2023-’24 Central Front Wargame Tournament Semi-Finals Part II
Six wargames are left. Four will remain standing come the Final Four on Monday. I wanted to do it tomorrow, but it looks like Final Four will go off on Monday and then the Tournament championship game on Wednesday.
Corps/Divisional Level
1 NATO Division Commander
2 Less Than 60 Miles
I have so much to say about these two games. An independent blog entry might be necessary,
Map– I’m probably going to catch some flak on this but that’s okay. Division Commander’s map is aesthetically what you’d expect from the early 1980s. Rather bland by modern wargame map standards. But Division’s map shows everything needed to conduct a battle/campaign in the V Corps sector. Terrain, rivers, towns, larger cities, and roadways are all displayed quite professionally. Grid squares are included, which is a helpful feature. Overall, a pretty good map. 60 Miles contains most of these features, but the game designers opted to raise the aesthetics bar. The end result, in my view, is a map that runs the risk of bringing about confusion. The map looks similar to a deluxe pizza that had its toppings applied haphazardly around the pie and was then taken on a long, bumpy car ride by the delivery driver. Sorry, folks but this is just not the type of map for me.
NATO Division Commander: 4.3 Less Than 60 Miles: 3.7
Counters– I’m a traditionalist when it comes to wargame unit counters, preferring NATO symbols to the more contemporary trend of vehicle silhouettes. Division Commander gives players the NATO symbol and necessary info in its unit counters. Less Than gives players NATO symbols, and silhouettes, along with practically every bit of information necessary or frivolous. If I was younger, I might think otherwise but I’m not.
NATO Division Commander: 4.0 Less Than 60 Miles: 3.5
Rules– Last week I mentioned how Less Than 60 Miles seemed determined to reinvent the wheel, so to speak. Unfortunately, when it came to the rules, the amount of details came up rather short. Division Commander’s rules also come up short in a few important categories, especially combat charts. All in all, however, both games produced good rules.
NATO Division Commander: 3.7 Less Than 60 Miles: 3.7
Game Flow– It has always been my belief that players should come into a WWIII Central Front wargame with a healthy knowledge already about NATO and WP forces, the overall theater and such. I realize that most players in this genre weren’t staff level officers in the 1980s, or even now for that matter, but I usually take off points for games that come across as learning tools more than…well, as games/simulations. 😊
NATO Division Commander: 3.8 Less Than 60 Miles: 3.6
Legacy– Division Commander is a classic, but unfortunately, has not received similar attention of late compared to NATO: The Last War in Europe and a few other Central Front classics. Still, it remains a highly respected game and is regarded as one of the founding fathers of the genre. Less Than 60 Miles is fairly new, so there hasn’t been enough time to establish a legacy. Except for an updated set or rules. 😊 It is a work in progress, though.
NATO Division Commander: 4.5 Less Than 60 Miles: 4.0
Final Scores: NATO Division Commander- 4.06 Less Than 60 Miles- 3.7
Winner of the Corps/Division Level Category: 1 NATO Division Commander
Tactical
5 MBT
2 Assault – Tactical Combat in Europe: 1985
This category, overall, turned out to be something of a dogfight among the participants.
Map– Assault offers a simple but modern (for the mid-80s) and capable map. Considering the type of game Assault is, its map is more than adequate. MBT offers the same, but with the advantage of a color palette. Probably more appealing for a game centered on tactical armored combat in West Germany during the late 80s.
Assault: 4.0 MBT: 4.3
Counters– Both games use single vehicles and small squads and platoons for their unit counters. Hence, vehicle silhouettes and such are utilized by MBT and Assault.
Assault: 3.7 MBT: 3.7
Rules– This is where these two titles reach a fork in the road. MBT contained new and advanced rules for the time, yet players caught on fast, and it did not hinder the game’s popularity. Assault’s rules, seem as if they were designed by a robot as they are built around simulating the command-and-control structure of the units in the game. Robocop would love these rules. 😊
Assault: 3.5 MBT: 3.8
Game Flow-Assault’s players have a considerable amount of information to think about during each game turn. Players need to pay close attention to what their units are doing. MBT is easier in this regard, but isn’t that always the case with tank battles?
Assault: 3.3 MBT: 3.7
Legacy– MBT is a certified classic, having spawned a second edition as well as add ons. Assault is a borderline classic. It missed out on the real world popularity which MBT cashed in on, yet hard core wargamers consider it to be one of the best tactical games ever made.
Assault: 4.0 MBT: 4.5
Final Scores: MBT- 4.0 Assault-3.7
Winner of the Tactical game category– MBT
Third World War 1987 