Charlie Kibler has just completed the counters for the game, and they are superb! His silhouettes for the ships are particularly noteworthy, and it’s a shame that players won’t be able to see them at 4x magnification like I can with the digital versions. Once the expansion is published, however, we (okay, probably some noble volunteer who is much more tech savvy than I) will update the VASSAL module and you’ll be able to see this beautiful work in all its glory.
In a year when boardgaming conventions have – by necessity – had to cancel all events, many organizers are seeking to rebuild their convention communities by taking them online. The popular San Diego Historical Games Convention (SDHistCon) wants to do just that and keep its wargaming community alive and thriving.
It is the year 1470. In Amboise, France, King Louis XI and his second wife, Charlotte of Savoy, welcome the birth of their son Charles. Louis goes by the nickname “the Spider” for his ability to weave conspiracies against those who oppose him. Such plotting is critical in a land threatened on all sides by enemies (Burgundy, Brittany, England, and Austria) and one where much of the power resides with the noble houses, not the monarchy. Slowly but steadily Louis and then the charismatic Charles (who succeeds him at age 13) increase the power of the French crown, pushing out their borders to the English Channel, up against Spain, and even into Italy. They can only count on a few allies: the Catalan rebels fighting against Aragon and the Portuguese (who are supporting a rival faction for the crown of Castile).
Next, we examine the French Resistance and French Paratroopers involved in the campaign.
Hubris – Twilight of the Hellenistic World takes one to three players twenty-two centuries back in time to the Ancient Eastern Mediterranean. This period is often little known, obscured by the great epopees of Alexander the Great (that preceded it), Hannibal (that took place simultaneously) or Julius Caesar (that followed it). It was nonetheless pivotal to world history.
Let’s explore it a little bit…
This is our fifth installment in a series going through the commands and special activities of the recently released COIN Series game, All Bridges Burning, Volume X.
NOTE: All images used below have been captured from the VASSAL module for playing the game electronically. The module was created by Brian Reynolds and can be downloaded and used for free here.
Below you will find another fantastic article from Clio’s Board Games, this time discussing Papacy player strategy in Here I Stand. You can also find this article on Clio’s blog. The previous article in this series, “How to Win as the Hapsburgs in Here I Stand”, can be found here. If you are interested in Clio’s Board Games’ previous series on InsideGMT discussing the fall of Communism through the lens of GMT’s 1989, you can read that here. Enjoy! -Rachel
We will continue or analysis of unit organization with a look at the German Army, Corps, Divisions and Kampfgruppe involved. The German Nineteenth Army was responsible for defending the entire Mediterranean coast of France. The Army was comprised of three corps, the LXII, LXXXV and IV Luftwaffe. In the diagram below, the divisions comprising each corps are shown. In the east, LXII defended the coast from the Franco-Italian border west to Toulon. In the center, XXXV Corps defended the area from Marseilles to just across the Rhone River delta. In the west, IV Luftwaffe Corps covered the beaches all the way to the Spanish border. The allied invasion would be unleashed upon the center of LXII Corps.
The year is 1470. Isabella of Castile is named heir to the throne of Castile after the Pacts of Guisando. However, she knows that her half-brother, King Henry IV, was displeased by Isabella’s marriage to Ferdinand of Aragon because they had not asked for Henry’s consent. In response he revokes the validity of these pacts and instead names his daughter Juana (nicknamed La Beltraneja) as heir. Now it’s Isabella’s turn to respond, stating the case for her marriage to Fernando II of Aragon and accusing her half-brother of perjury. Civil war looms — a fight for the throne of Castile between the supporters of Isabella and those of Juana. Isabella can count on the support of the Kingdom of Aragon while Juana is backed by Portugal.
During World War II, the US Army activated five Airborne Divisions (the 11th, 13th, 17th, 82nd and 101st) but only two (the 82nd and 101st) were available in Europe in August 1944, and none in the Mediterranean. So, as 7th US Army staff planned the airborne portion (Operation RUGBY) of the DRAGOON invasion, their request for an airborne division to support the amphibious landings could not be fulfilled. Instead, a division sized task force was formed from the smaller Allied airborne units already in the Mediterranean theater and independent units coming from the United States. The Task Force would ultimately include an American parachute regiment and three independent battalions (two parachute and one glider) and a British parachute brigade. The 1st Airborne Task Force was a unique, temporary organization.
