Game: Rossyia 1917

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Lev Mishkin — 2008-04-13T19:09:37+00:00

Czech Legion

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bleakgeek — 2008-03-22T22:53:07+00:00

Thread: Re: worth it to play and PBEM?

iamspamus — 2007-09-27T14:58:59+00:00

Desaix wrote:
Well it is the best wargame on the periode by far and one of the best wargame I have ever played...
It strength being the quality of the startegic and military gameplay, the gameplay is realy exceptionnal... It plays extremly well by email...
It has less chrome on the political aspect that ToC but it is far superior to ToC in terms of gameplay quality ...
Best played with version 3 of the rules...

Do you have any hints or suggestions for PBEM play? Or can you point me to somewhere that has that?

Thanks,
Jason

Thread: Re: worth it to play and PBEM?

Desaix — 2007-09-24T07:55:45+00:00

Hello Jason,

Yes, same Desaix and the project for Eih is stil in the back of my head...

For Rossyia"s gamebox the ling is on the geeklist page, here:
http://www.boardgamegeek.com/geeklist/22041

ToC is Triumph of Chaos...

Desaix

Thread: Re: worth it to play and PBEM?

iamspamus — 2007-09-21T14:40:11+00:00

Hey Desaix,

Thanks. What is ToC? Is there a cyberboard out there for Rossyia? If so, do you know where it is? Do you know of any other aides, to include PBEM aides?

As a side note, are you the Desaix who was looking at working on a Great Northern War and War of Spanish Succession scenario for EIH?

Thanks again,
Jason

Desaix wrote:
Well it is the best wargame on the periode by far and one of the best wargame I have ever played...
It strength being the quality of the startegic and military gameplay, the gameplay is realy exceptionnal... It plays extremly well by email...
It has less chrome on the political aspect that ToC but it is far superior to ToC in terms of gameplay quality ...
Best played with version 3 of the rules...

Thread: Re: worth it to play and PBEM?

Desaix — 2007-09-20T17:37:48+00:00

Well it is the best wargame on the periode by far and one of the best wargame I have ever played...
It strength being the quality of the startegic and military gameplay, the gameplay is realy exceptionnal... It plays extremly well by email...
It has less chrome on the political aspect that ToC but it is far superior to ToC in terms of gameplay quality ...
Best played with version 3 of the rules...

Thread: worth it to play and PBEM?

iamspamus — 2007-09-20T08:55:09+00:00

Hey all,

I really like the time period and would love to play this game, but is this game worth playing? Is it playable? What would I need to make it so?

Additionally, would it be possible to play via Email? Or would it be too complicated with too many interactions (such as ASL)?

If not really playable, is there another game that could be recommended for the same time period?

Thanks,
Jason

Thread: Re: Third Edition Rules - and other stuff

iamspamus — 2007-09-20T08:49:08+00:00

The problem is that I have found Consimworld to be difficult to navigate and use. It appears to be counter-intuitive to me. That's the main reason that I hang out here.

Jason

Herr Dr wrote:
A number of Rossyia 1917 players hang out on www.consimworld.com - there is an active discussion board for the game there in case you don't find the answers here.

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bleakgeek — 2007-08-25T17:29:12+00:00

counters sample

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bleakgeek — 2007-08-25T14:34:39+00:00

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bleakgeek — 2007-08-25T14:34:09+00:00

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Desaix — 2007-05-20T19:17:05+00:00

Cyberboard version

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D_Wessman — 2006-12-09T22:56:31+00:00

Hand drawn map extension for the Northern Front

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D_Wessman — 2006-12-09T22:35:14+00:00

Hand drawn map extension for the Northern Front

Thread: Re: Third Edition Rules - and other stuff

Herr Dr — 2006-07-18T01:34:28+00:00

A number of Rossyia 1917 players hang out on www.consimworld.com - there is an active discussion board for the game there in case you don't find the answers here.

Thread: Third Edition Rules - and other stuff

da pyrate — 2006-07-18T01:12:19+00:00

I have purchased a copy of Rossyia, 1917. It grieves me to say that there is much about it that I do not understand.

