February 21, 2017 Update from GMT Games

 
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ADP Cover
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2nd Printing

 
















2nd Edition
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Hi everyone!

There's a lot of news to share in this month's update, including another large section from the designers and developers on Project Updates (see below). Before we get to the news, here are two quick operational updates:

1. We've had a slight delay on making the Twilight Struggle Collector's Editions available. We forgot that we have to open all the cases and insert the corrected and reprinted cards. Those things are packed like mini-fortresses, so this isn't as easy as it sounds. So it looks like we're about ten days away from being ready to sell the rest of the Collector's Editions and expansion decks. As I noted before, I'll send you all an email a few days in advance to make sure everyone has plenty of notice before we begin to sell them.

2. Progress on getting our new systems in place has accelerated a bit this month, as we now have some of the custom code integrated and ready to test. We've been promised all the code by the end of February. If the programmers come through on that, our plan is to test it in March and shoot for an early April transition to the new system. As I noted last time, once the systems are in place, we'll get ready for our yearly sale.

O K, let's move on to this month's news....

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New P500 Addition

COIN Series fans, rejoice! Our sole new P500 addition this month is COIN Series Volume IX, and it has generated a LOT of excitement from our COIN development team!  We think you guys who enjoy the COIN series are going to love it! The British in India, a non-violent COIN faction, Gandhi, The Muslim League, Revolutionaries, Jailed Opposition,  Hindu-Muslim Friction, oh my! This one presents plenty of new COIN challenges for 1-4 players in its early 20th-century setting in India, often considered the jewel in the crown of the British Empire. The P500 page gives you the details far better than I can here, so click on the link below to check it out! 



Gandhi: The Decolonization of British India, 1917-1947

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Here I Stand: 500th Anniversary Edition



Here I Stand was already due for a reprint in 2017, but with October 31, 2017 being the 500th anniversary of Martin Luther's posting of his 95 Theses, Ed Beach and his team of Here I Stand enthusiasts have put together a series of enhancements to the original game that transform this reprint into a deluxe 500th anniversary treatment.

Enhancements include:
  • 6 brand new cards added to the deck, including Thomas More, Thomas Cromwell, Rough Wooing, and Imperial Coronation.
     
  • Revisions to over 15 existing cards including Copernicus, Master of Italy, and Machiavelli to allow for more exciting in-game play and additional possibilities for diplomatic deals.
     
  • A new Chateau construction table is now used to resolve France's Patron of the Arts home card plays.
     
  • Several Virgin Queen rule updates are incorporated back into Here I Stand, affecting minor power activation, piracy, space trading, and foreign wars.
     
For those of you who already have a P500 order in for the Reprint Edition of Here I Stand, your order is still good - you'll just be getting an upgraded version of the game for the same P500 price. And for those of you who want to order it on P500, we're keeping the same pricing as the previous reprint version, but giving you more value! So order away!

For those of you who already own the game and don't want an entirely new game, but would like to only update the new components, we are offering a Here I Stand 500th Anniversary Edition Upgrade Kit for $35 Retail and $25 P500 pricing (+ shipping) that will allow owners of the existing game to enjoy this updated new version.  The upgrade kit will include new card decks, a card of updated charts, six new power cards, a half sheet of new counters, and the new rules and scenario books. 



We hope you enjoy this cool new edition of Here I Stand via either the full new boxed game or the upgrade kit!

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Two New Hexasim Games in Our Warehouse

We have received the newest Hexasim shipment which includes two new games, and are now ready to take orders and ship them. The new games are:

Tenkatoitsu (Tactical battles of Japan's Sengoku Jidai)

To find out more, or to order, click the links above to go to their respective info/order pages on our website.

Also, we have some customers who ordered one or both of these games direct from Hexasim but are getting shipping fulfillment from us. Our office folks told me today that they will start shipping those fulfillment copies tomorrow and that they should be finished shipping them all out by the end of the week. 

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P500 Game Removal

At the request of designer Richard Berg, we have removed Wellington in India from our P500 list. When Richard places this title with another company, I'll get you guys a link to where you can order. 

