Date: Wed, 10 Jul 1991 11:41:32 MDT From: Hjalmar Gerber Subject: ALEXANDROS ALEXANDROS, the issue game in COMMAND MAGAZINE #10 (XTR Corp), deals with the campaign(s) of Alexander (the Great) of Macedonia. The game has an "area" map and represents the lands from Macedonia to India, and from Libya to Sogdian (north of Bactria). The 200 or so coun- ters represent Macedonian, Greek Mercenary, Persian, Spartan, Indian, Arab and Barbarian combat units, with an assortment of markers for victory objectives, etc. Battles are resolved on a separate combat display. The veterans of THE RUSSIAN CAMPAIGN (Avalon Hill) will soon feel at home. Alexander and his Macedonians have to engage and destroy the Persian Army (initially under Darius) as soon as possible, and then capture and hold as much of the map as possible - all while trying to avoid battles of attrition. Although the Persians will lose just about every battle during the first half of the game, the pressure is ALWAYS on the Macedonian player. If he takes his foot off the Persian's throat for just a moment, the Persian Phoenix will rise up and devour him in a war of attrition. The Persian archers are especially deadly. After the subjugation of the Persian hordes, the Indians under Porus still have to be conquered. Alexander should hope that he still has an army left by then, and that they're not scattered all over his empire holding those Persian "agents", the Barbarians and the Arabs, at bay. He also has to contend with the possibility of mutiny in his own ranks. Back in Macedonia, Antipater and the Macedonian Home Army await the (almost inevitable) Spartan rebellion. The Macedonian player should pray that this rebellion takes place sooner rather than later, because it's not much of a problem putting it down (the only concern is the butcher's bill), and afterwards Antipater and the Macedonian Home Army can be redeployed elsewhere - or give their undivided attention to Barbarian invasions from Scythia. Since only leaders can "move" combat units, a side's activity level is restricted by the number of leaders on the map. ONE deceased named leader can be replaced by a lieutenant (poor quality), but beyond that, a leader loss is disastrous - particulary for the Macedonian player. The loss of Alex = End of game (Persian victory). Persian perspective: After losing the battle of Granicus - not a dead certainty, but VERY likely - don't despair. The Macedonian will (hopefully) still be licking his wounds while he's coming over the mountain passes into Syria. The turn sequence allows you to choose whether you want to give battle or not. Don't stand up to Alexander in the first year. Wait until the Persian replacement/reinforcements start streaming in; then go after the Macedonian and the territory that he'd captured from you. You're not likely to lose a war of attrition. Even when Alexander is on the Indus facing off against Porus, and the remnants of your Persian army are in hibernation, do not despair. It's very likely that a Barbarian invasion will "recapture" some lost territory, and if the Macedonians are badly positioned, the Persian Phoenix will be off on a rampage again. ALEXANDROS is a good, solid design. Some of the rules still require some clarification (like direction of attack and movement in certain situations on the combat display map), but there are no fatal struc- tural weaknesses in the game. The designer, Mike "Alexandros" Markowitz, has several other games based on this system in the pipeline. If you're interested in Byzantium: Wars of the Eastern Roman Empire , 527 - 1453, Eternal Rome: Rise and Fall of Imperial Rome, 100 BC - 476 AD, and/or Hannibal and the Punic Wars, 264 - 146 BC, then I suggest that you cut your teeth on ALEXANDROS, and let Ty Bomba (Head honcho, XTR Corp) know that you want these follow-up games. Follow-ups to this article should go to CONSIM-L@UALTAVM.BITNET. Hjalmar