~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ | Fine Games for Players & Collectors | | 2078 Madrona St., North Bend, OR 97459-2143 | | http://www.finegames.com/ | ~~~~ 541-756-4711 866-690-7879 M.Dean@FineGames.com ~~~~~~~~ Games Update 1997 #15 20 April 1997 April Showers Special WELCOME again to another Fine Games electronic newsletter.These updates contain news and other info of interest to active board gamers and collectors. They also explain how you can access copies of the many Fine Games' online catalogs at your convenience. C O N T E N T S Fine Games NEWS .......... What's going on at Fine Games - Clearance List Update - FineGames.Com - Hard Disk Waiting to Crash - Tax Day, a Black Day INDUSTRY NEWS ............ Mayfair to be Subidiary of ICE Wizards Cast Possession Spell on TSR Columbia Games Spurning Distributors NEW Games ................ New & Pending Releases - Home Before the Leaves Full - Sam Grant - French Revolution (AWE) - ASL: Parkers Crossroads - PREORDER March to Victory Your SUGGESTIONS ......... Suggestions Always Welcomed F I N E G A M E S N E W S THE CLEARANCE LIST will be available about the beginning of May. Several people have asked about various detail of how this list will be distributed. First, I will make it available on my web site on or about the 2nd of May and will try to email advance notice of just when it will be available. Beyond that, its first come, first served as always. Second, printed copies of the list will be mailed 2-3 days before the online posting to those who have provided a SSAE #10 envelope. Just how I will sell the 6 or so boxes of games from my own collection is still up in there air. But this will begin sometime in mid to late May. Again, both online & printed listings are planned. FINEGAMES.COM. Fine Games now has its own internet domain name which you can begin using immediately. Web access using the old URL (www.teleport. com/) will continue to work normally, but I encourage you to use the new format (www.finegames.com/) as this will continue to work should I change internet access providers at some point. The NEW EMAIL ADDRESS is M.Dean@FineGames.com. Again, this will work even if I should change providers. This address is available now, and allows the full use of attachments, rich (formatted) text, filtering, etc. My *old* email address (M.Dean@FineGames.com) will remain active for 2-3 more months as I don't want to loose anyone. But I encourage you to switch over at the next opportunity. (Direct mail to ONE location only, please.) My 720mb D-Drive is a HARD DISK WAITING TO CRASH. It sounds like a vacuum cleaner in a closet, but still works. Still, it may fail at any moment & may force me offline for hours or days; we'll see. Please be patient if you don't receive a reply to an email for a couple of days. Oh, I *luv* computers.... TAX DAY IS ALWAYS A BLACK DAY. Especially when the price of success is another sizable chunck of change going to my senior partners, the IRS and the State of Oregon. "A whole lotta splashing but little forward motion!" Or so it seems on some days. N E W G A M E S & P E N D I N G R E L E A S E S The BIG release this month is just that, BIG. 1914 in the west at the battalion/regt level. Yes, Home Before the Leaves Fall is out & expected to arrive here tomorrow. Price $66.50. Because of its $95 list and the WWI subject matter, this one will likely be in thin supply thruout the distribution system. This game is the west front companion to The Cossacks Are Coming by the same designer. Said to be graphically excellent. Also long awaited and now in hand is Columbia's Sam Grant, sister game to Bobby Lee with mating rules. This features Columbia's trade mark block system & covers the US Civil War in the east from Atlanta to St. Louis in 3 yearly scenarios plus the grand campaign (and mating rules for Bobby Lee). Every bit up to Columbia's evolving standards.$37. And from Azure Wish Edition in France, their Revolution Francaise [French Revolution] is now available for $36. Altho released in '95, it has taken this long to gain distribution. But it combines AWE's graphic standards with the wild goings on of the French Revolution. GRD has announced its March to Victory for release by July. Right. This is a 3-map, 3,000+ counter simulation of the west front from 1914 to 1916 in 6 scenarios & the campaign. Another lifestyle in the making. Regardless, Fine Games offers you this ~$80 for $56 plus shipping. You'll get your copy about a week after release. A NEW ASL Module, Battle for Parker's Crossroad -- skip the French -- by Front Line productions is also available for the first time, and looks quite good, even better than the popular Critical Hit kits. Lastly, for those of you who love Sigourney Weaver and Arnold 'open-heart' Schwarzenager for their roles in the Aliens / Predator movies, be alert to the upcoming card game pitting the Aliens against the Predators with the Marines in the middle. This is a collectable card game, but has real appeal nonetheless... NEW RELEASES Box Cash Publsr Game Title & Edition Typ Wght Price Rels Date ------ -------------------------------- --- ---- ------- ------------ AH ASL:PEGASUS BRIDGE HC $21.00 97/ 4 Historical ASL module depicting the para landings to capture the bridges on the northern perimeter of the D-Day landing area. 6 scenarios including 2 monster campaigns. '97 AWE FRENCH REVOLUTION (REVOLUTION BC 1.4 $36.00 97/ 4 FRANCAISE) Another lavish production, this time about the machinations of the French Revolution. '96 COFA FLINT & STEEL n $21.00 97/ 3 Miniatures rules set for the American Rev / Seven Years War era battles. Includes a listing of every officer bearing independent command during the Am Rev. '97 COFA HOME BEFORE THE LEAVES FALL FB * $66.50 97/ 3 Operational lvl gm of the Marne campaign at rgt/brig lvl using Cossacks are Coming! system (by original designer). 