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From the "This is Cool" Department

Here's the Prime Minister of Hungary, Viktor OrbĂ¡n, playing our 1989: Dawn of Freedom. He holds a Power Struggle card with a picture of himself as a student in 1989.

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Comancheria Video Tutorials from Joel Toppen

We invite you to check out the new set of nine Comancheria Video Tutorials that Joel Toppen has created. We've embedded them on the Comancheria page on the GMT website. Check them out here: 


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This Month in InsideGMT!


 
Here are links to this month's new InsideGMT articles:
 
New Features in Under the Southern Cross, Part I

And, in case you missed them, here are links to our previous month's InsideGMT articles: 


As always,  I  invite you guys to head over to www.insidegmt.com, check out the articles, leave us your comments, and tell us what else you'd like to see us do to make  InsideGMT even better!

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More Cool Articles, Videos, and Interviews from our Friends at The Player's Aid

The talented gamers at The Player's Aid (theplayersaid.com) website create a ton of varied and interesting content each month. Here are a few links to some of their recent GMT-related pieces:

Video review of Fields of Despair
 



This is just a small sampling of their content. I encourage you all to check out The Player's Aid site and enjoy the rest of their reviews, interviews, AARs, and strategy articles.

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GMT Weekend at the Warehouse April 20-23, 2017 
 
We're only a couple months away from our Spring 2017 Weekend at the Warehouse. It will be held April 20-23, 2017, so mark your calendars now! As always, we'll spend the better part of 3 1/2 days, often long into the night, playing your favorite GMT (and non-GMT, if you'd prefer) games. This is mostly an open gaming event, although we do have tournaments from time to time.
The hotel has already blocked rooms for us, so feel free to go ahead and make reservations whenever you are ready.  If you'd like to attend, just call or chat with our office ladies and they'll reserve your spot.


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GMT East Convention: March 31-April 2, 2017

For you East Coast gamers, we have a GMT East game convention once a year at the White Plains Crowne Plaza in White Plains, NY. This is an open gaming event hosted by Andy Lewis, with assistance from David Fox, Alan Rothberg, and several other of our east coast friends. We invite you to attend and play a bunch of fun games with us!

To register for the event (cost is $75), complete the GMT East registration page on our website.

We have a room block at the Crowne Plaza - group code is "AQ1". Hotel room rates will be $139/night for one king or two double beds. 

Click the link below for hotel reservations:  

See the GMT East discussion group on Consimworld to ask questions about additional details. We hope to see you in White Plains in the spring!

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Twilight Struggle World Championships

The 5th edition of the online TS World Championships are being organized on May 20 and 21, 2017. The tournament is sponsored by GMT Games again with a free game for each of the 4 best players.

Matches will be played on Wargameroom (or Steam if both players agree). The 16 best players of Saturday will proceed to the final on Sunday. On both days players play at least 3 and at most 4 matches. Thinking time is 1 hour per player per match.

Please check here for detailed information: https://unitedfriendseu.wordpress.com/ts-wc/

Who will be the new champion after Janusz WĂ³jciak, Riku Riekkinen and Ziemowit Pazderski (twice)? 

Do you want to struggle versus the best players of the world? Send an email to dhogetoorn@gmail.com and include the following information: full name, email address, nationality, country of residence, city of residence.

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Keep up with GMT Online

Virtually every day, we announce new information or show off upcoming products or give you a peek under the hood of our new designs in our various online sites and forums. For you guys looking to keep up with us online, here's where you can find us. Drop in and start a conversation!


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That's it for the news bytes from me for this time.   Here's what you'll find in the rest of today's update:
  
- Charge and Shipping Update
- Production Outlook
- P500s
- Project Updates and Sample Art
- P500 Reprint Update
- Website File Additions
  
Thanks, as always, for your support of GMT Games! 
  
Enjoy the games!
  
Gene  

Charging and Shipping Schedule

Shipping

We've finished  shipping all the P500 releases for January. 
 

Our next release will be  Simple Great Battles of History, 2nd Edition, which we'll ship in early-mid March. Then we'll begin shipping Pericles in the last few days of March.
 
