The General - Volume 1, Issue 4

7/23/2019 The General - Volume 1, Issue 4

1/12

NOV

Full - Yea

SUBSCR IPT I

4.98

What do AH games represent

you? Are they just games or do

represent a problem of life? Are

interested in joining a club with

emphasis on realism? Does mili

history, tactics, and strategy, inte

you? If so we call upon you to joi

TACTICS AND STRATEGY CLU

CALIFORNIA. Here you will

players, who like yourself, find end

fascination in playing AH games

from the general s HQ. Say that

don t live in California? That s si

just join our mail organization. I

are the first to write from your

perhaps you will be the one to orga

a TACTICS AND STRATEGY club

your state. If you live near us pl

come in person. Write: George

Phelps, T

S Club, 20624 Sko

Drive, Canoga Park, California 90

Play-By-Mail League

From the Tactics Strategy Cl

California comes the following blur

A wargamers play-by-mail lea

operating out of Huntington, Ind

has just been formed. For a very

inal fee, officers of the league will

care of the many-sided details o

ordinating games and matching a

cants up with opponents in play-by-m

games. In addition, they will un

take to rate players so that games

tween opponents can be played o

even a level as possible. Member

will be restricted to the first 250

plicants. The following information

, (Continued on Page 7)

The History Book Clu

We have been informed that The

Point Atlas of American Wars an

Military History and Atlas of Nap

onic Wars is available through

History Book Club, 40 Guernsey Str

Stamford, Connecticut. Thanks to

rence P. Schweider for giving us

information.

Californians - Call to Ar

must have a real attraction going for

you. That s what Football Strategy

has been doing here at Benton

Bowles for the past ten or twelve

weeks. We want to congratulate you

on having devised this truly great

game. Several of us who have played

college football, and some who just

love the game from a spectator point

of view, have been at various times

attracted by various football games

that have been introduced in the last

four or five years. Most of them

depend on mathematical gimmicks,

lights, dials, dice -- but none of

(Continued On page 2)

F BALL STRATEGY isn t this realistio

but those in the know olaim its the next

best thing to aotually playing the gameL

Spread the Gospel

(Continued on Page 8)

Hill fan there s nO reaSOn in the world

why you, too, can t help the Phantom

spread the Avalon Hill gospel all around

the country.

All you ll need to become an Avalon

-Hill Phantom are the Decals and a pair

of sun glasses. You ll need the sun

glasses because the Decals are printed

on a bright Day-glo orange background.

Day-glo orange is the most striking

Published First Day Of Every Other Month

Publication Office: 210 West 28th Street, Baltimore, Marvland 21211

Who is the Avalon Hill Phantom?

We re not at liberty to say ... he s

till at large. And all of Baltimore is

rying to figure out who is the per s on

hat s pasting up Avalon Hill Decals

ll over Baltimore town.

The Don t Buyan Avalon Hill Game

ecals have been appearing in the most

nusual places. In fact, the Phantom

asn t provoked so much laughter and

ood-hearted fun here in town since

e days of the Cat Burglar.

Now we re going to let you in on the

un. If you are truly a devoted Avalon

OLUME 1 NO. 4

Avalon Hill

Phantom Strikes Again ...

As this magazine goes to press, the

yes and ears of the country are cen

red on football. Many college con

rences are building up to their cham

ionship games while the pros are de

ghting in the best year ever. Our own

altimore Colts, perenial powerhouse

f the NFL, are once again slashing

eir way toward another championship

kein. Small wonder; their offices are

ractically next door to the author of

otball Strategy.

Sports Illustrated Magazine said ...

ootball Strategy is the be st football

ame ever invented. Magazines of the

terary quality of Sports Illustrated

on t usually make unequivical state

ents such as this ... unless the

roduct s top notch. Our des ign de

artment thinks its a great game (per

aps some bias here) and they are still

laying it on their lunch hours.