My copy has come with English Rules and English Scenarios. On the Web-grognard site I have located a third edition of the English rules. There seem to be some changes.

I hope that some of you guys might be able to help sort out some of my confusion.

Questions that spring to mind are:

1 - is it possible to contact the designer or publisher directly by email? If so, how?

2 - are the third edition rules official? I have read the rule semi-official in conjunction with the third edition rules. In my simplistic world the rules are official or not - I have trouble coping with the concept of semi-official.

3 - Armored Trains are mentioned in the Special Units section of the rules. I can't find counters for them. Do the counters exist?

4 - I assume that the Greens (and Antonov) mentioned in the third edition rules do not have counters in the original counter mix. Is this correct?

5 - The original rules have the Political Level starting at 28. The third edition has the level starting at 46. This is a big difference. Have I missed something here?

Any help would be appreciated.

Thread: Naval Transport & Support - Translation Problems

da pyrate — 2006-07-16T07:46:58+00:00

I hope someone can help me.

I have Rossyia with the English rules - they are slightly different from the 3rd edition rules that are downloadable on BGG.

However, the rules regarding naval support points say that the number of available points is listed in the scenario details. I can't find them.

Can anyone tell me how many naval support points are available in each sea each turn?

Thank 'ee,

David Cox

Thread: General comment and description

ltmurnau — 2005-11-15T18:01:37+00:00

Rossiya 1917: Commentary

Azure Wish Edition/Designed by Francois-Stanislas Thomas, 1995

Reviewed by Brian R. Train
Originally ran in Strategist magazine

The English-language materials seem to have been photocopied instead of printed - this is not a problem with the books but the charts and tables seem to have come out sort of smeary and dark, especially the combat results tables. Two things that I am glad to see included are images of the four counter sheets (in case you lose one or more of the 1,040 counters provided) and reduced copies of the two large game maps, presumably for conferences and planning.

The rest of the components are top-notch, especially the counters. There are three classes of counters: HQs (which are rated for number of units they can command, the combat bonus they can lend to a single battle, and the combined command radius/movement allowance); units (rated for shock value, combat strength, number of steps, and movement: all combat arms are represented with infantry and artillery (three and four flavours of each), cavalry, motorized, and tanks); and the usual slew of informational markers (aircraft, supply and isolated markers, armament points, 'hits', railheads, political event chits, etc.) There's even a small Czar Nicholas II counter, looking very Autocratic!

The combat units are colorful and varied to represent the different factions that fought during the Russian Civil War. Besides the Bolsheviks, there are: four factions of Whites; the famous Czech Legion; the interventionist Allied forces; the national armies of the Baltic States, Finland, Poland, Rumania, and Turkey; Ukrainian nationalists; and Nestor Makhno's Anarchist Insurrectionary Army of the Ukraine. Ground scale is 25 miles per hex, time scale is one month per turn, and troop scale is mostly divisions for the Bolsheviks and regiments/brigades for the Whites and Allies.

Players (there may be as many as five) prepare for play by choosing a scenario from one of the four shorter ones or the campaign game (surprisingly, the Russo-Polish War of 1920-21 is not included as a separate scenario: it is a war-within-a-war during the campaign game). The campaign game is recommended by the designer as the way to bring all facets of the design fully into play. They then set up their units, adjust the record-keeping tracks as required, and begin.

The first phase in the Sequence of Play each turn is a mutual housekeeping phase during which players check weather, initiative (who will be the first to move in the following military phase, depending on the Political Level (more on this later)), and railroad transport capacity. They also calculate replacements (dependent on control of major cities) and re-animate previously eliminated units.

The Political Phase sees the play of political options, natch. Players draw a varying number of these randomly and either play them immediately or save them until later. This phase stands in for a Random Events Table - such things as troop mutinies, Allied intervention on or withdrawal from various fronts, and Lenin's early death take place at this time.

