SPI Wargame Resources - COMPONENTS GameReviewspigames.net/MovesScans/Moves02/leipzigrev.pdfplayer...
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28 ...• GameReview by James M. Flanagan PUBLICATION DATA Title: Leipzig. Publisher: Simulations Publica- tions, Inc. Publication 'Date: September 1971 (Second Edition)' Price: $5.00: Sold: By mail. Designer: J.F. Dunnigan. Physical Design and Graphics: R.A. Simonsen and M. Frederick. Play testing and Development: J. Young & R. Charnper. Rules Organization and Editing: J. Young, R.A. Simonsen, Designer Credits: Mr. Dunnigan designed most of the recent AH games and the bulk of those published by Sim- ulations Publications, Inc. GENERAL DESCRIPTION Subject: Napoleonic warfare on the strategic level. Leipzig simulates the 1813 campaign. Packaging: 12" x 15Y," mailing envelope. RULES Complexity Rating: (8) The rules reflect the we 11- intentioned, but somewhat overdone, drive of Simulations Publications toward com- plication. Clarity Rating: (5) The great exertion evident here to cover every contingency results in re- dundancy, which only serves to reduce clarity. Comprehensiveness Rating: (7) For a strategic game, the number of elements covered is good. Accessibility and Organization Rating: (4) The rules seem slick and very graphic but you are often left with the impression that some "ex- ception" is buried under the prose. The rules are printed on both sides of one 14" x 22" and one 9Y," x ,11" sheet. Some items are segre- gated in boxes and charts. Other material is organized under bold face headings. Reference is sometimes difficult due to repetition. Read- ing Comprehension Time: You can cover the ground in an hour or so, but frequent refer- ence is necessary as you play. Word Count: 4,950. Illustrated Examples of Play: 1. Ex- pandability Rating: (8) This game is high on variables. One scenario covers the actual his- torica~ situation in the Spring. Another deals with the Summer campaign. Then you have five "What-if?" situations based on what might have occurred if this or that historical factor had developed differently. AUstrian interven- tion or neutrality, for example, was a crucial element. Rules Sections Headings: The Game, Game Equipment, General Course of Play, Game Length, Movement, Zones of Control, Stacking and Unit Breakdown, Supply, Com- bat, Retreat Order of Preference, Leaders, For- tress and Siege, Reconnaissance, How to Use the Scenarios, Special Game Rules, Spring Scenarios (1 through 4), Summer Scenarios (5 through 7), The Campaign Game, Special Cam- paign Game Rules, How to Use the Combat Results Table, How to Win, Forced Marches, Terrain Effects. Notable Game Features: Al- though few things can be called true innova- tions anymore, since over the years warqarners have explored almost every conceivable gim- mick and angle, many games create fascinating variations of old themes. In Leipzig, the stack- ing, unit breakdown and buildup, supply, lead- ers, retreat before combat, combat results table and forced march rules are all examples of brilliant game design. Though sometimes ex- plained in a confusing way, they are still high grade ore. COMPONENTS Playing Surface: The map is 23" x 29" un- mounted heavy cardstock. It is tan with vary- ing tints of gray and black. Type of Grid Mod- ule: Hexagon. There are 1,760 hexes in all. Each one is .625" from side to side. The scale is 7 km to the hex. Clarity of Symbolization Rating: (8) The map is very well done in this sense. Types of Terrain/Percentage of total area (C=affects combat, M=affects movement): Fortress hexes, .51% (C), River hexes (sides) 16.8%(C,M), Bridged River hexes (sides) .96% (C), Mountain hexes 11.3% (C,M) Mountain Pass hexes .73% (C). Playing Pieces: square .625" die cut counters. 234·are in the game. They break down as follows: 10 Supply, 3 De- pot, 21 Cavalry, 73 Infantry and 10 Leaders for each side. The total used in each scenario varies from Scenario no. 1Cl 08 units (not in- cluding supply, which is a variable) to Scenario no. 6C175 units (ditto). Scenario no. 8is the campaign game. It begins with the Spring order of battle (108 units). As it continues, several variables besides supply affect the nu mber of pieces in play. Bavarian Defection, German Re- bellion and AustrianInterventlon can all deter- rnine the strength of both sides. Quality of Playing Pieces Rating: (8) The pieces are of the traditional sort. They are easy to read and use. The face indicates type, strength, movement, unit size and designation etc. Functionally Distinct Units: The infantry has its usual role. The cavalry have greater flex- ibility in withdrawals and dealing with enemy zones of control. Supply and depot pieces greatly affect the abilities of other units in movement (For forced marches) and combat. The unique leader units are important. Numerical factors have been worked out esti- mating the abilities of the various generals in- volved. Each leader affects the combat strength of the troops he leads - sometimes decisively. Set Up Aids: Designer Notes, Rein- forcement Chart, Combat Results Table, Vic- tory