Lost Battles (1971)

Strategy & Tactics magazine #28.

Lost Battles is an operational game covering various Eastern Front battles at battalion - regiment level. These battles are fought on a generic map that represents the types of terrain found on the Eastern Front.

The game has that essay quality of many Dunnigan designs. It intentionally does not try to be all encompassing but consciously focuses on certain strands of a simulation as simply and straight forwardly as possible. Good advice for all storytellers. While a bit primitive by today's standards Lost Battles is nevertheless complete and playable presenting many interesting problems to be solved. Though only four scenarios are provided with game, the highly variable victory conditions actually make the game extremely replayable. The game also provides brief tools to design many scenarios of your own. In fact you could say that it is this that the game does most eminently well. It is likely that many early designers played a game or two of this before going their own way taking with them the bits and pieces that suited them.

The list below is incomplete but most writing on this game that I have been able to find is in the form of a brief review or a short list of errata. I know of no replays or strategy articles having been printed for it. The game was just to unpopular with the general wargaming public (there was one back then) I believe most designers see a lot in this game even today.

MOVES Magazine

Moves #9 - Errata: Lost Battles

STARTEGY & TACTICS Magazine

S&T #28 - Soviet and German Weapons and Tactics in the East

1941-45: James f. Dunnigan (Historical)

S&T #29 - What Got Lost in "Lost Battles" (Errata)

STRATEGY & TACTICS GUIDE TO CONFLICT SIMULATION GAMES,

PERIODICALS, AND PUBLICATIONS IN PRINT

Issue #2 - Lost Battles, Tactical Game 103, Regimental-Battalion

Combat, Russia 1942-44 (Review)

FIRE & MOVEMENT Magazine

F&M #62 - World War II Anthology: Chapter 3: The Eastern Front:

Rick Swan (Review)

PHOENIX Magazine

Phoenix #21 - World War II Tactical Games Review: Geoff Barnard

(Review)

D ELIM Magazine

Vol.2, #11 – Game Review: Lost Battles: David g. Isby (Review)