World at War '85: Storming the Gap and White Star Rising Kickstarter Bundle

"White Star Rising introduces Lock ‘n Load Publishing’s Nations at War (NAW) game system. Based on the popular World at War, NAW depicts platoon level combat in World War II. Here you’ll find everything you're looking for in a platoon-level game -- armor, artillery, infantry that serves as more than cannon fodder, command and control, air support, amphibious landings, and desperate close assaults that leave the victor in possession of the ground and the defeated in headlong retreat, all in eight pages of rules. That’s two less than the World at War system.

"Units represent platoons of vehicles, such as M-10 Wolverines, M4A3E8 Easy Eight Shermans, and German Panthers, Tigers, and Mark IVs. Of course White Star Rising isn’t all about tanks. There’s plenty of infantry; paratroopers, line doggies, Fallschirmjaeger, and Volksgrenadiers. In the same vein as the World at War system, the infantry are capable of moving fast and hitting hard. White Star Rising also includes support weapons, such as heavy machine guns, flamethrowers, and satchel charges that infantry platoons can use to lethal effect.

"The system throws typical turn-based gaming out the window. The platoons are grouped into formations (usually battalions and kampfgruppen) and led by a headquarters. Each unit of the formation must be within range of the HQ to activate with its formation. Although individual units might activate, and recon units can double their range from the HQ, you’ll want to keep those formations together. The formations are activated by chit draw, and better-trained, better-led units can activate more than once in a turn, moving, shooting, and fighting in each activation. On the flip side, there is no guarantee that a formation will activate even once. The cup into which the formation chits are placed is seeded with end turn chits. When the second end turn chit is drawn the turn ends. Doesn’t matter if a single formations has activated; the turn is over. It keeps you on your toes.

"When attacking, each platoon rolls a number of dice equal to its firepower. Every die that equals or exceeds the “to hit” number (right superscript) hits the target. The target then rolls a number of dice equal to its armor factor plus terrain advantages. Each die that equals or exceeds its armor factor negates a hit. The first hit disrupts a unit, second reduces it, the third eliminates it.

"Units may also close assault, entering the opponent’s hex to either deal a death blow or force him (or her) out of valuable terrain. Same procedure, but both units use their close assault value. The side that takes the most hits must retreat from the hex. Infantry is VERY good at this, especially against armor without its own infantry support.

"Game includes rules for thin-skinned vehicles, support weapons (actual counters that represent heavy machine guns, flamethrowers, and satchel charges that add to an infantry platoon’s capabilities), air support, bunkers, wire, artillery, mines, overruns opportunity fire, line-of-sight rules that have been streamlined since their inception in World at War, transporting infantry--and all in eight pages of rules."

WORLD AT WAR 85, VOLUME 1: STORMING THE GAP

The commander of the West German 15th Panzer Brigade held the headphones away from his ears, protecting them from the voice of his border battalion commander, the man’s voice rambling and emanating out of them at high volume.

“There are Soviet tanks pouring across the border south of us heading for the Fulda crossings, our Intel section says it must be the 79th Guards Tank Division….so many…we are pulling our right flank back already, the American 11th Armored Cavalry over there will have to take care of themselves, but we need artillery…and Air, yes Air….NOW!”

“Calm down, Otto, Air is on the way, and the guns are firing now. Tell me how many tanks you see.”

“How many??...” There was a momentary pause. Through the headphones, he heard the battalion commander’s breath sigh out. Then his voice came through again, only, this time, it was sad, resigned, almost normal.

“All of them.”

STORMING THE GAP is the first volume in the World At War 85 series of games of fast and furious platoon-level combat. Set in 1985, in an alternate history of World War III, when the Warsaw Pact armies storm across the border of East Germany in a powerful attempt to seize West Germany and the whole of Free Europe.

The World At War 85 system features a unique combat system that involves die rolls by both attacking units and defending units, which keeps both players engaged throughout the game. Die rolls are compared and hits are applied quickly, as all the information you need to fight your units is on the counters. No combat results table is necessary. The initiative, formation activation, random turn length, close air support and air cover are all integrated smoothly.

This set includes all kickstarter add ins. Base game, expansion pack, solo assistant, and playmat.