From: Christopher Salander <salander@cadence.com>
Subject: Game review #2

Flames Across the Valley by Chatham Hill Games
Game review by Chris Salander

Flames Across the Valley is a skirmish-level DTP game of 
a British/Indian/Tory raid on an American village in upstate
New York during the Revolutionary War. Chatham makes many 
of these $7 - $12 games, all focused on American history.  
They are ideal for introducing children to wargaming while 
teaching them national history.  You can usually play this 
one in about 2 hours.

Materials: Except for the plastic spinner, the game is all 
card stock, printed in 3 colors.  The map is 11" x 17", while 
the people are vertical"stand up" counters that you must cut 
out and fold.  There are also little buildings that you can
fold into three-dimensional boxes.

Scenario: The American player sets up the town first,
locating different people (including militia) in different
places.  Then the raiders begin their advance into
the village.  Their objective is to destroy as much as
possible and get away unhurt.  The American's objective is to 
protect the town and pursue the raiders.  Events usually work 
out that the raiders must be chased, rather than confronted.

Conclusion: This game was a unique experience for me.  It
was the first time in a long time that I have played a
game where everything is controlled by dice!  When does
something happen?  Where does someone go?  How do attempts
to do things turn out?  All decided by dice.  I was a
little stunned.  There is nothing for the players to do
but roll die and watch events take place.  It was sort of
like having a mechanical clock which you wind up and watch
little figures move about.

The game may have a small value in telling the story of
the raid, but it has no value as a wargame.  One of the
main appeals of a wargame is to take command of a situation.
You can't do that here.