Charging

Our next P500 charge will be Tuesday, February 28 , for   Simple Great Battles of History, 2nd Edition. We'll charge for Pericles in mid March.
Tentative Production  Schedule
  
Here's our most current Tentative Production Schedule from Tony and Mark. We have only a couple of slight delays this time, as most of our games continue on their expected pace.

Games with a ** following their entry are currently at the printer (we're a little more certain about scheduling on these).

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June, 2017
Colonial Twilight **

July, 2017

Remainder of 3Q, 2017
P500s
  
This month we're adding one new items to the P500 list - a really cool new COIN Series game! Please  click on the links below to go to the game's P500 page for detailed information and to order.



Recent P500 Additions:





Apocalypse Road: 220 Orders to Date


Grand Prix Track Pack: 128 Orders to Date


Musket & Pike Dual Pack : 437 Orders to Date





Golden Gate Park162 Orders to Date


Red Storm: 418  Orders to Date


SpaceCorp:  840 Orders to Date


Tank Duel: Enemy in the Crosshairs343 Orders to Date


Battles of the Warrior Queen640 Orders to Date


Wing Leader:Blitz514 Orders to Date


Ariovustus: A Falling Sky Expansion: 1,070 Orders to Date


Commands & Colors: Medieval: 800 Orders to Date


No Retreat 5: The Western Front363 Orders to Date


Panzer Expansion 4: France 1940: 488 Orders to Date
Project Updates and Sample Art
  
In this section, we'll be passing along updated status on a variety of projects, generally direct from the designers or developers. 

First off, here is some sample art for upcoming projects:

Rodger's Cover Art for Mark Herman's Pericles:



Here's some final map art for Saratoga and Brandywine in the American Revolution Tri-Pack, from Designer Mark Miklos:


 


And here are near-final Fornovo and Agnadello game maps for Richard Berg's Arquebus: Men of Iron Volume IV, shipping this summer:



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Design Updates:

American Revolution Tri-Pack - Designer Mark Miklos



I'd like to update you all on the progress of the BoAR 3-game bundle:

The Saratoga and Brandywine maps have had a very nice "face lift."  Charlie Kibler has put his unique "touch" on them and they look great.  Saratoga, in particular, has more personality with the addition of several named farmsteads, a new trail section, redesigned fords, additional crops hexes and other features to give the map more personality.  

Counter sheets for all three games in the bundle are now finished. Also finished is a fourth bonus counter sheet that contains ALL the replacement counters ever released since the series was launched in 1998.  This is quite a value for those players who may not have purchased every game in the series or C3i magazine and thus may have missed the chance to update some of the counters in the games they do possess.  

Included on all four counter sheets are newly created "Rally on Me" and "First Fire" markers as well as redesigned Momentum markers which are sure to please.  

Also in the "what's new" category; Brandywine now includes not only a new Hessian Amusettes counter (crew-fired shoulder weapon used for counter battery fire) but also a completely new set of optional intelligence rules to add more variability into play.  Saratoga contains a new historical scenario, "Freeman's Farm," as well as some new units and redesigned/renamed units.  The campaign game in Saratoga 3rd edition now has more units and other changes.

The next task will be to tackle rule book and player aid card changes which will begin in March. - Mark

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Conquest of Paradise, 2nd Edition - Designer Kevin McPartland



The Deluxe Second Edition of Conquest of Paradise has been out for a few months now, and it has attracted a lot of attention! The upgrades to the game have been very well received, and they seem to have helped the game reach a new audience! 

First, there were the "unboxing" videos! This one has some really cool graphics in the opening sequence:

This fun little unboxing video was also posted on BGG:

Then, the reviews started rolling in! There have been several very favorable reviews posted, including this video review posted on BGG:


Also, there have been a few quick reviews posted on BGG focusing on the new Solitaire Rules included in the Second Edition. Here are some of them:

I am very pleased with the reception the game is getting! Thanks! -  Kevin  

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Commands & Colors: Medieval - Designer Richard Borg



After some extensive playtesting, the Medieval scenarios for the core game are going to be somewhat different then the list originally posted for the P500, but it needed to be this way. We actually found, as we dug deeper into the very early Medieval time period it really was a "Dark Age" of history with little or no information for a good many battles.

