Rules Issues/Updates
A nice an easy update. v2.0 continues to be the current rules version. It will be included in Valley of Tears and future releases for the foreseeable future. This version of the rules was included starting with Panzers Last Stand and then in Arracourt and is compatible to all BCS games (LB, BbF, and BC).
Those who own the earlier games can download and print all the v2.0 rules, charts, and supporting material on the Gamers Archive site. The link to the Gamers Archive BCS site is here. Of course, you can buy any new BCS game (ahem) and get all the printed rules in the box.
The BCS Game Development Process
Last year I detailed the process for submitting a game design (not just applicable for BCS but for any of the series that Dean created for The Gamers. No changes to the process and one can refer to it in last year's Statish of the System.
Dean and I encourage game designs, I just want to ensure the submission is tight and thorough. I've waxed poetically in prior blog posts about my personal views on which topics would or wouldn't make a good game for BCS: see here, here, and here.
In Playtesting and Development
Valley of Tears6 - 24 October 1973 (with a possibility of going past the traditional Ceasefire date)
Designer - Carl Fung
Developer - Dean
(4 total maps at 1 mi/hex - 3 maps for Sinai, 1 map for Golan, likely 5 countersheets)
In development and playtesting close to two years now. That's not a bad thing and with the announcement that Valley of Tears being on pre-order this year means we are close to wrapping it up so MMP can start prepping it. Panzers Last Stand took just over 2 years (from Sept 2018 to Feb 2021) to develop and playtest whereas Arracourt only took 6 months. If I recall correctly, Brazen Chariots took about a year, Baptism by Fire less than a year, and Last Blitzkrieg took close to 3 years (as it was a combination of finalizing BCS v1.0 rules as well as getting the Bulge to be Bulgey). I see Valley of Tears like Panzers Last Stand in terms of dynamic/complex campaign to simulate. There were differing tempos of activity within different regions of the map that needs to be handled in the game to tack closely with history. This is why these two games took longer than the others (except Last Blitzkrieg having its own unique qualifiers). Needless to say, we're getting to done soon.
Dean completed his Players Notes (another sign we're getting close). I agree with all his points and Dean lays out in certain terms what the players ought and ought not to do. This isn't to hamstring the players to "play historical, or else!" but to guide the players to utilize their troops in the best way to win. The game doesn't restrict the players to ONLY play along historical lines, but if you want to win, then do as the historical opponents did. This statement might come across as odd, as the perception is that the Israelis soundly defeated the Arabs, so why should the Arab players play historically and win? The Yom Kippur War was a close run thing and many may not have realized that. Also, the Arabs strategy cannot be looked at as a collective. As I've outlined in the blogpost about Victory Conditions in the game, Egyptians and Syrians used different strategies to win, the former with a long-term strategies and latter with a short-term one. Both can/could have won using their respective strategies. The Israelis have to prevent and win BOTH fronts to win the entire war, which they did militarily. On the Sinai Front, the Israelis only won out on the last turn, and they needed to violate the ceasefire to do so.
I have my extensive Designer and Historical Notes - over 31,000 works and 63 pages in Word). Yeah, I have a lot to say (and dare I include, teach) about the war. With the culmination of two decades of research and design, this is a brain dump. As I expect there to be a lot of expectation from the game in terms of history based on other games on the war or from books, I try to address it all. From the evolution of the design, the historical research that drove concepts, historical tidbits, order of battle notes, map research, extensive bibliography, and finally a thank you section to those that contributed greatly to getting this design to the level that it is. When the game gets close to finalizing it, Dean will pull his Players Notes and my notes into the final rulebook(s).