Point Schedule, Forced March Tables, Terrain Effects Chart, Order of Battle Charts (with explanation for each scenario)' PLAY MECHANICS Set Up Time: This changes with the situation used, but if you have your playing pieces sort- ed, about 10 minutes will be enough. If you like to pour over initial deployments, as we do, it takes longer. Total Number of Game-Turns: All the scenarios last twelve turns except the campaign game which lasts thirty-five turns. Average time for each Player's Move: Varies from 8 to 13 minutes, depending on scenario. The above estimates assume that both players are quick movers who have mastered the rules, Decision Point: This usually comes fairly late in the game, around turn 9 or 10. Average Playing Time: Three hours plus. There can be considerable variation depending on the play- ers and their strategies. We tend to talk and deliberate so our games run about four hours. Average Number of Die Rolls Per Turn: Only a couple per side as far as combat is concerned. Fighting is often not worth it, unless you can destroy a sizable force. A clever enemy will not concentrate his forces unless it suits his purposes. Forced Marches account for a sizable percentage of your die rolls if you are a blitz minded player. Movement System: 1. French player moves 2. French player allocates supply for intended attacks 3. Allied player may, in certain cases, retreat his units under attack. 4. Allied player allocates supply to units of his choice. 5. Combat is resolved. Then the Allied player moves, in the same sequence. Conflict Mechanics: The Attacker's strength is comput- ed as a percentage of the defenders strength (60%, 80%, 100%,110%, etcc.) Quite different from "rounding off" as we do with most ta- bles. Combat results include "scattered," dis- persed," "destroyed" or "partially exchanged:' Automatic destruction is achieved when the attacker can launch a 500% attack against ene- my infantry. Victory Conditions: Each scen- ario has its own victory conditions. These are based on accumulating points, which are awarded for possessing geographical objectives, destroying enemy units and in some scenarios (1 through 4) the French player receives points for advancing units off the eastern edge of the map. Play Balance: Varies with each scenario but generally Napoleon is on the short end of the stick. Iri addition he has to contend with enemies in a superior supply and reinforce- ment situation. The better quality of the French leadership is his ace in the hole. Real- ism: The game has a relatively high order of realism. It' certainly is well above any other game we have played in the effectiveness of its simulation of Napoleonic warfare, SUMMARY Overall Physical Quality Rating: (6). The main drawbacks (if one considers them as such) are the unmounted, cclorless map and the lack of a hard box. That, of course, is why the cost is only $5.00. Overall Accuracy Rating: (8). The best job yet for Napoleonic vvarqarninq. Play- ability Rating: (61. Fairly good, once the ru les have been hurdled. Rating for Novice Players: (4). New Players are advised to cut their teeth on the earlier AH games or games of the "Na- poleon at Waterloo" level. We understand 5& T will be turning to more of these games in fu- ture issues. Overall Rating for "Playability" Fans: (4). If you like to read the rules for a game and sit right down to solving the problem presented by the game, then Leipzig and, (dare we say lt.) Simulations Publications games in general are a pain in the neck. Overall Rating for "Historical Realism" Players: (8). People who delight in complication will enjoy this one. It contains a number of really fine fea- tures not found in most games. Overall Rating for "Action/Excitement" Players: (3), There isn't much "bang, bang" in Leipzig. It would be more appealing to a Manstein than a Patton. Slick maneuvering and forethought are the keys to victory. Leipzig is the kind of game we would never pass over. It is outstanding for the number of "new" concepts it introduces. The situation is intriguing. The mechanics are innovative, and all in all, it is a rewarding investment. Before you can play the game, a considerable amount of time and effort has to be put into mastering the rules. Our usual procedure with Simula- tions Publications games like Kursk, Leipzig, Korea, etc., is to prune the rules by about 30 to 40"10. Conflicting, or apparently conflicting, statements have to be examined and recon- ciled. Repetitious prose has to be sliced off and sometimes additional tables and charts constructed. For example, we don't care for the approach where elements influencing a move (ZOC, terrain, weather, etc.) are all re- flected in a movement point system. It be- comes a monumental bore. We are experiment- ing with other ways of showing the effects of conditioning factors. Some work and some don't. If you are willing to go' in for something of this sort, and we are, then Leipzig, and other games on this level, are gems .••
Transcript of SPI Wargame Resources - COMPONENTS GameReviewspigames.net/MovesScans/Moves02/leipzigrev.pdfplayer...
