Bitter Victory Family

A family of moderately complex games designed by Richard H. Berg, sharing the same game mechanics. Most of the rules and mechanics will be familiar to anyone who has ever played a wargame. However, the designer has added to this accessible simplicity a combat system that rates units for how many dice they get to roll on their behalf, as well as what kind of dice (small arms or Heavy Weapons). No CRTs!

The game also uses cards, one deck (of variable size, depending on the game) for each player (whose cards are somewhat different from those of the other player) to enhance the game. (The cards don't "drive" the game and they can be left out, if you're so inclined.) The cards are part of a Resource system that gives the players a number of points which they can use to buy cards, rally units, build fortifications, or bring in Reinforcements. The RP choices are theirs, but there are far more choices than points.

The cards, themselves, give the players "Opportunities", from using their (or negating their opponent's) tank capabilities, to getting more supplies, to special Breakthrough and Reaction movement, to forcing the withdrawal ofunits, to the effects of leaders.

The first two games, "Bitter Victory" and "Blackshirt" were published as DTP games by BSO. Both are re-published as regular games under the titles "MedWar Sicily" (Worthington) and "Blood and Sand" (GMT, soon to be published) respectively. "Blood and Sand" actually extends the scope of "Blackshirt" to the whole campaign in North Africa.