Lunch-time Leagues

As a matter of fact, lunch-time

ootball Strategy leagues have become

e latest fad. For instance, from a

ading New York advertising agency,

ame this testimonial. ..

When you can get a dozen top-notch

advertising men to pas s up expense

account lunches at their choice of

New York s better restaurants, you

honest to Pete challenge to the man who knows

e would have been a great pro Quarterback

ays Sports llustrated

EST FOOTBALL GAME EVER INVENTED


2/12

~he ~VAtON *HILf

@~~~.n:~~~r1

Walter Guerry Green III

P. O. Box 621

Burlington, N. Carolina

Naval Affairs

In an attempt to make this c

more useful I am going to stea

Perica's idea of a book list. To

off for World War II buffs I would

gest the following standard refere

Jane's Fighting Ships, editions

Brassey's Annual, editions 1

These two annuals are a must for

interested in the types of warshi

use at this time and are extremely

curate. Jane's is really superio

that it contains photographs of all

clas ses wherever pos sible. Bo

these serials are available at mos

libraries.

I have received a number of

On my last column and wish to

those who took time to write to m

offer their ideas on my subject m

At the time when I wrote that ar

did not have access to all my res

materials and accordingly mis

number of heavy submarine type

particular the boats of the U. S.

Argonaut (l vessel, 2710 tons,

and Nautilus (2 vessels, 2730

2-6 ) classes and the Royal Navy

(2425 tons, 4-5.2 in turret m

with fire control) could have held

Own in a gunnery duel. A numb

Japanese types especially the

vessels, 1955 tons, 2-5.5 ) and

vessels, 1,950 tons, 2-5.5 ) c

would also have been tough opp

for the more lightly armed typ

escorts. I have also been told

number of Italian submarines m

4-3.9 although I have not been

verify this yet.

Best References

More On U-Boat

To continue with my analysis

game U-Boat I would like to offer

variations to the basic rules. A

present rules stand the bask gam

easily be adapted to a World

situation by the elimination of th

seeing factor presently used. Thi

may be accomplished by either

three separate boards -and a refer

by use of two separate boards

grouping of squares as in Bism

Fr;m a practical standpoint the

a referee would probably be best

could determine visibility and lis

ranges. The maximum listening

for detection should perhaps be

less of the board area, and any


This list is indorsed by General Max

well D. Taylor as basic professional

reading recommended for Army offi

cers

Century Of Total War, by Raymond

Aron, 1954.

Military Heritage Of America, by

Cols. R. E. and T. N. Dupuy, 1956.

How Russia Is Ruled, by Merle

Fainsod, 1953.

A Hundred Years Of War, by Capt.

Cyril Falls, 1953.

Foreign Policy: The Next Phase, by

Thomas K. Finletter, 1958.

Power And Policy, by Thomas K.

Finletter, 1954.

Soviet Strategy In The Nuclear Age,

by Raymond L. Garthoff, 1958.

Chief of Staff s

Reading List

For those interested in sports table

games along the complexity level of

Avalon Hill battle games, we recom

mend you inquire about the ALL Sports

Digest. This is a splendid tabloid

containing a diver sity of articles and

editorials on sports in general. Specif

ically, it includes a book review sec

tion; you are kept up to date On player

trades; there are also human interest

excerpts On players themselves ... you

might even learn which players have

athletes feet. In addition, a study of

their statistical section will show you

things like how an obviously drugged

Baltimore Colt team could lose to the

ludicrous Minnesota Vikings. Write

now to: ALL Sports Digest, 2309 E.

1st Street, Duluth, Minnesota 55812.

ALL Sports Digest --for

the Real Sports Fanatic

_>.~.-~ '~~ ..

c _

~~r

this year be different give

AVALON HILL GAMES

PUBLISHED by The

Company, Baltimore,

EDITED

Avalon Hill

Maryland.

Copyright 1964 T.A. H. C.