In playtesting updates, the Sinai Front game is continuing, and the latest iteration has the Israelis conducting a strong counterattack in the initial turns against a slipshod Egyptian Bridgehead. They're on their way to a sudden death victory. This early counterattack mimics the preset plan by the IDF (Operation Aryeh Dov) but with a lot different results than history. Here, there is the enticement for the IDF to conduct a counterattack on the run early in the game with the hope of a quick victory like the one they achieved in 1967. On the flipside, the Egyptian player needs to be disciplined to defeat the IDF onslaught. The Golan playtesting is pretty much complete, a knife fight in a closet where neither side will come out unscathed. I'm reminded of a recent review of the recent release of Test of Faith by Joel Toppen. He notes many games cover the hyperactive aggressive activity of the Golan Front, but notes overall: "This particular conflict is very difficult to reproduce in a game. In fact, I don't have a game in my library that does this to my satisfaction... but I feel like every other game there's certain things that designers, you know, they try to do and I think a lot of times they go for the simulation and they're gonna miss things because this was a much more political event as a military event and not a lot of designers I think really understand that and so every game that I have on the Yom Kippur War in the Sinai is broken for one reason or another that includes GMT's Crisis: Sinai. I've not been super happy with Bar-Lev, I think that one probably comes the closest to getting her done. I'm ashamed to say there's a Frank Chadwick game of my collection {Suez '73} I had high hopes for that does not depict the Battle of Chinese Farm really to my satisfaction. So I have some high standards here. There are some good Golan games out there and so far I really like how this is playing on the Golan. The real test will be how do things work in the Sinai..." I agree with Joel and hope to address this with Valley of Tears.
This topic may not be in the fore for many, but I will get you interested in it. 
I'll be posting material about the game to promote it once it gets on pre-order later this year (dunno exactly when).
Current Design Activity:
See also my pie in the sky wishlist for getting submissions to Dean here: New Year, New Opportunities? A hopeful outlook to 2023
Of the games below, only Kalach is formally accepted, as its Dean's design (it's good to be the king!). The remaining are all actively in design (in one way or another) and haven't been formally submitted to Dean. They are in relative order of completion but not a reflection of what the sequence of upcoming games will be. The order is decided game by game and subject to change. As standard public service announcement, the list of games are what I'm aware of and the list is already a long runway that carries BCS out to the next 5 years or more. The more games, the longer the queue for delivery, so no Fry memes of Take My Money. The key is patience as we do a thorough job of designing, developing, and playtesting. But BCS has long legs with no signs of stopping.
Kalach23 - 1 Aug 1942
Designer - Dean
(2 maps at 1 mi/hex, maybe 3 countersheets)
Waiting in the wings once Valley of Tears completes, Kalach has its map, counters, and basic rules and tables ready. As always, these will change through development and playtesting, the cycle of playtesting revealing things and development to address.
The topic is fascinating. An "unknown" battle on the fringes of a famous battle (Stalingrad). It's at the transition point for the German Sixth Army from the breakthrough achieved with Case Blue to the static slog fighting in Stalingrad. It's on the open Steppes west of Stalingrad with the game's namesake city on Don River the objective for the Germans to trap the Soviet 62nd and 64th Armies. It's not just a German offensive, mind you, the Soviets have four fledgling Tank Corps to conduct their own armored assault. It's a freewheeling battle for both sides so I suspect there isn't the similar game specific rules to regulate differing tempos like in PLS and VoT.
Dean and I are also exploring scenarios to cover situations that took place on the map. There doesn't look to be too many isolated portions of the campaign that can be readily segmented off to be good standalone small scenarios, so exploring other scenarios will be helpful (More than one scenario is good!)
Velikiye Luki
19 November 1942 - ~16 January 1943
Designer - Jim Daniels
(1 map at 1 mi/hex, maybe 3 countersheets)
I think there's a mantra that Jim the designer has been repeating for the last few years - Velikiye Luki will be ready and submitted to Dean soon... but in all seriousness the design is coming along over time. The last few updates I've given is that I've reworked the entire map. I've found period German 1:50,000 situation maps that include immense detail on the terrain. On the surface, the area looks to have just been snow blanketed even ground with swamp and forests and dotted with hills. What I've found with the German maps is a much more rich terrain details, like small hills that became the loci of defense for both sides, and the extensive fortifications built up by the Germans in anticipation of the Soviet offensive.
Aside from the map rework, not much has been worked on. I plan on revisiting the Order of Battle to correct anything based on Robert Forczyk's book on the topic. Once things are in place, a draft VASSAL module can be built which'll help facilitate unit set ups to start designing the campaign scenario (and much later individual smaller scenarios).