In addition, included are a couple of key battles between the Huns and Romans. These two battles act nicely as a bridge between C&C Ancients and the early Medieval period as well as a gateway into the rest of the Medieval core game scenarios.
The Medieval core game as it now stands has; Lt. Tan blocks, which will represent units of Huns, Sassanid Persian and Vandals and Purple blocks, which for the most part represent Byzantines (Romans) and their allies.

The Tentative updated list of early Medieval core game battles is as follows:
  • Utus River - 447 AD - Huns vs Romans
  • Catalaunian Fields (left) - 451 AD - Huns, Gepid vs Romans Alans
  • Catalaunian Fields (right) - 451 AD - Huns, Ostrogoths vs Alans, Visigoths
  • Thannuris - 528 AD - Sassanid Persians vs Byzantine
  • Mindouos - 528 AD - Sassanid Persians vs Byzantine
  • Dara - 530 AD - Sassanid Persians vs Byzantine
  • Satala - 530 AD - Sassanid Persians vs Byzantine
  • Callinicum (phase 1) - 531 AD - Sassanid Persians vs Byzantine
  • Callinicum (phase 2) - 531 AD - Sassanid Persians vs Byzantine
  • Ad Decimum (phase 1) - 533 AD - Vandals vs Byzantine
  • Ad Decimum (phase 2) - 533 AD - Vandals vs Byzantine
  • Ad Decimum (phase 3) - 533 AD - Vandals vs Byzantine
  • Tricamarum - 533 AD - Vandals vs Byzantine
  • Lazic War - Caucasus Mountian passes - 548 AD - Sassanid Persians vs Byzantine
  • Lazic War - Phasis River - 549 AD - Sassanid Persians vs Byzantine
  • Lazic War - River Hippis - 549 AD - Sassanid Persians vs Byzantine
  • Lazic War - Onoguris- 555 AD - Sassanid Persians vs Byzantine
  • Solachon - 586 AD - Sassanid Persians vs Byzantine
  • Solachon (final stand) - 586 AD - Sassanid Persians vs Byzantine

As stated in the original P500 write up, Commands & Colors: Medieval is based on the highly successful Commands & Colors game system and by design is not overly complex. The Medieval game, however, will introduce many new game concepts to the Commands & Colors system, which add historical depth and flavor. Some of the new concepts are:
  • Superior unit armor and status are taken into consideration when battling
  • Similar to all foot unit formations, Cavalry units have 4 blocks
  • Heavy foot and mounted units battle with 4 dice, Medium units with 3 dice and Light units with 2 dice
  • Light Bow Cavalry units can employ the Parthian Shot when they evade
  • The timely use of Inspired Action makers, will place an even greater importance on leaders
Still, most Commands & Colors game mechanics will be familiar and the battlefield tactics that a player will need to execute to gain victory, conform remarkably well to the strengths and limitations of the various medieval unit types, their weapons, the terrain, and history.

Thanks Again!
Richard Borg

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Next War: Poland - Designer Mitchell Land


Next War: Poland is coming along quite nicely. The Operational Map and  Strategic Display are both pretty much final with just a minor tweak  here or there as we test. The scenarios are quite well along, and  Ralph and I working on ensuring that the Initiative VP and victory  point levels work well for the situation. With the addition of the  larger Strategic Display and an order of battle which features two,  high-tech modern armies, I think players will be pleased that, using  the rules knowledge they gained with previous games in the series,  they'll be able to jump right in and start playing. I also believe  that, like the other games in the series, this one will feel like a  completely different experience. - Mitch

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Panzer Expansion #4: France 1940 - Designer James Day