Baltimore Maryland

Printed in U S A

r~n honest to Pete

challenge

(Continued from page 1)

them even approaches the realism or

excitement of Strategy. Even non

footballers are attracted by the cere

bral aspects of the game. Our

Fierce Football League has just

started its third season. All of its

members are regular football fans

so we prefer to wait until all that

Intercollegiate and NFL nonsense is

over before we throw ourselves into

the greatest game ever invented. Our

season will end when we have the

championship Playoff between the

Upstairs and Downstairs Divisions.

The winner's name is engraved on a

pewter mug which remains in his

possession until the following season.

Again, congratulations from the

Fierce Football League who will be

playing, and buying, the game for

some time to come.

Avalon Hill is quite appreciative of

the above, and many other fine testi

monials about its games. Its tantamount

to an actor being applauded, or a ball

player receiving a tumultous ovation.

You are the Quarterback

To you who haven't been caught up

in the recent football fever, let us say

that the strategy inherent in this game

could quite easily make you, too, a

devoted Avalon Hill sports game fanatic.

We recognize that there are many

realistic football games on the market

designed on the order of our authentic

battle titles. However, none puts you

as squarely in the quarterback's slot

as does Football Strategy, the game

that dazzled the knowledgable writers

of Sports Illustrated.

a bi-monthly newsletter mailed On

the 1st day of January, March, May,

July, September and November.

Amateur battle game inventors wish

ing to design their own can purchase

plain white mapsheets containing hex

agons on a white background. They are

available on 22 x 28 sizes for 1. 00

per sheet. Quantity is limited at the

present time.

Design Your Own Games

2


3/12

Middle Atlantic

EDITOR - - Middle Atlantic cove

New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvan

CHANCELLORSVILLE - 1 per 10 C

factors; 1 per 20 Unit fac.

EX. for finding movement of

in Stalingrad the Germans have 94

tor s that move 6 and 171 that mov

They would receive 3 D units

move 6 and 6 that move 4. (Except

in A. K. there is an extra D

moves 6 or 12, German player's cho

If it is an arrival game, the D

rives with its quota troops.

B. Automatic Victory: As in A

is used in all above games. It requ

mere commOn sense to justify

Its specific purpose is to enable

immediate exploitation of surprise

prevent the occurrence of ridicul

situations (in Stalin grad it is poss

for 2/2-3-6's to stop the advance

many as 130 German factors f

month ).

C. All counters are inverted,

remain so, until two opposing

enter within 2 sqs of each other. T

particular units are immediately tu

face-up and remain so until the dista

between them increases.

Exceptions: In D-DAY only 15

at a time can be inverted and only

these during the invasion turns. H

ever, the D units may be placed

where starting the first turn.

Gettysbur g - A unit on a hilltop

see enemy units 2 miles away,

crest 1 1/2 miles, on the plains 1m

The line of sight is a straight line

units can not see through a forest

hill square. To do so a unit mus

two sqs away; this also applies if a

is in a forest.

To tell movement of inverted

mark the green side with a number

symbol, also make a line from co

to corner on the red side.

To conceal units that have tu

face up you need only form a tempor

stack, secretly shuffle it, and cont

moving.

That's it. Using this system

possible to mass your troops secre

to launch surprise attacks, launch fie

send out reconnisance missions,

your skill will be given an even gre

test than before.

Clarifications

In my last column about Waterlo

neglected to mention that the II and


Victor Madeja

287 Bedford Avenue

Brooklyn, N. Y. 11211

If sur

flyaway

Whoever is interested in doubling

the realism of some A. H. war games

need only follow all the following pro

visos.

A. Dummy Counters: These are to

create the impression of troops where

none exist. Any counter can serve the

purpose. They have absolutely no com

bat value and can not be destroyed

(treat as Rommel unit in A. K.); their

movement rate varies. The number of

D units an army has is determined

generally by its number of troops. The

speed of the unit is that of the troops

it is representing (EX. below). Num

ber of D counters per number of

troops (all armies unless otherwise

specified) in various games.

