airforce and our complex logisticaland support elements? This penetratingquestion concerns me as I re-evaluateBattle for Hue and the final collapse.

Battle for Hue didn't rate too well on the SPIGame Ratings Chart (a 5.92 in S&T #45), butin my opinion it was short-changed. It is anexciting game on an unusual subject and canbe recommended to those with a strong in-terest in the Vietnam War.

LAST DAYS AT SAIGON1975 Campaign and Fall of SaigonBridge V.4 N.1, November 1975Designer: John PradosDevelopers: James Dingeman, Al Nofi

Last Days at Saigon is an operational-levelgame covering the final, apocalyptic chapterof the Vietnam War. The 11 x 16-inch black-and-white mapsheet depicts the upperregions of the Mekong Delta in the south tothe town of Phan Thiet along the Chamcoast in the north. Its east-west boundariesstretch from the South China Sea to Cam-bodia. Saigon is roughly in the center of themap and is the 'objective' of the game. Theunmounted black-and-white unit countersrepresent regiments, brigades, and divisions.The game stretches from late March to late

ay, 1975 (nine game turns).

Last Days at Saigon was produced by theBasement Workshop Inc., an independent,non-profit, cultural organization of AsianAmericans in New York City. The game wasprinted in their magazine, entitled Bridge.John Prados explains how the game cameabout:

Last Days at Saigon was fun to do. It wasn'tintended as a serious game, as it had toreach the level of the layman andbecause it was done as a free projectfor the editor of Bridge. I worked it upin the fall of 1975 from contemporaryaccounts and my extensive VietnamOrder of Battle and other material. LastDays was playtested only a few times,sufficiently to ascertain that the historicaloutcome was possible and that the ARVNplayer had at least some chance of adefense through a number of turns. Nofiand Dingeman both played the game withme at different times.

As John makes clear, Last Days at Saigon isnot a super-polished effort, but it is aninteresting game. If you would like to add itto your collection you can write to:"Bridge", P. 0. Box 477,Canal Street Station, New york, NY 10013(The price of the back issue is $1.50.)

LAM SONThe War in South East AsiaAttack Wargaming Association, 1978Designer: Edward G. Tillton, Sr.Developer: Dave CascianoLam Son is a strategic-level game coveringthe ten-year period of direct U.S. involve-ment in Indochina (January 1965 —December 1975). There are two 22 x27-inch, three-color mapsheets depicting allof Vietnam with parts of China, Laos,Thailand, and Cambodia on a scale ofapproximately ten kilometers per hex.There are 180 die-cut counters representingcombat units from the many nationsinvolved in the war (brigade/division level).

The game can be broken down into fiveseparate scenarios: The Ky, coveringARVN's holding action in 1965 awaitingU.S. involvement; The Tet Offensive, the1968 Communist assault; The CambodianOffensive, when U.S. and ARVN forcesinvaded Cambodia in 1970 to destroy VietCong sanctuaries; Year of the Rat, the 1972Communist Offensive; and Lam Son, thefinal Communists drive for "total victory."There is also the Campaign Game coveringten full years (264 bimonthly turns). (As aside note, Lam Son, according to the rulesfolder, is Vietnamese for "total victory" andmay also be spelled Lam San.)

In terms of victory in the game the over-riding objective is acquisition of cities andtowns. Destruction of enemy units is ofsecondary importance.

Generally speaking, the rules are clear,familiar, and easy to understand. There arespecial rules covering air mobile units, gun-boats, militia, helicopter gunships, hiddenunits and air combat. (The air combatsystem in Lam Son is very close to the oneused in SPI's Year of the Rat — onlybloodier. This can also be said of thecombat results table.)

As a campaign Lam Son falls short of itstrue potential. Lacking rules governing thecomplex psychological and political aspectsof the war, it cannot be considered a"simulation of history" (as we all know, theVietnam War was not decided simply by theacquisition of cities and towns). As it nowstands, Lam Son is a wargamers' wargame— full of action and military combat. It isnot an exhaustive study of agitprop so longdesired by the history-oriented player.