Next is the Military Phase. Basically, players activate their HQ units so that units in their command range can be themselves activated and carry out operations. What these subordinate units are allowed to do is governed by the number of Armament Points each HQ expends from its stockpile. With only one Armament Point you are limited to undepleting damaged units, rail movement, and conducting only two attacks, but with two or three points you are allowed to have or use unlimited combats, favourable DRMs on all combats, reserve movement, and Armoured Trains (if the combat is taking place on a rail line - this gives additional favourable DRMs). This phase is highly interactive and governed by the clock - when an HQ is activated, a player has only three minutes to do all his movement with its subordinate units! HQs usually activate singly and alternately between the two sides, but players may conduct a frontal offensive by trying to activate two HQs together - even in this case, the player has only four minutes to finish up.

Combat is based on odds ratios, with different tables used according to the terrain where the battle is taking place, and results taken in step losses and retreats. Players will discover the historical importance of controlling rail lines and urban centres in the war - the action tends to shuttle up and down railways between major cities: there are too few units and too much space to maintain anything like a continuous front.

Following the main movement and combat is the Autonomous Units Phase. These are generally units without a superior HQ and have more restrictions placed on them. Every unit that hasn't been activated yet is activated and may move, fight, or simply have its supply checked. Again, the player has only three minutes to move all his autonomous units.

The last phase is the End Turn Phase, another housekeeping period where players adjust the size of their rail networks, receive reinforcements, and adjust the Political Level due to certain events during the completed turn.

There are many special rules to reflect the colorful and varied nature of the war: Armoured Trains, aircraft, small tank units, fleets and naval support, the Ukrainian Nationalist and Anarchist armies, the Czech Legion, neutral countries, the various White factions, and Bolshevik garrison requirements, to name a few. The asymmetries between the Reds and Whites are very well integrated into every level of the game: for example, different White HQs find it very difficult to coordinate with each other while the Bolsheviks enjoy the advantage of a united command structure; large portions of the Red Army are very brittle and hence permanently eliminated when lost - not so for the Whites; the Whites may choose which previously eliminated units to replace while the Bolshevik must take pot-luck; and so forth.

Rossiya 1917 also uses the concept of the Political Level to determine who gets initiative and how many political options a side may draw each turn, and as a measure of victory in the campaign game. When this level is near 0, it means that the Bolsheviks have very nearly consolidated their hold on permanent power, and if it is near 100 it means that the Revolution is almost crushed. There is an interesting rule that kicks in when the Political Level nears either extremity: randomly-selected HQs on the 'winning' side become paralyzed or even spontaneously eliminated to reflect political infighting among the leaders as they scent victory (this is amusingly named 'HQ & Intestine Struggle' on the charts, but I knew what he meant).

The designer provides a lot of background material in the form of extensive Designer's Notes, Player's Notes, a good summary article on factors and the historical course of the Civil War, and copious examples of play.

There are few other games to which to compare this game, since this period is so neglected. Designer Thomas admits that this game is the result of over three years' work, and it shows. He has done an excellent job on simulating the war that created the Soviet Union and affirmed Communism as a political force to be reckoned with for the next 70 years. Nab this game, watch Doctor Zhivago first to get in the mood, and have fun !

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PAYDIRT — 2004-11-29T01:43:26+00:00

Counters and rules

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PAYDIRT — 2004-11-29T01:42:40+00:00

Map

Thread: Session Report

Philipp Klarmann — 2003-06-13T17:12:48+00:00

We are playing the new 3.0 rules now for several evenings and they are very good. The Whites are somewhat less strong than in the old 2.0 rules (the English edition of the game). The Czechs are far more historical, Youdenitch is stronger with +3.

In our game, the Whites advanced until mid 1919, capturing much of the Eastern cities, Voronej, in the North Volodga and a strong Youdenitch advance on Petrograd. All were beaten back and now, the Reds are stomping out one faction after the other. The brittleness of the White forces (most of them have either one or two steps) makes life tough for them. The Reds have a clever reinforcement system which kicks in when problems are highest.

Thread: Session Report

vincent — 2003-01-03T13:59:31+00:00

Hi, if you are able to read French, have alook to two game report I wrote about Rossyia 1917 at:

http://site.ifrance.com/battleorder/1917/rossyia_1917.htm

Enjoy

Vincent François

Thread: Session Report

gschloesser — 2001-01-01T06:00:00+00:00

There was a bit of a dilemma in what to play, so Mike Hayman broke all speed records in bringing out Rossyia 1917, a multi-player wargame about the Russian revolution from Azure Wish Games.