28...•
GameReviewby James M. Flanagan
PUBLICATION DATATitle: Leipzig. Publisher: Simulations Publica-tions, Inc. Publication 'Date: September 1971(Second Edition)' Price: $5.00: Sold: By mail.Designer: J.F. Dunnigan. Physical Design andGraphics: R.A. Simonsen and M. Frederick.Play testing and Development: J. Young & R.Charnper. Rules Organization and Editing: J.Young, R.A. Simonsen, Designer Credits: Mr.Dunnigan designed most of the recent AHgames and the bulk of those published by Sim-ulations Publications, Inc.
GENERAL DESCRIPTIONSubject: Napoleonic warfare on the strategiclevel. Leipzig simulates the 1813 campaign.Packaging: 12" x 15Y," mailing envelope.RULESComplexity Rating: (8) The rules reflect thewe 11- intentioned, but somewhat overdone,drive of Simulations Publications toward com-plication.Clarity Rating: (5) The great exertion evidenthere to cover every contingency results in re-dundancy, which only serves to reduce clarity.Comprehensiveness Rating: (7) For a strategicgame, the number of elements covered is good.Accessibility and Organization Rating: (4) Therules seem slick and very graphic but you areoften left with the impression that some "ex-ception" is buried under the prose. The rulesare printed on both sides of one 14" x 22" andone 9Y," x ,11" sheet. Some items are segre-gated in boxes and charts. Other material isorganized under bold face headings. Referenceis sometimes difficult due to repetition. Read-ing Comprehension Time: You can cover theground in an hour or so, but frequent refer-ence is necessary as you play. Word Count:4,950. Illustrated Examples of Play: 1. Ex-pandability Rating: (8) This game is high onvariables. One scenario covers the actual his-torica~ situation in the Spring. Another dealswith the Summer campaign. Then you havefive "What-if?" situations based on what mighthave occurred if this or that historical factorhad developed differently. AUstrian interven-tion or neutrality, for example, was a crucialelement. Rules Sections Headings: The Game,Game Equipment, General Course of Play,Game Length, Movement, Zones of Control,Stacking and Unit Breakdown, Supply, Com-bat, Retreat Order of Preference, Leaders, For-tress and Siege, Reconnaissance, How to Usethe Scenarios, Special Game Rules, SpringScenarios (1 through 4), Summer Scenarios (5through 7), The Campaign Game, Special Cam-paign Game Rules, How to Use the CombatResults Table, How to Win, Forced Marches,Terrain Effects. Notable Game Features: Al-though few things can be called true innova-tions anymore, since over the years warqarnershave explored almost every conceivable gim-mick and angle, many games create fascinatingvariations of old themes. In Leipzig, the stack-ing, unit breakdown and buildup, supply, lead-ers, retreat before combat, combat resultstable and forced march rules are all examplesof brilliant game design. Though sometimes ex-plained in a confusing way, they are still highgrade ore.
COMPONENTSPlaying Surface: The map is 23" x 29" un-mounted heavy cardstock. It is tan with vary-ing tints of gray and black. Type of Grid Mod-ule: Hexagon. There are 1,760 hexes in all.Each one is .625" from side to side. The scaleis 7 km to the hex. Clarity of SymbolizationRating: (8) The map is very well done in thissense. Types of Terrain/Percentage of totalarea (C=affects combat, M=affects movement):Fortress hexes, .51% (C), River hexes (sides)16.8%(C,M), Bridged River hexes (sides) .96%(C), Mountain hexes 11.3% (C,M) MountainPass hexes .73% (C). Playing Pieces: square.625" die cut counters. 234·are in the game.They break down as follows: 10 Supply, 3 De-pot, 21 Cavalry, 73 Infantry and 10 Leadersfor each side. The total used in each scenariovaries from Scenario no. 1Cl 08 units (not in-cluding supply, which is a variable) to Scenariono. 6C175 units (ditto). Scenario no. 8is thecampaign game. It begins with the Spring orderof battle (108 units). As it continues, severalvariables besides supply affect the nu mber ofpieces in play. Bavarian Defection, German Re-bellion and AustrianInterventlon can all deter-rni ne the strength of both sides.