Velikiye Luki may present some challenges design-wise. The overall campaign from the initial Soviet offensive to the end of German relief operations was 59 days! It wasn't all fully active and the lull periods weren't long. It was a bit of a long grinding fight following an initial fast advance by the Soviets. The situation isn't unlike Panzers Last Stand, with a surrounded city (Velikiye Luki in place of Budapest) and German attempts to reach the besieged garrison. The difference here is that the PLS starts on the German relief operation (as opposed to including the initial Soviet offensive that caused the siege in October/November 1944). Yet showing the initial Soviet Offensive to the German relief is the right scope for this game. It'll be a challenge but handily resolved once we get into formal playtesting and development.
The Breaking Point: The Battle for Belgium and France, 1940
12 - 17 May 1940
Designer - Carl Fung
(2 maps at 1.3 km/hex, maybe 6 countersheets)
While I haven't made many updates to this France/Belgium 1940 design, a lot of work has been done thus far. Draft Maps, counters, base rules,a and initial campaign set up has been done. What's my hold up? I have to understand the campaign more. I've been reading (slowly) Robert Doughty's excellent book that I'm proposing for the game title. The intricacy of how the Germans crossed the Meuse (it wasn't easy) and then broke through needs to be examined. I foresee a lot of playtesting (sorry playtesters) as there so many things that can happen.
As a reminder, the reason why the map is long but thin is because it centers along the Meuse River. It extends from all the way into the Belgian Plains north of the Meuse where the Germans conducted an armored feint (battle of Hannut then Gembloux) and all the way to south to Sedan and Stonne. The campaign starts on 12 May, two days after the Germans crossed their borders and find themselves on the verge of reaching the Meuse River. The game "ends" around 17 May which is when the Germans historically made a full breakthrough west off map. As the French reserves were all spent (with the exception of some fervent counterattacks like de Gaulle at Montcornet), the dam had burst. While there's "only" 6 turns in the campaign game, there's lot of formations (up to 34 Allied and 31 German). So it'll play big.
The key to the game is that it's a meeting engagement. As much as the Germans were making their way to the Meuse River, the French were likewise moving their mobilized reinforcements forward to fill up the defense along the Meuse before the Germans get there. Hence it's a big Meeting Engagement. The French must decide where to commit its reinforcements, with little to no time to reshift them once committed. The Germans have no guarantee that they'll breakthrough at Sedan first. Dinant first maybe? Or maybe Montherme first? Who knows. Luck and skill will be required for both players.
Dean is excited about this design given the situation. I am eager to get it in his hands.
Market Garden
17 - 26 September 1944
Designer - Carl Fung (originated by Hans Kishel)
(2 maps at 1 km/hex, maybe 4 countersheets)
I've teased this last year. If anyone who follows my blog can figure out, I've been on a Market Garden kick. And hence, I've been working on the BCS Market Garden design. I've been spending a lot of time on the map. You figure for a 2 map game with flat ground and limited roads would be easy to draw. I've learned there are so many nuances in the terrain, aside from what's polder and what's not. Determining which bridges were blow pre-operation or during the battle, ferries that were disabled before the Germans reached them, and the small section of high ground that makes a difference (not just Groesbeek Heights). The major road network is easy, but the numerous tracks are being examined to make sure those aren't wide-ranged so that players just side step Club Route, missing the whole point of the one road to Arnhem. Map research is a topic in and of itself. Since many out there have more than a working knowledge of Market Garden, including map issues (like magical culverts or overly-raised roads) will be scrutinized.
And don't get me started on Order of Battle research. I've been at it since 2004. Nearly everyday I'm finding something new. I'm not just relying on hot-new-books like Jack Didden's books, I'm finding original source material (keeping a keen eye on what's bullsh*t and what's a typo). Hell, I'm trying to find all the Flak units deployed around the maps and all the mini-garrisons scattered across the map. OOB is my jam, right?