AFRIKA KORPS - 1 for 10 def. factors

WATERLOO - 1 to 25 factors

STALINGRAD - 1 for 25 def. factors

TACTICS - 1 for 6 offensive factors

D-DAY - 1 per 30 Allied factors

Germans receive four

Dear Sirs:

From the Sept. General Q

rounded, can parachute units

and escape? A: Yes.

What are you guys running around

there - an insane asylum? I didn't know


Dear Sirs:

Your excellent games have moved

me from the sand table to the dining

room table.

There are several of us here in San

Diego who devote a good ten hours a

week to A-H tournament war-gaming

(Monday and Friday nights). I've de

vised a system that is simple but in

teresting. It is as follows: We play

Afrika Korps - Stalingrad ~ and D-Day

in the order listed. Each individual

takes the Germans for three games

against the same opponent and then

switches to take the Allies. It is scored

in the following manner: The German

player gets two points for winning

Afrika Korps, two points for winning

Stalingrad and one point for winning

D-Day. If the German player wins all

three games, he is awarded a ten point

bonus. The Allied player gets one

point for winning both Afrika Korps and

Stalingrad with two points received for

winning D-Day. If he wins all three, he

gets an eight point bonus. We keep a

total point standing for all members,

and it has proven to be quite a competi

tive challenge . Bob Geasette.

NS~2(Ei@af&:C5:J;; 1[Tb~

EI~~~gt~~:J~urprise]

ear Sirs,

Yesterday I received your September

sue of the General. I know you must

e very busy lobbying Congres s to start

W III, but you should at least get your

sues out on time so that we can enter

e many contests which appear in it

i. e. Contest 3, or Operation Gigantis).

. Waldo Miller.

EDITOR'S NOTE: Because of the

teness of delivery, we will make every

ffort to rush out future copies to sub

cribers~e may even put first class

amps Onthe envelope.

ear A. H. :

My September copy of the General

idn't reach me until Sept. 28. No of

nse, but Guttenberg could have printed

faster and the Pony Express would

ave delivered it faster. You should

end them out in such a way that every

ne gets it about the same time, to

ake the contest fair. Bob Wood, 873

. 10th Ave., Upland, Calif., 91786.

by Thomas La Farge

This is the des cription of a game of

y design, based historically on the

re-Napoleonic wars of the eight.eenth

entury, which involves the principle

at opponents cannot see all of each

her's dispositions.

This is not a game of anyone battle

r campaign, and various details are

ft to the players' imaginations, such

s what locality is represented on the

(Continued on page 11)

Please find enclosed a postal money

rder for five dollars and no cents

5.00). This money is for the purchase

f one of your D-Day games.

By the way D-Day shows promise of

ecoming a new college game craze.

hn M. Sharp, 175 Frontier Hall, Uni

rsity of Minnesota, Minneapolis, 14,

DITOR - New England covering Maine,

ermont, New Hampshire, Massachu

tts, Connecticut and Rhode Island.

homas S. LaFarge

oton School

oton, Massachusetts

imited ntelligence ame

~Letters, Yes We Get Letters... ~


4/12

EDITOR - Midwest covering Wisc

Michigan, illinois, Indiana and

Midwest

SINGLE ENVELOPMENT ISOLA

DOUBLE ENVELOPMENT ISOL

Carl F. Knabe II

1244 State Street Courts

West Lafayette, Indiana

attack, to isolate the unit in s

manner that no matter where it

there is no supply line.

