Burma (1976)

This version of the game covering this topic FIRST, is heavily detailed and of the usual great GDW quality. The large paper mapsheet even includes some of the Chinese territory pertinent to this campaign. Overall, a decent treatment on the subject at hand with excellent components to match.

The Game Equipment consists of the following: the 22" by 34" (4)-Color Mapsheet includes Burma as well as parts of India, Siam, & China from along the coast, starting South just past Rangoon, to North past Bahadurabad, East-over to past Ft. Hertz and down again through China into N.E.Siam. The Mapsheet is overall WHITE with GREEN-(Rough), BLUE-(Ocean, Coastal, Lake, Major Rivers, Rivers), BROWN-(Mountain, Road, Track), BLACK-(Town/Fortified Town/City, Airfields, Railroad, Sea Transport lanes, National Borders & Lettering).

There are 240 cardboard game counters, in these Color combinations: Japanese-MUSTARD/BLACK print; I.N.A.-MUSTARD/BROWN print; British-Light-BROWN/BLACK print; Indian-BROWN/BLACK print; U.S.A.-OLIVE/BLACK print; CHINA(U.S.-trained)-OLIVE/YELLOW print; Yunnan Chinese-YELLOW/BLACK print; & Airmobile Troops-BLUE/BLACK print. There are also various COLOR Informational counters such as: Air Transport Points; Airfields; Airdrops counters; Numbers(to count L.R.P. Glider Assaults); Beachhead markers; Airhead markers; Supply Units; & ROADS(for construction).

The RULES cover has the graphics in BLACK print on GREEN heavy paper while the (3)-FULL pages are WHITE and detail the effects of: AIR Movement; SEA Movement; ROAD construction; AIRFIELDS & AIRHEADS; SPECIAL COMBAT Forces such as the Long Range Penetration Forces & Training NEW Units for such; Chinese Reliability in Combat; The Indian National Army; The BURMA Road; Beachheads; and Replacements(taken from eliminated units). The (3)FULL-size heavy-paper CHARTS are: a Light~TAN-Turn Record with Explanations/& a Training Chart for producing Special Forces Units; a TAN Japanese Order of Battle/Appearance of Reinforcements/& an Invasion Reaction Force Charts; and a BLUE Allied Order of Battle/Appearance of Reinforcements/Invasion Reaction Force/& Chinese YUNNAN Armies Charts. The last page has the Terrains Effects Chart and on the REVERSE is the Combat Results Table/Modifications & Explanations for the C.R.T./Unit Id. Chart/Special Movement Summary/Stacking Point Value table/& Unit-Size & Color-Code tables.

The Sequence of Play is as follows: The Japanese Player goes first-1.Supply Determination Phase; 2.Reinforcement Phase; 3.Land & Naval Movement Phase; 4.Combat Phase; then the Allied Player performs these same phases with the addition of another-4.Airpower Phase; then 5.Combat Phase. The Scale of the game is given as: Each Turn=1-Month, except during MONSOON when Turns are 2-Months, Units are from Battalion up to Division level and NO ground Scale is given. There is ONLY 1 Scenario to play and 26 Turns from Dec. 1942 to May 1945. Some of the Counters have Silhouettes for their Unit type symbols such as the Armor, Air Transports, and I.J.N. Bases. The Beachhead & Airhead counters can also be used as Defensive positions for Combat Units with an intrinsic factor of 1 as long as there is another Friendly Unit with it.

Magazine References:

Panzerfaust and Campaign Article Index:

• Number 76 November-December 1976
  • Starship Troopers / War at Sea / Caesar at Alesia / Lankhmar / William the Conqueror - 1066 / Gods, Demi-Gods & Heroes / Mind War / War of the Sky Galleons / Atlantis 12500 B.C. / Edgehill 1642 / Crete 1941 / Tunisia 1943 / Der Fuhrer / Avalanche: The Salerno Landings / Battle for Midway: Decision in the Pacific, 1942 / Burma - "Thumbnail Analysis" (Review), Don Lowry