Of course, the game will include the flanking corps. Yes, the mythical XII and VIII that seem to garner almost more interest than XXX Corps these days. They'll be there. I'll state that while the venerable Holland '44 includes these flanking corps, it doesn't include them correctly. The 53rd Welsh Division is missing from XII Corps entirely. It was in the area around Lommel and committed on the second day of the Operation. The 15th Scottish Division is shown in the game with only 5 battalions, while the whole division was committed on the game map by 21 Sept. Likewise in XII Corps sector, the 7th Armoured Division arrived (albeit at the end of when Holland '44 ends (23 Sept). In the VIII Corps area, 3rd Division is only shown with one brigade, while two brigades were committed to establish a bridgehead on 18 Sept and the rest of the division on the map by 21 Sept. Lastly, the 11th Armoured Division (minus the 15/19 Hussars with 101st Abn), was committed only on 20 Sept. So Holland '44 including flanking corps? Not entirely. These flanking corps are the hot topic for Market Garden knowledge, and I tracked down all the War Diaries I could find to track individual battalions daily.
Gela
10 - 12 July 1943
Designer - Dean
(1 map with big hexes a la Arracourt at 1 km/hex, maybe 1 countersheet)
A suggested battle to Dean and I, the Battle of Gela is the Italian and German counterattack on the just landed American beachhead in Sicily. The parameters fit the "big hex intro" format that Arracourt filled so perfectly. Dean has a working map and I've come up with the OOB. This should be a nice short game with some possibility for attack and defense for both sides. Italians... attacking! And attacking well! And the Fallschirm-Panzer Division Hermann Göring! Plus the Big Red One! With Ranger Battalions! Also with the Thunderbird Division (45th Div, not the bobblehead puppet division)!
More Than Back of the Napkin:
Designs that aren't actively being worked on but have some guts and are viable games. Given their relative inactivity, they're further in the queue.
25 July - 21 August 1944
Design - Hans Kishel
(4 maps at 1 mi/hex, unknown number of countersheets)
You know, this blog was created as a joint effort by Hans and me. Hans since then been caught up in real life. He's popped up here and there but otherwise his active activity in wargaming has slowed down a bunch. Yet his design on the Normandy Breakout is still a viable game for submission. Hans made a lot of progress on the design. He and I worked on it a bunch before his hiatus. It's basically been in stasis since. The most likely path forward is to take what Hans had worked on and do the submission for him. Mind you, this isn't likely any time soon - I mean, just look at the list of games above that have a good runway for submission. So it's not a matter of if, it's a when.
It's a very promising design. It bypasses the sloggy bit of the grinding bocage and fight for Caen in June and July and starts it when Operation Cobra begins (25 July 1944). So while the initial set up is fairly dense (mostly two units per hex in a continuous line from Merville to Lessay), once a breakout is achieved, the density frees up and units are roaming around south of the Bocage. It's an underappreciated aspect of the Normandy Campaign that many games don't include or just cover the fringes of. For example, Normandy '44 just covers June 1944. Battalion-scale Normandy games like The Battle for Normandy and Atlantic Wall do include Falaise (the former with an expansion map) but it's a shallow envelopment area to around Domfront or Alencon. Hans' map goes south of Mayenne to just north of Rennes, allowing the larger sweep that a number of divisions did. Some divisions swept as far south as Le Mans, but that would not have been physically possible (without making sense for mostly unused space and adding two more maps past four). The fight past the breakout was not an easy one, as many just feel that Patton gets his open grounds and drives to Brittany. From Cobra to the close of the Falaise Pocket was almost a month, with successive Commonwealth operations to achieve their own breakout and follow up (Spring, Bluecoat, Totalize, and Tractable), and the first large scale German counterattack (Operation Luttich at Mortain). A game focusing on this "undiscovered" aspect should highlight and teach those already familiar with the trite beach and bocage battles.
25 July - ~10 August 1944
Design - Hans Mielants
(2 maps at 1.2 mi/hex, unknown number of countersheets)
This was hinted at last year as "Undisclosed 1944 Eastern Front Design". I'm revealing it because someone actually correctly guessed the battle correctly. Hans Mielants (who helped work on OCS Baltic Gap and I exchanged emails about the design in 2021. I started working on a draft map and had it mostly completed. The area east of Warsaw is pretty featureless so it didn't require the time consuming effort of adding multitudes of forests, hills/rough, and streams. Yet, since those initial discussions and initial work on the map, there's not been much movement on this. Hans sent me his OOB which I've yet to review (by the looks of it, it looks accurate and he's cited great sources used).
The state of BCS is and will continue to be strong. We work on the games until they are right and I will dig deep into the historical research to make sure they pass the "historical accuracy" smell test.
