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Turning Point Simulations Announces Its 2013 Releases
Sir Edward Creasy, in his book on the decisive battles of history, writes on picking them:
“There are some battles which claim our attention, independent of the moral worth of the combatants, on account of their enduring importance, and by reason of the practical influence on our own social and political condition, which we can trace up to the results of these engagements. They have for us an abiding interest, both while we investigate the chain of causes and effects by which they have helped to make us what we are, and also while we speculate on what we probably would have been, if any one of those battles had come to a different termination.”
This point of view is why battles like Vicksburg and Stalingrad were chosen instead of Gettysburg or Normandy... These are the battles which really changed history. Now, you can gain personal insight into the challenges involved for each side in all 20 of his Decisive Battle picks.
Turning Point Simulations, the same folks who produce Against the Odds magazine, are releasing a series that includes all 20 battles... four per year. But, rather than go through the book chapters in sequence, TPS scrambles things up a bit to give a broader view of the history involved.
The first series of four games published began with “Chapter 7,” the Battle of Tours, and included Chapter 9, Orleans (and Joan of Arc), Chapter 12, Poltava's Dread Day (Swedish King Charles XII’s ill-fated invasion of Russia) and ended with the climax of another “ill-fated invasion of Russia, Chapter 20, Stalingrad. Now, another four new games are being released.
All are offered as games of low-complexity and high replayability, with mounted, full color maps and strikingly sharp counters to represent the units involved. These are games designed to be played, created by a range of some of the best game designers in the hobby today.
TPS offers you multiple ways to enjoy “Twenty Decisive Battles.” You can buy the entire collection now for one low price (that includes priority shipping and a bonus 21st game!) before prices increase next year. Or buy only the battles that interest you. Quite a few opted in for the entire collection (thank you). And many more of you this year chose our Honeymoon option (try the first four and see).
Well, how did you like the "Honeymoon?"
We knew it was a big commitment to sign up for 20 games (21 really) that would come out over a five year period, so we thought the "try the first four and then choose" option would help folks know what they were getting into.
You saw the first four games and we know what the next four will be. (See below for more details.) The question is, do you want to come along for the rest of the ride?
We made a commitment on the front end--the price will be locked in and never rise for those who sign on for the whole package. We knew there would be postage increases (although we did not realize how quickly they would start or how high they would jump), but our view is, a promise must be kept.
So, you have the opportunity to sign on for the rest of the Decisive Battles, by simply paying the rest of the current low series price. And, you will qualify for our "surprise" 21st game, which will never be sold individually. But if you still want the lowest price for the 21 game set, you need to answer by December 31st. You can still choose to collect the remainder later on but the price will increase each year.
If you would like to sign on for the rest of the series now, just go here and we will sign you up. We expect the next four games to ship in March.
We hope you enjoyed the Honeymoon and are ready to sign on for that long term commitment. We will do our part, making the games to enjoy and "partner" with for years to come.
But let’s take a closer look at the next four games. Each of these will retail for $34.95 here in the USA.
CHAPTER 2 THE SIEGE OF SYRACUSE - Athens’ Descent into Ruin…
“The Romans knew not…how deeply the greatness of their own prosperity and the fate of the whole Western world were involved in the destruction of the fleet of Athens in the harbor of Syracuse.” Arnold
Say what? The “fate of the whole Western world?” Syracuse? How? Simple. If the Athenians had taken Syracuse during their invasion of 415 BCE, they would have captured Sicily and become a major superpower. They would have dominated the Italian boot as well, and made it much harder for a city-state named Rome to expand.
Maybe one of the oddest things about the lengthy Peloponnesian War is that, after decades of balance, the Athenians actually lost with a campaign well away from the Greek mainland.
The Athenians have a mighty host of fleets and men, filled with confidence. The Syracusans have a long history of clinging to their independence (and powerful allies coming to foil Athens).
Combat units include cavalry, light troops, peltasts, and the heavily armed hoplites - the backbone of both sides’ armies. You the players can decide your best approaches for attack and defense, selecting from pitched battles or skirmishes…or building miles of siege walls.
The Siege of Syracuse includes one full color, 11” x 17” mounted mapboard, an 8.5” x 11” battle board, 176 full color, die-cut counters, and all the rules, charts, and insight you need to see whether you can extend the Golden Age of Athens or maintain the freedom of the most powerful city in the mid Mediterranean.