Quality of Playing Pieces Rating: (8) Thepieces are of the traditional sort. They are easyto read and use. The face indicates type,strength, movement, unit size and designationetc. Functionally Distinct Units: The infantryhas its usual role. The cavalry have greater flex-ibility in withdrawals and dealing with enemyzones of control. Supply and depot piecesgreatly affect the abilities of other units inmovement (For forced marches) and combat.The unique leader units are important.Numerical factors have been worked out esti-mating the abilities of the various generals in-volved. Each leader affects the combatstrength of the troops he leads - sometimesdecisively. Set Up Aids: Designer Notes, Rein-forcement Chart, Combat Results Table, Vic-tory Point Schedule, Forced March Tables,Terrain Effects Chart, Order of Battle Charts(with explanation for each scenario)'
PLAY MECHANICSSet Up Time: This changes with the situationused, but if you have your playing pieces sort-ed, about 10 minutes will be enough. If youlike to pour over initial deployments, as we do,it takes longer. Total Number of Game-Turns:All the scenarios last twelve turns except thecampaign game which lasts thirty-five turns.Average time for each Player's Move: Variesfrom 8 to 13 minutes, depending on scenario.The above estimates assume that both playersare quick movers who have mastered the rules,Decision Point: This usually comes fairly latein the game, around turn 9 or 10. AveragePlaying Time: Three hours plus. There can beconsiderable variation depending on the play-ers and their strategies. We tend to talk anddeliberate so our games run about four hours.Average Number of Die Rolls Per Turn: Only acouple per side as far as combat is concerned.Fighting is often not worth it, unless you candestroy a sizable force. A clever enemy willnot concentrate his forces unless it suits hispurposes. Forced Marches account for a sizablepercentage of your die rolls if you are a blitzminded player. Movement System: 1. Frenchplayer moves 2. French player allocates supplyfor intended attacks 3. Allied player may, incertain cases, retreat his units under attack. 4.Allied player allocates supply to units of his
choice. 5. Combat is resolved. Then the Alliedplayer moves, in the same sequence. ConflictMechanics: The Attacker's strength is comput-ed as a percentage of the defenders strength(60%, 80%, 100%,110%, etcc.) Quite differentfrom "rounding off" as we do with most ta-bles. Combat results include "scattered," dis-persed," "destroyed" or "partially exchanged:'Automatic destruction is achieved when theattacker can launch a 500% attack against ene-my infantry. Victory Conditions: Each scen-ario has its own victory conditions. These arebased on accumulating points, which areawarded for possessing geographical objectives,destroying enemy units and in some scenarios(1 through 4) the French player receives pointsfor advancing units off the eastern edge of themap. Play Balance: Varies with each scenariobut generally Napoleon is on the short end ofthe stick. Iri addition he has to contend withenemies in a superior supply and reinforce-ment situation. The better quality of theFrench leadership is his ace in the hole. Real-ism: The game has a relatively high order ofrealism. It' certainly is well above any othergame we have played in the effectiveness of itssimulation of Napoleonic warfare,
SUMMARYOverall Physical Quality Rating: (6). The maindrawbacks (if one considers them as such) arethe unmounted, cclorless map and the lack ofa hard box. That, of course, is why the cost isonly $5.00. Overall Accuracy Rating: (8). Thebest job yet for Napoleonic vvarqarninq. Play-ability Rating: (61. Fairly good, once the ru leshave been hurdled. Rating for Novice Players:(4). New Players are advised to cut their teethon the earlier AH games or games of the "Na-poleon at Waterloo" level. We understand 5& Twill be turning to more of these games in fu-ture issues. Overall Rating for "Playability"Fans: (4). If you like to read the rules for agame and sit right down to solving the problempresented by the game, then Leipzig and, (darewe say lt.) Simulations Publications games ingeneral are a pain in the neck. Overall Ratingfor "Historical Realism" Players: (8). Peoplewho delight in complication will enjoy thisone. It contains a number of really fine fea-tures not found in most games. Overall Ratingfor "Action/Excitement" Players: (3), Thereisn't much "bang, bang" in Leipzig. It wouldbe more appealing to a Manstein than a Patton.Slick maneuvering and forethought are thekeys to victory.
Leipzig is the kind of game we would neverpass over. It is outstanding for the number of"new" concepts it introduces. The situation isintriguing. The mechanics are innovative, andall in all, it is a rewarding investment. Beforeyou can play the game, a considerable amountof time and effort has to be put into masteringthe rules. Our usual procedure with Simula-tions Publications games like Kursk, Leipzig,Korea, etc., is to prune the rules by about 30to 40"10. Conflicting, or apparently conflicting,statements have to be examined and recon-ciled. Repetitious prose has to be sliced offand sometimes additional tables and chartsconstructed. For example, we don't care forthe approach where elements influencing amove (ZOC, terrain, weather, etc.) are all re-flected in a movement point system. It be-comes a monumental bore. We are experiment-ing with other ways of showing the effects ofconditioning factors. Some work and somedon't. If you are willing to go' in for somethingof this sort, and we are, then Leipzig, andother games on this level, are gems .••