ROLLING THUNDERAir War Over North Vietnam, 1965-72Commando Wargames, June 1979Designer: Steve WeissRolling Thunder is a simulation of tacticalair operations over North Vietnam playedon a two-tier system: (1) An OperationalPhase where aircraft formations move overa 22 x 34-inch Operational mapsheet ofNorth Vietnam, Laos and Thailand on ascale of 20 kilometers per hex and 8 minutesper turn; (2) And a Tactical Phase wheneverU.S. planes enter an Operational hexcontaining a designated target or enemyaircraft. Whenever the latter occurs playmoves to one of the three 22 x 29-inchTactical mapsheets on a scale of 500 metersper hex and 9 seconds per turn. (These

level game covering-

—December 1975). There are two 22 x

color mapsheets depicting allof Vietnam with parts of China, Laos,Thailand, and Cambodia on a scale ofapproximately ten kilometers per hex.

cut counters representingcombat units from the many nations

The game can be broken down into fivecovering

ARVN's holding action in 1965 awaitingthe

The Cambodianwhen U.S. and ARVN forces

invaded Cambodia in 1970 to destroy Vietthe 1972

thefinal Communists drive for "total victory."There is also the Campaign Game covering

monthly turns). (As aaccording to the rules

folder, is Vietnamese for "total victory" and

-riding objective is acquisition of cities andtowns. Destruction of enemy units is of

Generally speaking, the rules are clear,familiar, and easy to understand. There are

-boats, militia, helicopter gunships, hiddenunits and air combat. (The air combat

is very close to the oneonly

bloodier. This can also be said of the

falls short of itstrue potential. Lacking rules governing thecomplex psychological and political aspectsof the war, it cannot be considered a"simulation of history" (as we all know, theVietnam War was not decided simply by theacquisition of cities and towns). As it now

is a wargamers' wargamefull of action and military combat. It is

not an exhaustive study of agitprop so long

is a simulation of tacticalair operations over North Vietnam played

(1) An OperationalPhase where aircraft formations move over

fNorth Vietnam, Laos and Thailand on ascale of 20 kilometers per hex and 8 minutesper turn; (2) And a Tactical Phase wheneverU.S. planes enter an Operational hexcontaining a designated target or enemyaircraft. Whenever the latter occurs play

inchTactical mapsheets on a scale of 500 meters

maps depict Hanoi, Haiphong and othertargets.)Aircraft movement is controlled on AircraftControl Panels which keep a runningrecord of speed, fuel, vector, attitude,stores, altitude and destination. There arealso Missile Guidance Panels to controlguided missile movement. The above notedmaps and panels are all printed black ongreen stock. The graphic highlights ofRolling Thunder are the 800 countersdepicting both sideviews and overviews ofall the important aircraft of the war(printed blue or red on white, two-sides).The first three scenarios (1965-68) depictOperation Rolling Thunder. Authorized byPresident Johnson, this operationconcentrated on targets in North Vietnam'ssouthern panhandle. Scenario Four dealswith Operation Linebacker I. Authorizedby President Nixon, this operation was aresponse to the Communist 1972 SpringOffensive (Year of the Rat). There is also aCampaign Game covering the December1972 Bombing Offensive (Linebacker II).Each scenario has specific and detailedvictory conditions based primarily on air-craft losses and destroyed targets.The 44-page rulesbook is well organizedand packs a storehouse of information —this is a complex game. There are rulescovering all the elements of flight, air-to-airgunnery and missiles, air-to-groundgunnery, anti-aircraft, bombing, precision-guided munitions, electronic warfare,weather and more.Although "hardware oriented", RollingThunder is rich in historical insights andperspectives. The designer, Steve Weiss,was an intelligence analyst with the U.S. AirForce's 6910th Squadron overseas whileOperation Rolling Thunder was in progress.His technical expertise, coupled with RonBurnett and Rick Umbaugh, make RollingThunder a most important Vietnamwargame.

VIETNAM: THE WAGES OF FEAR

As you have seen, a good many of thegames covered in this Panorama are eitherout of print or collectors' items (and I knowof no plans to reprint any). In this samevein, I know of no Vietnam War game inthe design or production stage or beingplanned for future release by any gamecompany in the hobby. Of the gamesreleased most have sold poorly and ratedquite lowly on the game rating charts.

By and large, the games that have beendesigned on the subject have been valiantefforts. Some have not lived up to theirpotential and others have been misjudgedor simply overlooked.