Mike was singing the praises of the game to everyone attempting to round up players until the critical question was asked ... "how long will it take?". Mike's answer of "maybe 5 nights" quickly scared away John Moore, Lenny Leo & Eric Syrdal. Jon Comeaux and Jay Ouzts were game, though, as they both tend to enjoy the lengthy wargame challenges.

The group spent the better part of the night setting up the game and covering the rules, so only managed to get one turn played. Mike has revised his estimate of 5 nights to 3 or possibly 4. He promises a full report and review for our website.

Thread: Session Report

gschloesser — 2001-01-01T06:00:00+00:00

By: Michael Hayman

The players: Mike Hayman, Clyde Hayman, Willard Fann, Jon Comeaux

Comrades, there is news from the front: Dec 1919!

Everywhere we are victorious as we pass the second anniversary of our glorious revolution to cast off the chains of the tyrannical despot czarists. The counter-revolutionary forces and their capitalist lackeys of the West are reeling from the force of our blows. In the north, and on the Caspian sea, the cowardly and decadent Westerners have fled Mother Russia’s soil after they saw the stalwart resolution of our workers to preserve the cradle of world revolution! Even now Comrade Trotski is fighting a magnificent campaign to capture the renegade Miller hiding in Murmansk. Youdenitch was slow to get started but our forces are ample to contain him until the Finnish bandit stronghold is removed. By New Year the North shall be clear of reactionary Bandit forces and we can return the Baltic states to the bosom of the revolution.

Even so, Comrades, now is not the time to rest! Murmurs of the Polish separatists and Caucasusian states under Wrangel succumbing to Western lies and joining the counter-revolution have reached our commissars’ attention. Still take heart for the Anarchiski of Makhno and the Bolsheviki Ukrainia Armiya have dealt the separatists in the Ukraine, a decisive blow. Pelitoura has been hanged for his crimes against the people by a rope made of the decadent silks of his bed linen.

In the Caucasus, the misguided Denikin, goaded by blood-crazed reactionary bourgeoisie has shown strong resolve but lacks the ability to break through the bulwark of the proletariat patriots arrayed against him. The battle ebbs and flows. In the East, Kolchak the Boot-licker, who seeks to replace the Czar as the enslaver of the people, had a major defeat, in his greed he almost lost one of his major generals in his rush to “liberate” when the local commissars under Stalin and Blucher representing the dictatorship of the proletariat saw his ploy and strongly counterattacked to cut him off. Only the intervention by the hated Czech mercenaries using their evil atrocity tactics allowed the White banditry to escape, but not without great casualties. The resolution of the decadent west to continue fighting continues to erode in the face of our great patriotic soldiers who outclass them because they fight for freedom not gold . The testing freezing snows will bring further Red attacks where our proletariat soldiers can show their true superiority over soft-decadent capitalists. They shall cast out the enemies of the people!

Remember comrades, we have nothing to lose but our chains!

Thread: Session Report

gschloesser — 2001-01-01T06:00:00+00:00

By: Michael Hayman

Editor's Note: Mike has provided this overview of Azure Wish's Rossyia 1917 game, which has been on-going for the past few months here at the Bungalow.

Rossiya is played on a divisional/regimental scale with monthly turns. 2-5 players (3 rival white factions and up to 2 rival red factions-factions cannot fight others of the same color but they do not have to cooperate). The map extends from St Petersburg (Petrograd) in the north to the Caucasus in the south and from Rumania/Poland to well east of the Urals. Off map boxes for Georgia/Armenia/Turkey, The Far East and Archangel/Murmansk.

Units are rated for combat strength/ stacking size and shock value as well as movement. Unit types run from Infantry/Cavalry/Artillery to tanks and mechanized/horse artillery/aviation/mountain and marines. Losses are inflicted in terms of stacking points. Bolshies are bigger/absorb more casualties but the Whites are more effective with more shock (superior shock attacks grant bonuses in combat and force a retreat more often, it is less important for the defensive).