The simple case of isolation

triangular arrangement of uni

diagram l, the simplest case of

envelopment isolation in open co

However, if a supply unit is ava

(or if the odds would be 1to 3 or

er) then in order to as sure destru

of the isolated unit double envelo

isolation must be employed. The

effective method of achieving

envelopment isolation is, of c

employing two concentric single

velopment isolations. Often this

possible, however, and in this

(ex. German isolation of the B

2 Arm. 3 at Msus on the first tu

AFRIKA KORPS) the simplest m

is. a diamond shaped formation (di

2) us ing four units to create two

of isolation at the same time.

Having done this march

the 2d MtnDiv into the

mountains at 36-32 to

guard the passes and

march the bulk of III

Corps up to the river

line at 26 NS.

When all this is done

you have completed Op

eration Long Romp 1.

This can be done in COn

junction with or inde

pendently of Operation

which is below.

JYC~'

I

IG I

by Carl Knabe, II

I would like to introduce two terms

relative to isolation in AFRIKA KORPS

single envelopment isolation and

double envelopment isolation.

Single Envelopment Isolation -occurs

when a unit is isolated by a band

of control zones only one square

wide at some point.

Double Envelopment Isolation

occurs when there are two (or

more) line s of zone s of control

around a unit isolating it.

This rather technical distinction

takes on importance when considered

with the LOGISTICS rule of AFRIKA

KORPS:

1. A Combat unit may attack only

if the square it is attacking from is

within 5 squares of a Supply Unit. The

5-square route must be unblocked by

enemy zones of control.

And the definition under ISOLATION

of a supply,line:

A supply line is any line of square s

one square wide (not under enemy zones

of control) leading to a Supply Unit.

Now is states under ISOLATION that

isolated units themselves cannot attach

to break isolation, but the unstated

corollary is that if a unit by plac ing it

self in an attacking position (a 5-square

supply route existing to that position)

can show a line of supply then it can,

in fact, attack, since it is no longer an

isolated unit which is attacking.

From this it becomes the object of the

isolater, that if it is possible for the

enemy Supply Unit to reach that posi

tion necessary for the isolated Unit's


Long Romp II

Long Romp II

This is an offensive operation against

C 3-28.

Take 2nd Arm Div, at 16-35, and

march it 18 road squares to 9- 24 and

then one off road square to 8-23.

Take 2nd Para Div and drop at 3- 29.

March through the city and then back to

square 4- 27 thus taking and garis soning

C 3-28.

Launch 6th Arm Div from C 28-51

after moving 4 road squares and land

I I

I.. .=:

: ....

,'

~i

Afrika Korps- Tactics of Isolation

The Long RompsI

EDITOR - South Atlantic covering

Maryland, D. C., West Virginia, Vir

ginia, Kentucky, North Carolina, South

Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Missis

sippi and Florida.

Hilary Smith

7805 Maple Ridge Rd.

Bethesda 14, Maryland

Long Romp I

This is an offensive operation against

C 43-16.

Take 3d Arm Div at 28- 33 a nd march

21 squares to square 42-16 of C 43-16.

March 1st and 2nd Amph Divs from

24-41 and 28-39 10 and 9 squares re

spectively to Blue Capital's two easter

most dock areas and put to sea. Land

these troops at Beach B43-14 and march

them to squares 42-14 and 41-14 re

spectively. This, coupled with 3d Arm

Div's operation give you control of

C 43-16.

Take 5th' Arm Div from 29-50 and

march it three squares On the road to

C 28- 51 and put out to sea. Land at

C 43-16 and march around 3d Arm Div

and acros s the river for a total of 6

squares to 40-15.

Drop 1st Para Divat 41-18 to pro

tect your flank against a thrust across

the river.

Finally march 4th Arm Div, 17th

and 19th Inf Divs, and IV Corps HQ

along the mountain road as far as possi

ble. In arranging IV Corps area do it

as per figure 1.

by AlbertNofi

South Atlantic

Sgt. Zocchi's truly masterful Opera

tion Can Can (July issue) is a fine ex

ample of what a plan should be and an

excellent offensive plan for Blue.

