From: Mike Hoyt <HoytMike@AOL.COM>
Subject:      Report from Road Block

Columbia Games has begun a series of monthly gatherings at their facility in
Blaine WA on the last Saturday of each month.  Its a chance to meet the guys,
play some old favorites and play test the current works in process.  I
attended for the first time in May, and I thought other ConSimers might
appreciate a report.

Grant Dalgliesh showed me a new game they are developing with a working title
of Blocks of War.  The game will have geomorphic maps with mixed terrain
(including seas), a mixture of units (armor, mech., infantry, various ships
and planes) and a fairly simple but very bloody system.  Grant is including
an abbreviated version of the rules in the next Around the Block newsletter
which can be played using existing maps and units from any of Front games you
may already own.

We gave it a good workout on the southern half of the East Front map with
both Grant and I using the production system to buy our original 100 point
armies.  Grant built up a strong air force and armor heavy army, while I
opted for lots of infantry for defense and lots of mech. infantry for
offense.  Our victory conditions were simple, seize the other guy’s capital
and the hell with casualties!  Things looked very grim for me at first as
Grant unleashed his blitzkrieg, but good terrain and lucky defensive die
rolls let me slow him down, then my counterattack broke into his rear and
rolled up his supply lines.  Total playing time, about 1 hour!  This may be
the perfect lunch break game! Call Grant at 800 636-3631 if you want a copy
of the newsletter.

Next we moved on to Pacific Front, the long awaited (at least by me) WWII
strategic level treatment of the Pacific.  This game uses basically the same
system as Blocks of War, but refinements for things like Marines, more ship
and plane types, etc. are being added.  The map gives some real perspective
on the scope of this theater and how long it can take to move units over the
distances involved.  Land masses are given their true value in the game as
you need to maintain your supply lines by stringing together bases and
islands.  This gives the player a reason to attack certain islands without
resorting to the artificiality of assigning victory points.  We only got to
play a couple of turns (Grant’s Japanese were painting the map red, I
couldn’t even get MacArthur out of the Philippines) but it looked like fun.

One rule I liked was the possibility of the Japanese being so successful in
the beginning that they can win the war in the first couple of turns.  This
avoids the game where the Allies just wait around for the US production to
kick in, then the Japanese just try to forestall the inevitable.  In Pacific
Front, the Allies will have a tense early game, and both sides will have the
possibility of grabbing a knockout victory throughout the middle game.

I’m going to have to miss the June session, but I’ll include a report on
July.

Mike Hoyt
HoytMike@aol.com