Designer: Wolfgang Klein
Artist: Ingrid St.
Publisher: Assault Games
Review:
Overview:
The Formation Cards give the player a certain number and type of units available for the scenario. This ensures both variation and regular surprises, since the make-up of your forces will change from game to game. Your High Command has assigned you certain units to achieve a particular goal; you will have to adjust your individual tactics based on the available units and the objectives you have been given!
Units in the Assault Game System are activated by Command points. Players receive a certain number of Command points, which are listed on the Formation cards. Before Command Phase, players secretly decide (behind a small screen or divider) which units to activate in the current turn. The Command point allowance lets the player activate approximately 75% of all available units. Thus, players must set priorities for the turn. Not only does this speed up the game play, since all units are not used in each turn, but it also makes for some exciting moments in the fight.
In the Assault Game System, we have tried to minimize the counter stacking issue. With many game systems in the hobby, you can find towers of counters and markers on certain hexes of the game board. The overview is then quickly lost. In the Assault Game System, there is a clear limit of one unit counter per hex, with the exception being when units in are being transported. In addition, there is usually only one command and/or status marker.
Regarding Command and Unit State Markers, we have devised a simple double-marker system: each marker is double-sided and after the end of the round, in the Organization Phase, the markers are simply flipped or removed depending on their color. This helps to speed up play.
In general, Assault has attempted to emphasize game flow. The fact that Command Points are assigned to activate units in the Planning Phase accelerates the game. Since the units to be activated are already established before the Action Phase, there is less for the player to think about and fewer opportunities for AP to set in.
The Dynamic Campaign System: “Crossing the Narew”
“It is the end of June 1941, when the German Wehrmacht begins the largest land operation of World War II, Operation Barbarossa. More than four million German soldiers are in their starting positions on the eastern borders of the German Reich. The strategic objective is the capital Moscow. To be successful, the operation must combine strength with speed. Key to this will be seizing control the bridges that lie between the German Wehrmacht and its ultimate prize.
In this campaign, players take on the role of a company commander in order to achieve victory for their own faction. Each serving in the ranks of one of the two divisions that took part historically, the German 7th Infantry Division and the Soviet 13th Rifle Division. The campaign consists of four connected battles and covers the period 24-25 June 1941. This campaign is in line with historical operations for crossing the Narew River. This crossing was important and had to be achieved quickly in order to close the town of Bialystok and the connected basin.”
Another aspect that sets Assault Red Horizons ’41 apart from the competition is our Dynamic Campaign Systemwhich will be included in the base game. We have designed a system whereby multiple scenarios can be linked with a variable starting set up for each subsequent scenario dependent upon how many of the victory conditions each side achieves. The players conduct operations, each commanding a company of troops from regiments that actually served on the Eastern Front. The campaign includes 8 different plots for a high replay value.
Assault – Red Horizon 41 is not intended to be a simulation, but rather it abstracts certain aspects in favor of playability and manageable game length to convey the feeling of a wide range of tactical combat situations.
Artwork and Components: Please take note. The games’ graphics and text may be subject to change before completion.
+ ALL REACHED STRETCH GOAL MATERIALS
Components : N/A
Story (if applicable) 10/10
Gameplay : 8/10
Replayability : 9/10
Value : 9 / 10
Final Score : 9 / 10 (not an average)
[Reviewer Name] – Lake Leafty
Lake was a pharmacy tech in just about every facet you can think of including as a veteran of the United States Air Force. He’s also a husband to his wonderful wife with whom he has been blessed to be the father of 5 great children. Due to circumstances beyond his control he got thrown into the world of Tabletop gaming. As an overachiever he couldn’t just sit there quietly playing games. So he started podcasting about games in May of 2017. Ever since then has been slowly trying to grow his evil regime starting with The Giveaway Geek and now EBG.
