From: "Andrew Walters" <andreww@farallon.com> Subject: Review: new Ogre/GEV Reprint Ogre/GEV The Original Ogre and GEV microgames are back in print in a combined set from Steve Jackson Games for $15. You may wonder, "why would I buy this?" Most gamers either 1) have a copy of Ogre in a box at the bottom of the closet, or 2) figure it was one of those little games that was popular in the early eighties, but probably can't compete with the cool stuff available now. If you're of a mind to reconsider, here are a few facts and thoughts. First of all, they reprinted it right. There's a color card stock sleeve over a video tape case, giving you appearance and durability. The maps are unchanged and printed in color on slick stock, on the same sheet. You get three identical double sided counter sheets, black and white with some red and white Ogres for four sided battles. The counters are completely uncut, which bothers some people greatly, but not me. The rulebooks are printed back-to-back, so that one side is the front of the Ogre rulebook and the other side is the upside down front of the GEV rulebook. There's also a reference sheet and two little ziplock bags, which will never be enough but its a nice gesture. I recommend the Zip-Loc *snack* bags, which are cheap, big enough to get your fingers in, but don't flop over between the opening and where the counters are at the bottom like the sandwich size. The best of the old art is there, and hasn't been ruined by any "improvements." There is also some nice new art, and the page layout is pretty slick as well. The game is the same. Same simple ramming rules in Ogre and more complex overrun rules in GEV. Same scenarios, same Ogre stats, but there are some nifty new Ogre record sheets. These games came out in '78 and '79 for $3 and $4, respectively, which with inflation works out to $16.80 in 1999, so this edition is actually cheaper than the original versions, and a lot slicker. If you've never played these games, they're well worth checking out. They play fast but are not trivial. I've talked to a lot of people at conventions that have played the game since the late seventies, and we still argue over whether GEVs or HVYs are the best defense (I say HVYs). The rules are very clearly written and simple, but still deep. If your not familiar with the subject matter, this is tank warfare in the second half of the twenty first century: tactical nuclear shells, rail guns, and powered-armor infantry, all made possible by missle and laser technology that has eliminated aircraft from the battlefield, and Bi-Phase Carbide (BPC) armor that allows vehicles to survive near misses. Battles last mere minutes, and are fairly lethal. Each unit has four values, Attack Strength and Range, Defense Strength, and Movement. Its a simple ratio-based CRT which will "Disable" (flipped for a turn) or destroy the defender, but can't effect the attacker. Terrain effects in GEV are more than just a movement point cost and defense multiplier - HVY tanks have no penalty to enter woods, but get no defensive bonus. GEVs can be disabled on entering swamp or forest, but can treat water like road. Infantry loves any type of terrain. This, along with having four values to vary, gives the different unit types *very* different behaviour - a GEV is not just a faster but weaker tank, and infantry aren't just weak and slow. This gives the game a lot of flavor. Ogre/GEV is also an ideal introductory wargame - its simple, but introduces you to hex & counter wargames, CRTs, turn sequences, asymetrical play. Its short, but gets interesting quickly. Its easily handicapped for beginners, and when it comes down to the wire and the dice go against you can play again, since it doesn't take a whole evening. Inexpensive in time and money is important for the person who's not sure about wargaming, yet. There is a little ad page on the back of the CRT that says Shockwave will be out in May 2000 (cruise missles, GEV PCs, Super Heavy Tank), Ogre Reinforcement Pack in June 2000 (duplicate geomorphic maps, more counters), GURPS Ogre in July 2000, and Ogre Battlefields in September 2000 (entirely new geomorphic maps). The word there on minis is 1/48 resin Macrotures in "late 2000", and 1/300 miniatures... drum roll... no ETA. There is one omission - now that they've given us enough counters for three trains they need to give us the Gomez Adams rule: what happens when trains run into each other? For those who suppose this game obsolete consider that its still being played twenty plus years later. New stuff comes out all the time and humans are always interested in something new, but the vast majority of it fades away very quickly. That which has substance remains. More people will read Frankenstein this year than Jaws. Ogre and GEV have personality and drama, play flows smoothly, and there's plenty of replay value: there is no perfect defense, no perfect way to run your GEVs at a howitzer behind some trees. Its on my list of must-have wargames, and I'm glad its back in print. Ogre/GEV has its own web page at http://www.sjgames.com/ogre, and you can buy it online at http://www.warehouse23.com.