Supply and command control is very elegant. HQs command a set number of units and serve as supply depots. If supply is spent in large amounts combat becomes more effective and can take replacements, without it the units suffer attrition and cannot coordinate. Bolshie has the better leaders and more of them.

When winter is around it is pretty slow going but in the summer the lines can be pretty fluid and it is possible to encircle big groups and cut them off with cavalry . The Reds have interior lines and rail and generally better coordination and for the first two years, they need it to hold off the superior white forces.

We (Clyde Hayman, Jon Comeaux, Willard Fann and I) are about half way through and the Reds are taking tremendous grinding punishment but the line still holds. The whites have yet to get the Poles or the huge army of Wrangel/Blacksea allies so they still have a great chance of victory.

Political events involve the use of chits pulled from a cup. Hence allied intervention/polish war/ death of Lenin etc. cannot be predicted. It works pretty well, although we can't be sure of the most effective use of partisans.

Rules are fairly good. Some fuzzy bits due to french translation problems and typos but the game is pretty easy to get the rhythm of.

Playtime is lengthy. We have been going for at least 6 nights and am about half finished. Part of the play time goes into the command by committee discussions amongst the White players.

Oh, forgot to mention Victory is separate for each player and is determined as separate from the outcome of the war (which can be a Red or White victory, either decisive tactical or marginal, or a Stalemate). The Red and White players score points for various areas controlled or events depending on level of victory (reds score less when the war was a white victory and vice versa). The Allied player would rather the victory was not a decisive one and scores less if it is. If it is merely a tactical victory he scores more. He also scores a bit more points compared to other whites, if the Reds win. In theory it is possible for a white leader to score more points then the Red even if the game ends with a Bolshevik victory and vice versa. Players are assumed to be a political faction vying for influence after the war no matter what the outcome, there is even a rule that if a decisive victory could occur any time soon the victorious side starts to lose cooperation amongst its leaders as they jockey for position in the new government.

Thread: Session Report

gschloesser — 2001-01-01T06:00:00+00:00

By: Mike Hayman

March 1920

Editor's Note: This is a report of the on-going game of Azure Wish's Rossyia 1917.

Comrades! great news from the front! The People's Proletariat Armiya under the Commissar of War, Comrade Trotski has put down the reactionary counter-revolution in Finland and liberated the Finnish workers from their capitalist slave drivers. Miller still cowers in Murmansk, afraid to venture south due to the prowess of the local Soviet and its patriotic vigor. Soon we will root out that vestigial cancer of oppression!

Our Offensive in Siberia successfully crushed the resistance before them, they penetrated to the HQ of Admiral Koltchak, himself and succeeded in capturing him with his pants down. It was reputed that he was trying to hide in a privy... He was summarily executed for his crimes by Stalin's commissars. The havoc on the reactionary counter-revolution's supply chain in the north resulted in a complete destruction of the northern flank. Our glorious troops under Blucher are nigh unstoppable and should be in Omsk by summer. Victory!

Deniken in the south has suffered a similar fate. Under the dubious advice of Admiral Koltchak, The white's left a vulnerable weakness in their lines that was found by Marshal Budenny. Our cavalry thrust through the hole and surrounded the enemy HQ and despite partisan efforts to get Deniken out, they captured the high command and destroyed his supply depots! The havoc in logistics cost the Reactionaries several prime units and everywhere they are in full retreat. Although Wrangel has started to deploy new forces but it will be too little too late as our valiant armies march steadily towards Rostov and the Caucasus.

Makhno still waffles, but the Ukrainians have seen sense and have retreated back from Russian soil. We are even now preparing the offensive of liberation as soon as the Finnish Forces of Trotsky have redeployed, flush from their victory. Only the Poles and Yudenich still possess cohesive offensive capability but aside from the retreat from Litowsk to better terrain our troops hold the line. New air forces and motorized troops are moving to the front. Trotski is confident that soon those fronts will be in retreat, and the world revolution can be taken to Poland and Germany. Workers, build arms with speed and great effort so that your comrades at the front can liberate those still held to the capitalistic yoke! Victory is at hand!