Since variety is the spice of life,

and because I am running out of super

latives, I would like to offer my own

favorite starting line-up which has af

forded hours of successful conquests

over startled foes. It is not necessary

to follow the plan exactly and hence it

takes considerably more than two games

for your opponent to catch on.

The plan is based On the premise

that Blue has the fir st turn and is use

less otherwise. There are two parts

to it, which I have labeled Long Romp

I and Long Romp II for reasons

which will readily be seen.

In the absence or Mr Smith s column ror

November is the rollowing by Albert Nori

4


5/12


6/12

Design Questionaire

entral

iscount Offer

NOV.

OV. 1964

I I I I I I

I

Daniel Hughe s

1634 North Sheridan

Wichita, Kansas 67203

Here's how it works

Each coupon is worth 25~.

coupon alone does not entitle y

25~ credit. You must accumu

different coupons before taking

age of the 1.00 credit. When y

accumulated 4 coupons, then y

them all together and send them

your order for an Avalon Hill

When ordering in this manne

simply send us a check or money

for 1. 00 less than the usual retai

of the game.

Coupons are valid only when

ing games by mail directly fro

Avalon Hill Company. Coupons

be redeemed at any retail outlet.

GOOD ONLY WHEN APPUED

TOWARD THE PURCHASE

AVALON HILL GAMES

The Coupon shown below is for th

fit of the full-year subscriber.

as you have accumulated 4 suc

pons, 1 each from this and suc

issues, you are entitled to a 1.

count applied to the purchase

Avalon Hill game.

SAVE THIS COUPO

The time period remains the

one week. Against any German

which is doubled or tripled, 2-3

24 counts as 1-1. 1-6 is necessa

soaking off. All fortresses tripl

West Wall is like fortresses in

Korps. They double, and do not

squares adjacent to them. If the

not this way, the line would me

another river line, which wo

easy for the Allies to break. W

the Allies to land after the 9th

selected areas (Such as Bisca

South France. )

More Room for Maneuver

The board has about 100

square s. There is one main


EDITOR - - Central covering No

kota, South Dakota, Minnesota

braska, Iowa, Kansas and Misso

by Daniel Hughes

Since so many readers have express

ed interest in the large game of the

type I described in my last article, this

time I shall devote my attention mainly

to another of our large garnes, Overlord.

Overlord was, of course, the code name

for the invasion of France in 1944. You

might say we have a souped-up version

of D-Day. Since the board measure s

60 by 50 , the re are more invas ion

squares, more mts., longer river lines,

and many more units.

We have approximately quadrupled

the number of units. In D- Day, after

the 16th week, the Germans receive 5 re

placement factors per turn. We have

found the actual numbers of the new

German divisions, so periodically new

German formations appear in Western

Europe. The German receive the ac

tual new divisions in the order they

actually were made available. This is

more realistic, since not all new for

mations are motorized. The German

is very hard put to keep his armored

strength up, which was actually the

case. He must make do with what for

mations, happen to be available. About

50% of the new German divisions were

static and Volksgrenadier divisions of

low value.

Number of Units Quadrupled

Operation Overlord ...

o

Coral S_ea - Pacific Theatre ship vS

ship engagement of the 2nd World

War.

DGuadalcanal - World War II battle

for the Pacific Island.

D Italian Front - Invasion of Italy in

volving Anzio, Salerno, etc. follow

ing the African and Sicily cam

paigns of World War II.

D Jutland - World War I sea battle of

the north Atlantic.

D

Korea - land battle police action of

the early 1950's, staring Avalon

Hill's own design staff members in

action at the front.

D

Tactics III - Hexagonal-mapboard

fictional battle utilizing best fea

tures of Avalon Hill's better his

torical battle games.

o Yorktown - final battle of the Amer-

ican Revolution.

D Other (describe) 41

------- ~

41

::r:

E

The General - Volume 1, Issue 4

Documents

Transcript of The General - Volume 1, Issue 4