Here is a list of the Scenario titles that will be included in Panzer Expansion #4: France, 1940:
  • Tank Battle at Crehen, Pt. 1: Crehen, Belgium, 12 May 1940
  • Tank Battle at Crehen, Pt. 2: Crehen, Belgium, 12 May 1940
  • Delaying Action at Ernage: Ernage, Belgium, 14 May 1940
  • Rommel Crosses the Meuse: Bouvignes, Belgium, 13 May 1940
  • Holding the Thrust: Philippeville, Belgium, 15 May 1940
  • The Capture of Stonne: Stonne, France, 15 May 1940
  • Counterattack at Stonne: Stonne, France, 15 May 1940
  • De Gaulle's First Action: Montcornet, France, 17 May 1940
  • De Gaulle Tries Again: Montcornet, France, 19 May 1940
  • Closing the Trap: Lille, France, 28 May 1940
  • The 6th Panzer is Delayed: MonthermĂ©, France, 15 May 1940 - Solitaire Scenario
  • Billote's Charge: Stonne, France, 16 May 1940 - Solitaire Scenario
The two solitaire scenarios utilize a game-driven AI system for French forces in the 6th Panzer is Delayed and the German forces in Billite's Charge.  Each of the Stonne scenarios play out on the two historical maps included in the expansion. - Jim

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Pendragon - Developer Volko Ruhnke



Hi Gene! I've been hard at work (play) designing and alpha-testing the Pendragon Non-players with the help of Oerjan Ariander, Vesa Arponen, and Pendragon designer Marc Gouyon-Rety. You'll be able to solitaire as the Britons against the Barbarians, the Barbarians against the Britons, or any one Faction against the other three. I think we have learned and improved bot design with each COIN Series volume. Judging from the Dark Ages drama playing out on my test table, I expect Pendragon to provide the most immersive and challenging multi-Faction solo saga yet. Can't wait to share the experience with COIN Series players later this year! -Volko

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Tank Duel - Designer Mike Bertucelli


In the early part of the year the Tank Duel design team overhauled the Battle Cards to reflect some changes we've made to how we explain the Tank Actions. Now instead of a comprehensive list of possible actions, we've streamlined the possible actions by defining what actions can be followed by other actions. This allows us better information display on the cards and player aid.

I also redesigned the tank boards to make information easier to find and relocated the "On Fire" and "Broken" conditions to cards that players will draw into their hand. This should make it easier for players to remember to resolve the corresponding conditions in the Administration Phase, and adds a bit of a penalty to being on fire and broken.

Joel Toppen has the Vassal module completed and the team has used it for several online games, as well as for the early stages of development for the Solitaire rules. While these rules are very rough, the early signs are very positive. We are nearly ready to begin playtesting and should start with game balance and playability changes soon.   ~Mike Bertucelli

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Talon 1000 - Designer Jim Krohn (via Consimworld and BGG)


Hey, everyone.  Talon 1000 is almost done. Today we have some exciting news for solitaire players, and also want to put out a call for your help:

1. Exciting News for Solitaire Players: I t's official: Talon 1000 will include solitaire rules and counters! Tony has approved the extra counter sheet (GMT is absorbing this at no extra cost to you guys) and I just got the thumbs up from the development team.  This won't be just one or two special solitaire scenarios.  Talon 1000 already had over 1000 player vs player scenarios and this system effectively adds 1000 solitaire variations, plus the ability to play the campaign games solitaire.  

I'm really pleased with these rules because, once you know them, you don't have to spend a lot of time managing the AI fleet.  You mostly get to focus on flying your ships.

2. We could use your help: The only thing we have left to do on Talon 1000 is to  name all the ships and, while we have a good start on it, we have A LOT of ship counters to name. Of course, neither Bob nor I have the last name Tolkien (that dude could name things), so that means we could use... 

Help! 

I'm not sure what we should do - just ask for suggestions? Have a contest? this is new ground for me. 

A couple of things: 

a. Name families are great - where we can have similar style names all applied to a class of ships. 

b. In the base game, the Talon ships were named according to rough English translations of the Talon names. Assuming that some Talon ships would be named after characters/events in their history, that would not have to always continue. We could give substitute names to Talon ships in a similar way to how the Americans gave substitute names to Japanese aircraft in WW2.