Thread: Session Report

gschloesser — 2001-01-01T06:00:00+00:00

By: Michael Hayman

Mike Hayman, Willard Fann and Jon Comeaux (Clyde Hayman was absent) continued this epic struggle.

The quick Rossiya update: The Siberian front has more or less collapsed with the whites desperately pulling back as fast as possible and hold on to a supply line to prevent its complete evaporation. The Bolshies sent their crack corps of Cavalry under Budenny in a fast march east of Tzaritsina to threaten complete encirclement.

But all is not lost. The southern flank under Deniken was not pressed by the Bolshies as they pushed with all strength in the east. The arrival of Wrangel and his 25 units has flooded the southern Ukraine and taken all pressure off of Deniken. The main battle will now shift to the west as the Poles advance on Kiev and Minsk (slowly but building steam) and Wrangel comes up from the south. Makhno and a Bolshie army attacking Kiev (where Pelitoura still holds on valiantly) are threatened with complete surroundment. Perhaps the east will lose initiative as the demands requires quick action and priority activation. The race is to finish ahead of the Siberians and shift by rail west before Wrangel and Pilsudski can establish Greater Poland or threaten Moscow. A very interesting dilemma!

This game has been really fun. On the count of points the Bolshies are in second place with the Allied commander actually scoring more points (they score best if there is no dramatic victory by either side-- Red or White). The White Southern commander is in third and Siberia is in last place. We should be finished quite soon I would think once the Siberian army is wiped out.

Thread: Session Report

gschloesser — 2001-01-01T06:00:00+00:00

Shout it from the mountain tops! Ring all of the church bells! Rossyia 1917 has finally finished!

After nearly four months of struggle, the Reds, led by comrade Mike Hayman, conceded to the White forces, with the narrowest of victories going to White general Willard Fann. Apparently, his Polish troops proved the difference, convincing Mike to abandon the struggle.

Here is Mike's final report on Rossyia 1917:

This was a long but very SATISFYING game. We ended it with 5 possible turns out of 30 left as I as the Bolshevik believed that my ability to stop the Poles would be quite limited without granting yet more points to the Allied Player, Willard Fann, with the Treaty of Riga. Jon Comeaux and my father (absent but still played) were far behind me in points but I could not shift forces to address the Poles without losing some of the points I needed, particularly at Orel.

I may have been premature, later looks at the board made me realize that I had overlooked another 1 point of scoring in the east that could have made me think about trying to stem Wrangel or push on to Omsk and ending the polish war by treaty. The treaty of Riga would have granted 2 points to the Poles but I could have then use my forces to perhaps gain some points in Murmansk or even still take Omsk to make up for it. Dicey but possible. Like I said it was very close but I had made enough mistakes that the odds were against me, such that it did not seem likely that I could have done much better. I still had to draw the treaty chit to make it work.

This game rates a very strong 10 from me and kicks Empires in Arms out of mind. Will was of the same opinion and uttered "shall we start a new game" almost immediately upon completion of this game. (after about 16 plus nights of play.) Jon would have given it a ten if not for the vagueness in some of the rules. I believe he said a nine.

Speed of play will be much enhanced in future games. We know the rules. We have the vague areas in the rules addressed and we could enforce the timer rule. Play definitely could benefit from longer sessions. The time between sessions often caused wasted time needed to re-familiarize players with the tactical and strategic situation each time we started the new session. The turn structure is less efficient granting pause points such that whole gaming night could not be from being played unless it was a LATE one. We averaged a turn a night (3 hours per turn) with an occasional 2 turn late night.

Game balance in the next game looks more favourable to the whites. I made some serious mistakes that cost me the destruction of 2 armies, but I destroyed two white armies as well. This game was probably decided on the perfect timing of an initiative chit draw by the whites when they needed it most. I had made the mistake of leaving my Ukrainian army too far forward when Wrangel appeared as well as needing to move first to finish off the Siberians. Since I failed in both moves due to the initiative I reckon I lost my chance to take Omsk with Budenny and his great cavalry army while I lost control Kharkov/Veronej in the south and suffered terrible losses in the surrounding of my troops. I never regained the initiative, as I was so busy, trying to save encircled troops. A really stupid play on the north front cost me much against the Poles when I neglected to put a HQ close enough to supply the northern section of the line above Minsk. Massed isolation really kills armies in this game.