Chapter 4 THE METAURUS - “The Most Memorable of All Wars”
So Livy wrote. As people think over the actions of Hannibal in the 2nd Punic War, many great battles come to mind…Cannae, Zama, Trebia,…
Yet, Mitchell chose The Metaurus as the decisive battle for the entire war. How can that be? Hannibal was not even there!
But his brother was there, in command of an army sent to reinforce Hannibal and give him the strength and stamina to finish off the Romans. By this time (207 BCE), the Romans were mostly avoiding head-to-head battles with Hannibal, and he mostly lacked the cavalry strength to force them to fight where he wanted them to. When the Romans intercepted messengers Hasdrubal sent to alert Hannibal to his arrival, they realized how critical it was to keep the brothers from joining together, and rushed an overwhelming force to surprise and destroy the new army. And won. Now, see if you can change or maintain the history.
The Romans have numbers and overall troop quality on their side. Hasdrubal has a wide range of troops, from crack heavy infantry and light cavalry from Africa to poor quality Celtic levies. And, they have the superior position. The game calls on both players to “do better” than their historical counter-parts. Richard Berg’s design emphasizes morale and the importance of getting troops to execute the right commands.
Chapter 13 THE BATTLE OF SARATOGA - A Stupendous Victory
Many people mistakenly belive that "Cinco de Mayo" is "Mexian Independence Day." (That event is actually September 16.)
No, “Cinco de Mayo” celebrates the surprising victory of the Mexicans over the French invaders at the Battle of Puebla. Surprising, and the first sign - the first ray of hope - that the Mexicans could actually win.
By that standard, the U.S. should celebrate October 17 as “Saratoga Day.” For of all the battles in the American Revolution, this campaign was the one that really gave the Patriots a belief that they could win - and convinced the outside world (starting with France) that the rebels were worth supporting. Take away the victory at Saratoga, and we can only wonder how much more time would have passed before the French alliance happened…if ever.
Now you can explore the two main battles of Saratoga, both Freeman’s Farm and Bemis Heights, as a growing storm of colonial militia and regulars, commanded by Gates but really led by Arnold, turned “Gentleman Johnny’s” adventure into a disaster.
Rob Markham’s design gives life to the combatants, as players wrestle with command-control, fog-of-war, and troop quality ratings that mean a larger force may actually be weaker. Can you, as the British, salvage the campaign and avoid turning the rebellion into a world war? Can you, as the Americans, motivate “Granny Gates” into actually putting all his troops into action and creating the great victory that might have given him what he wanted (to replace Washington!)?
The choices are yours, as you decide whether October 17 becomes an American or a British holiday. You decide!
Chapter 19 THE BATTLE OF MIDWAY - The Shattered Sword
The selections of some of the “decisive battles” have sparked conversations over the years. Vicksburg over Gettysburg? The Metarus over Zama? Syracuse?
No one has ever questioned the selection of Midway as the decisive battle of the Pacific War. All agree that this one changed every-thing, as the Japanese plan to “lure” the remaining US fleet to its destruction led to a strategic defeat, due to code breaking, heroism, and remarkable timing.
Now you can play out this exciting battle and see if you can do better. The Battle of Midway, June 3-6, 1942 gives you all the parts you need to gain insight into the questions facing both sides. Paul Rohrbaugh’s design blends clean simplicity with a fine level of detail (even accounting for the Japanese planes intended to be assembled and used on the captured island!). It includes an overview map-board of the area, an off-map battle board, and a variant map with Midway in detail, where, for the first time, you can pursue the actual Japanese invasion of the island and see what might have been.
Rules cover battles in the air, planes versus ships and versus land, surface to surface, submarines, seaplanes, and more, all in rules designed to be fast, combined with challenges that encourage replay.
You know the history.
Now, see if you can change it.
OK, thanks for reading! And here’s a peek at the next Pocket Battle Game for TPS. “Nothing So Well Lost” looks at the epic siege of Rhodes in 1522 where a seemingly inexhaustible supply of Turks assaulted a hodge-podge of Christian defenders.
Gamers that have already signed up to collect them all or upgrade their Honeymoon option will get this game (and counters) free in their package going out.
Best Wishes,
Steve Rawling, Publisher