VCS Salerno Preview

Multi-Man Publishing is proud to have available for preorder a great new game: VCS Salerno, the first game in a new game series the Variable Combat System (VCS), depicting the 1943 Allied invasion of southern Italy. Preorders are well over three-fifths of the way towards their goal. Game design and rules development is complete, and the map art and box art are finished. All that is needed to print this game are final layout of the countersheet and rulebooks plus 100+ preorders. Frankly, at a preorder price of $31.50, we are surprised that this beautiful, innovative game has not hit its goal yet. In accord with our recently announced guidelines, we have put this game on a countdown to hit its goal within the next six monthsor else. If it doesnt hit by May Day, we will take it off our preorder list no matter how close it is. We think that limiting the time that games spend on our list is the best thing to do. Series and game designer Nathan Kilgore provides below a short overview of VCS Salerno. To preorder this or any other MMP game, please visit http://www.multimanpublishing.com/ Much of what the invading Allies saw on that morning was an arena of peaks on three sides, with an ocean at their backs. Instead of the simple debarkation that Fifth Army commander Mark Clark envisioned during planning, the British 46th and 56th Infantry Divisions that landed on the left and the green U.S. 36th (Texas) Infantry Division that landed on the other side of the Sele River found a wall of fire in many places and had to fight their way inland. At the same time, the British Eighth Army was fighting its way up from the south in two converging operations. The campaign develops into a race for position that changes every minute. German mechanized divisions fight to box in the main landing and destroy the invasion force. The invasion foothold is touch and go, supply is limited, and the Allies desperately need ports to support their forces. The map area is divided into three sections: the west coast (Operation Avalanche) and the east coast (with its strategic ports, highways, and Foggia airbase) sections are both scaled at one mile per hex; the southern section

On September 3, 1943, the Allies invaded the Calabrian peninsula (the toe of Italy) against minor opposition in Operation Baytown. This led directly to the surrender of the Italian government on September 8 and the disarmament of the Italian army by the Germans. The very next day saw unopposed landings at Taranto (in the heel) in Operation Slapstick and the main invasion on the west coast at Salerno in Operation Avalanche. German troops of the recently rebuilt 16th Panzer Division held ad hoc defensive positions along the beautiful beaches just south of Salerno. Behind the beaches were the orchards and rolling hills of the Sele River valley. All of this was ringed by heavy highlands and alpine mountains with well-defended canyon exits. The stepped elevation layers depicted on the mapsheet, a combination of detailed research and beautiful presentation, provide very effective defensive positions, showing what a huge job it was to overcome this rugged terrain when even minimally defended.

VCS Salerno Map Art

that features Operation Baytown and Operation Slapstick is scaled at 3 miles per hex. The maps are divided and linked by using Transit Tracks that represent 20-40 miles of territory and must be controlled to maintain supply to both sides. The six tracks end up being the central focus to German resistance to the invasion and the goal to Allied success. Allied sea power plays an influential role in the campaign, and individual ship counters are included to direct ranged combined support. German wire guided missiles are unveiled as the newest threat to the Allied navy and can have devastating effect. The game includes both a 4-turn invasion scenario as well as the 18-turn (half days) historical campaign. Three alternate history scenarios that were fully possible in the time span of the battle (using only those units and shipping that were currently available) are also included. They include Gavins Gambita planned 82nd Airborne drop behind Salerno to help drive north; Long Shot for Barlettaan airdrop by the 82nd on the east coast with a mechanized rescue force landing in Taranto; and Race for Cassinoa British/Commonwealth, Montgomery-led, Salerno invasion, with a Patton-led U.S. invasion of Taranto, using the same armies they had commanded in Sicily, but now in a race north to break the German Winterline. All commanders face a similar uncertainty entering into a campaign or battle. With the exception of a very few veteran units, commanders do not know exactly how the units under them will perform over time. While individual battles can hinge on numerous factors, history shows that over time certain units outperformed other, similar units for reasons that commanders had not predicted.

The heart of the Variable Combat System involves the player (acting as the commander) discovering the true capabilities of the units under his command and adapting his plan accordingly. Parent units in the game will reveal their true value only after entering into combat, although players will have various known assets to deploy at crucial points. VCS Salerno uses this uncertainty to brilliant advantage. The game includes a standard VCS rulebook and an exclusive Salerno rulebook, two 22" by 24" mapsheets, and 1 sheets of " counters. VCS Kharkov by contributing designer Greg Blanchett will be next in the series. This game will use the same series rules as VCS Salerno, and its design is nearly complete. It looks great even in its playtest version and should be ready for preorder by the time VCS Salerno is published. Learn more about both games and join the discussions at http://talk.consimworld.com/WebX?14@@.1dcef53b http://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/63823/vcs-salerno http://talk.consimworld.com/WebX?14@@.1dd4d844

VCS Salerno Counter Art

VCS Salerno Map Details