If you have ideas or would like to help us with ship naming, please contact me at jk @myground.org. Thanks! Jim Krohn 
 
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I don't have much to say to say about USE's reprint other than we're finishing up the proofing of the updated components. Those new or old to the game will reap the benefit of a rulebook that addresses the errata and common questions asked of the game's first publication, has expanded examples with corresponding images, and includes a few more quick reference sections. The playbook also has a new section that provides some more design insight. With this wrapped up, the USE Design Team is looking forward to devoting more time to designing "Unconditional Surrender! WW2 in Asia and the Pacific" and "Armistice! WW1 in Europe". - Sal

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Multi-Game Design Update - Designer Vance von Borries



The EFS series (three "linkable" games on P500) is doing, at least in part, as expected,  with orders either over or close to the 500 mark. Each game is undergoing testing using  the new standard rules. Over several years now, we have worked out the kinks in the old  rules and added some new material. That means each game requires lengthy testing with  these new rules. By all appearances, testing is going well. You can follow this on
CSW inthe many AARs posted in the EFS folder there. We intend to deliver a complete and thoroughly up-dated product as the definitive word in WWII's Operation Barbarossa - and beyond; we plan a new game down the road.

Speaking about roads, I also plan a new "Roads" series game - yes, with panzers. In the  meantime I have prepared a substantial rules rewrite for the Roads to Leningrad game,  also currently on P500 as a second edition. It hits second edition status because charts and  tables require corrections, there are counter changes, and I am incorporating fixes and up grades suggested by players. You can get a bigger picture of this by checking out an interview I gave recently to Grant Kleinhenz at the Player's Aid.

I thank Grant for his interest and confidence in the game. Many have said RtL is a fine  game as it stands, worthy of a full elevation to Roads to Moscow standards. I much  appreciate everyone's support for all these games.
P500 Reprint News and Tracking

Here's the current status of all the games on our P500 reprint list. Please help us determine what to print by pre-ordering any of these that interest you. Thanks for your help! 

As noted above, we have enhanced the Here I Stand Reprint to become the Here I Stand 500th Anniversary Edition, and have also added the 500th Anniversary Upgrade Kit to our P500 list.

If you'd like to order a reprint of one of these games, just click the link to go to the P500 Reprint page.

Here's the current P500 Reprint list - with current order totals and a +/- order growth since last month:

Fields of Fire  - 2nd Ed. - 1,085 Orders (+46 )  
Barbarossa: AGN  - 650 Orders (+13)  
Unconditional Surrender - 576 Orders (+36)
The Hunters 3rd Printing - 514 Orders (+69) 
Cataphract - 463 Orders (+9) 
Barbarossa: AGS - 455 Orders (+8)    
Ardennes '44 - 436 Orders (+14) 
Fire in the Lake, 2nd Printing - 405 Orders (+24)  
SPQR Dlx.   - 397 Orders (+11)
Barbarossa: AG Center 2nd Ed.- 377 Orders (+11)
Andean Abyss  - 372 Orders (+12)
Simple GBoH 2nd Ed. - 360 Orders (+51)
Navajo Wars - 319 Orders (+11)
This Accursed Civil War - 315 Orders (-57)
Space Empires , 3rd Printing - 315 Orders (+18)
Combat Commander: Pacific  - 232 Orders (+9)  
Talon: - 195 Orders (+18)
Next War: Korea - 193 Orders (+10)
Brandywine - 189 Orders (-2) 
Red Winter - 189 Orders (+4)
1989  - 160 Orders (+8)
The Dark Valley  - 115 Orders (+1) 
Combat Comm. BP 4: New Guinea: - 92 Orders (+12)
Roads to Leningrad 2nd Ed. - 91 Orders (+5)
The Kaiser's Pirates  - 82 Orders (+7)
Falling Sky, 2nd Printing: 74 Orders (+29)
Cuba Libre, 3rd Printing: 49 Orders (+18)
New Game Support Files, Vassal/Cyberboard, and Sneak Peeks
  
Here are new support files we've added to our website since our last update. Enjoy!
  
Game Support:  

Vassal/Cyberboard/ZunTzu:
 
  • None this time

P500 Sneak Peeks
Sincerely,
 


Your Friends at GMT Games
 
www.gmtgames.com
Toll Free Order and Support Line: 800-523-6111

E-mail: gmtoffice@gmtgames.com