As for historical accuracy, most of thegames have done fairly well. Vietnam isnotits complexities remain unresolved. It wasa war as much of the mind as of the bodymaybe even more so. Thus, the elements ofagitprop,opinion, video participation, and internaldissent all must be covered in some mannerin a strategic simulation of the war. Otherwise, the war is being misrepresented. Onthe tactical/operational level, the gamesmust capture the elements of terror tactics,ambush, interrogation, etc.

Since no one game published to datecaptures all these elements, there is nosingle, true simulation of theVietnam War. Instead, we have a collectionof creative efforts that isent us with a wealth of insights andlessons. We should study these games andlearn from their lessonsforget this war.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Fall, Bernard

—

—

—

FitzGerald, Frances,

—

Oberdorfer, Don,

Pickerell, J.,

Prados, John,

By and large, the games that have beendesigned on the subject have been valiantefforts. Some have not lived up to theirpotential and others have been misjudgedor simply overlooked.

As for historical accuracy, most of thegames have done fairly well. Vietnam isnot a simple war to simulate — many of

complexities remain unresolved. It waswar as much of the mind as of the body —

maybe even more so. Thus, the elements ofagitprop, psychological warfare, worldopinion, video participation, and internaldissent all must be covered in some mannerin a strategic simulation of the war. Other-wise, the war is being misrepresented. Onthe tactical/operational level, the gamesmust capture the elements of terror tactics,ambush, interrogation, etc.

Since no one game published to datecaptures all these elements, there is nosingle, true simulation of the wholeVietnam War. Instead, we have a collectionof creative efforts that in combination pre-sent us with a wealth of insights andlessons. We should study these games andlearn from their lessons — we dare notforget this war.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Fall, Bernard B., Hell in a Very SmallPlace. Philadelphia, Pa., Lippincott,1966.

Street Without Joy. Harrisburg, Pa.,Stackpole, 1966.

Two Vietnams: A Political and MilitaryAnalysis. 2nd rev. ed. New York, NY,1967.

Last Reflections on a War, Doubleday &Company, New York, NY, 1967.

FitzGerald, Frances, Fire in the Lake.Random House, New York, NY, 1972.

The Best and the Brightest, RandomHouse, New York, NY, 1969.

Oberdorfer, Don, Tet! Doubleday &Company, New York, NY, 1971.

Pickerell, J., Vietnam in the Mud. TheBobbs-Merril l Company Inc.,1966.

Prados, John, Year of the Rat. Strategy& Tactics Magazine, New York,NY,1972.

There are a few multi-scenario, tactical levelgames which simulate combat in the Viet-nam War, but that can't be categorized aspure Vietnam War games. I'll cover thembriefly here for your information andconsideration:

PATROL!Man-to-Man Combat in the 20th CenturySPI, October 1974Designer: James F. DunniganDevelopers: Irad Hardy, Edward Curran

Patrol! is a simultaneous-movement gamecovering small unit (mostly squad) actionson an individual man level. It is played onsix geomorphic mapsheets which portrayvarious types of terrain (slopes, shrubs,trees, rocky, and clear). Three of the forty-one order-of-battle options presented in thegame cover combat in Vietnam. These OOBoptions are broken down into five scenariosituations: Patrol, Recon, Raid, Ambush,and Assault.

The three Vietnam OOB options are asfollows: (1) Mekong Delta, 1968 — the 60thRegiment of the US 9th Infantry Divisionbecomes involved in "pacifying areas" ofthe Mekong Delta and is faced with stiffViet Cong resistance; (2) Quang Tri, 1968— the 1st US Marine Division engages theNorth Vietnamese 324B Division; An Loc,1972 — surrounded by regular NVA units,the ARVN 1st Parachute Brigade holds outunder siege in An Loc.

Since combat in Vietnam was so personaliz-ed, Patrol! helps one visualize the horror ofbeing caught in a lush, green hell, notknowing who or what is behind the nextbush or tree. It should be in your VietnamWar game library.

RAID!Commando Operations in the 20th CenturyStrategy & Tactics #64, September 1977Designer: Mark HermanDeveloper: Tony MerridyRaid! is a tactical level game covering alarge variety of commando and special

forces operations from World War II to thepresent. It is played on a 22 x 32-inch multi-color mapsheet on a scale of 25 meters perhex and 2 minutes per turn. There arespecial rules covering observation,command and control, communications,and special weapons.