The whites made some serious errors as well. Siberian play was very weak as my father got rambunctious and let me destroy a whole wing that destroyed his initiative. Big holes in the south and the destruction of a HQ could have been averted. Finnish/Youdenich/Ukrainian/Northern troops could have been better timed.

The only reason I scored as strongly points-wise was because of the aggressive but failed pre-game stance of the whites to try to free the Czar that shifted my victory requirements to a more valuable scale. I don't see that coming again.

I did overlook that rules that permitted reinforcing leaders to deploy at any city (Frunze would not have died on the Caspian! and I could have put leaders in more efficient places had I known). Trotsky could also have garnered me a much more valuable 3 PR per turn by deploying in Moscow instead of Petrograd where he sat the whole game even once the military threat to Petrograd had been removed. Also I should perhaps have been more willing to fight with out-of-supply HQs. They can do this for a turn or two with only minimal attrition but it is a risky tactic. Against Astrakhan or Tzaritsin it strikes me as a very important means to take them back or to encircle in the north.
either side chose to do this at all. Of course with river supply this may not be so necessary.

Of course, if I had been paying attention to the VP chart the Dec 1919 deadline for control of ports would have altered my play significantly and could have stolen a point or two from the allies! Other tactical mistakes were there but in balance I saw them as mostly equaled by grand White blunders as well. We shall have to see in further games.

Other rules discoveries:

Nationalist HQs outside of their home country are -1 on the armt roll (except for czechs). This would help the Bolshies a bit as the Ukrainians and Poles would be marginally less supplied once they controlled their home territories.

Reserve units must have shock. I abused this one at least a couple of times.

Artillery is doubled in combat strength against cities!!! This is in addition to the double shock value when attacking across rivers. This would help the Whites the most but having deployed two artillery units too early in the game due to counter ID duplication, I expect that Jon made up for it!!!

The Bolshie replacement pool is drawn from randomly. We did not do this although I never actually took a unit replacement as far as I remember being too busy keeping units alive.

The -1 casualty reduction for cities only applies when the units within are paying triple losses in order not to retreat!

In the optional rules there is a very interesting rule allowing rivers to act as railroads for supply purposes. This would make the Astrakhan/Gouriev/Tzaritsin theatre more important. It probably has no affect on balance but does make the defense of the sector more important.

I have compiled a list of vague areas that I will prompt to the designers for clarification. I found their email address and have posted my questions. I hope we need not do this for "La Revolution Francais" as well! That game is next on the list.

Willard 8.64, Mike 8, Jon Comeaux 4, Clyde 2

Ratings: Mike 10, Willard 9, Jon 9

Thread: Session Report

gschloesser — 2001-01-01T06:00:00+00:00

Bill Sanders, Willerd Fann and Jon Comeaux resumed the Russian revolution struggle. I've dubbed this the "Game of the Millennium", because it is going to take another millennium before it is completed. I've gotten used to it being a permanent fixture in my game room.

My wargaming roots have long since dried up. I used to be able to sit for hours on end staring at a wargame board, contemplating my moves. There was little interaction or outbursts of laughter, joy ... or any emotion for that matter. Observing the previous three weeks of Rossyia action didn't change my recollection as there appeared to be little emotion involved in the game.

This week changed all of that. We were all startled to hear a loud "hurrah" from the most unusual of sources ... Willerd Fann. To say that Willerd is quiet and reserved is a vast understatement. Willerd makes Mr. Rogers look like an out-of-control party animal. However, in this instance, Willerd leapt from his chair with a loud "whoop" and high-fived Bill, declaring that they finally "killed that bastard!". So, maybe wargames can elicit some excitement and emotional outbursts after all!

Rossyia continues next week ... and the week after that ... and the week after that ...