It seems that most games dealing in wholeor in part with the Vietnam War era dopoorly on the SPI Game Ratings Chart.Raid! is no exception (5.9 in S&T #67). Thegame was criticized most for its incompleterules and mapsheet and for its lack of"realism". It still deserves your attention interms of its treatment of combat inVietnam.Four of the eight scenarios presented in thegame are Vietnam oriented, they are (1)Dawn Raid — an airmobile operation withthe objective of capturing enemydocuments (quite reminiscent of Grunt!and Search & Destroy); (2) The Son TayRaid: 21 November 1970 — this was the ill-fated Green Beret airmobile assault on SonTay Prison in North Vietnam, near Hanoi.The objective was to rescue 61 AmericanPOWs. Unknown to the Green Berets, thecaptives had been moved to another prisonbefore the raid; (3) Convoy Ambush and (4)The Sweep are general purpose scenariosthat closely simulate "typical" combatactions during the Vietnam War.

AIR WARModern Tactical Air CombatSPI, September 1977Designer: David C IsbyDeveloper: Greg Costikyan

Air War is a simulation of modern aircraft-to-aircraft combat. The game is played oneight geomorphic mapsheets on a space of500 feet in diameter and 250 feet in depthper hex. Each game turn represents 2.5seconds of real time. (For an in-depth studyof the game see Fire & Movement #10,Moves #37 and Little Wars #8.)

Air War is a complex game and requires

some effort in understanding. The rewardfor this extra effort is well worth it. Thegame covers a wide variety of air operationsand presents a number of historicalscenarios. Three of these scenarios cover aircombat in Vietnam:July 1965attacked by two MiGanother element of Fair engagement of the war; (2)Ridge, 21 March 1967from an airstrike over North Vietnam, twoF105D Thunderstreaks were attacked bytwo MiGTomb, 10 May 1972highestp i t s h i s Mi GCunningham's and Willie Driscoll's FPhantom (a oneHilton?).

MIG KILLERSJet Combat through the 1980'sGameScience Corporation, 1977Designers: Michael S. Kurtick, Rockland

RussoDevelopers: Lou Zocchi, Michael S.

Kurtick

MIG Killers,modern aircraftgame is played on a 21 x 34on a space scale of 245 meters per hex andper level of altitude. Each game turnrepresents five seconds of real time.MIG KillersIt covers historical air operations from the1940's to potential engagements in the1980's. Of the many scenarios presented inthe game, seven concern the Vietnam War.Two cover U.S. Air Force and Navymissions in 1967, three others deal withrevised U.S. tactics in 1972 and the finaltwo concern the missions of U.S. AceRandy Cunningham and Steve Ritchie.

some effort in understanding. The rewardfor this extra effort is well worth it. Thegame covers a wide variety of air operationsand presents a number of historicalscenarios. Three of these scenarios cover aircombat in Vietnam: (1) The First Kill, 10July 1965 — two F-4C Phantom jets wereattacked by two MiG-17s while coveringanother element of F-4's. This was the firstair engagement of the war; (2) 'ThudRidge, 21 March 1967 — while returningfrom an airstrike over North Vietnam, twoF105D Thunderstreaks were attacked bytwo MiG-21's; (3) The Death of ColonelTomb, 10 May 1972 — Colonel Tomb, thehighest-scoring ace since the Korean War,p i t s h i s M i G - 1 7 a ga i n s t Ra n dyCunningham's and Willie Driscoll's F-4JPhantom (a one-way ticket to the HanoiHilton?).

MIG KILLERSJet Combat through the 1980'sGameScience Corporation, 1977Designers: Michael S. Kurtick, Rockland

RussoDevelopers: Lou Zocchi, Michael S.

Kurtick

MIG Killers, like Air War, simulatesmodern aircraft-to-aircraft combat. Thegame is played on a 21 x 34-inch mapsheeton a space scale of 245 meters per hex and

evel of altitude. Each game turnrepresents five seconds of real time.MIG Killers is quite detailed and complex.It covers historical air operations from the1940's to potential engagements in the1980's. Of the many scenarios presented inthe game, seven concern the Vietnam War.Two cover U.S. Air Force and Navymissions in 1967, three others deal withrevised U.S. tactics in 1972 and the finaltwo concern the missions of U.S. AceRandy Cunningham and Steve Ritchie.