2 maps, 2000 counters. Matable w/ Cossacks are Coming. D.Boldt'96 COFA SIX DAYS OF GLORY FB $25.20 97/ 4 Modest complexity, modest sized op/strat level gm of Napoleon's 1814 campaign. 3 scenarios. depict Nap's comeback that saved the day in 1814 as the overconfidant Prussians race for Paris. K.Zucker'96 COLUMG SAM GRANT BC $37.00 97/ 3 Brother game to Bobby Lee, uses Columbia's block system and a beautiful map to cover the Western campaigns along the Mississippi, 1962-4, in 3 yearly scenarios. Doesn't join to Bobby Lee but rules included to link the 2 games. Simpler game, fun. '97 DECGMS FORGOTTEN WAR, BATTLES OF... BC $35.00 97/ 3 3 btls from Korean War: Naktung, Chosin, Chipyng-ri. Company lvl. Lrg gm w/ 980 counters, 3 maps. '97 DECGMS EUROPE, WAR IN... V1.0 [PC DISK] n $40.00 97/ 3 Req DOS, 4mb RAM, 6mb, VGA, 486+, mouse, sound card supported. PC version of the grand old SPI monster game of war thruout Europe. Has many qualities paralleling the original: simple yet functional systems & graphics, fun, with lots of potential for fun. This version is essentially a beta, with a how-the-game-runs manual (only) on disk (only). G.Ploussios'97 DECS_T BALKANS '41 #182 n $14.00 97/ 3 Op lvl game of the Axis invasions in the Balkans. '97 FRONTL ASL:BARAQUE DE FRAITURE n $13.00 97/ 3 Aka Btls for Parker's Crossroad. Nicely produced, 9 historical scenario, professional produced kit w/ full sized color map covering the valient defense of key intersection north of Bastogne, 20-24 Dec'44, by scratch group of Americans against 2nd SS during the Bulge. Reqs BV, Yanks, W.Ala, Red Barracades, KGP I or II, boards 10,12,24,32. B.Abela'96 WIZARD MAGIC: THE GATHERING, 5TH BOX n $75.18 97/ 4 10 DECKS WIZARD MAGIC: THE GATHERING, 5TH BOX n $74.34 97/ 4 36 BOOSTRS The current version of Magic: the Revenue Stream. XTRCMD SURPRISE AT DAWN / BLITZKRIEG n $23.80 97/ 3 1940 #42 w/mag. Shiloh & France 1940. PENDING RELEASES All due dates are the best available info, but *never* hold your breath! Box Cash Publsr Game Title & Edition Typ Wght Price Rels Date ------ -------------------------------- --- ---- ------- ------------ AH PRINCESS RYAN'S STAR MARINES LB* $38.50 due 97/ 4 Odd entry from AH: Combination board & card game for 1-6 players who assume role of space marines unfortunately enough to be assigned to rescue the Princess in the Dark Citadel before a massive attack occurs. Said to be graphically superior. '97 AH RATS! BC $22.40 due 97/ 4 Similar to Plague. Players vie to be first to cart off 99 victims of the bubonic plague while avoiding the deadly fleas themselves. Fun from the Hill. AH STOCK MARKET GURU BC $21.00 due 97/ 5 Upgraded Stocks & Bonds, making it a better simulation of long term investing. Includes historical scenarios for the 20s, the Great Depression, oil crisis 70s, and boom 80s, with many of the little things that make investing sooo much fun. 1-10 players, ~2 hrs play time. '97 AVALAN OPERATION CANNIBAL HC $14.70 due 97/ 4 Smaller, fast playing gm of the disasterous Commonwealth attack on Japanese forces on the coast of Burma late in 1942 using the Blood on Snow system.. '97 AVALAN RED STEEL: CLASH OF ARMOR @ HC $26.60 due 97/ 4 KISHINEV German & Romanian forces assault strong Soviet forces early in 1941. Also includes Battle for Naples expansion for Avalanche. '97 AVALAN SURVIVAL OF THE WITLESS HC $14.70 due 97/ 4 Subtitled "Antisocial Darwinism in the Academic World." Card game of the struggle to reach tenure from an entry level professorship. Use gossip, innuendo, seductions, etc. Attack w/ gossip, seduction, avoid student support, committee assignments, teaching quality awards. Tenure is everything... A risky foray into family games for Avalanche. '97 COFA LA BATAILLE SERIES RULES, 4TH n $14.00 due 97/ 4 ED. Rewrite of the series rule book to this classic series w/ extensive examples, diagrams & new optional rules. '96 COMPAN GALACTIC EMPIRES [BOARD GAME] Y $17.50 due 97/ 4 Hex based strategy game of galactic expansion & tactical ship-ship combat. '97 CRI ASL:ALL AMERICAN! 82ND AIRBORNE n $17.50 due 97/ 4 MODULE1 10 scenario kit focused on actions of the US 82nd airborne. Includes a heavy stock map. '97 CRI ASL:ARMORED STAND PLTN LDR PACK n $7.00 due 97/ 4 #2 Additional campaign for the Platoon Leader module. Focuses on the US 25inf v Jap 2nd Tank in the Philippines in 1945. '97 CRI ASL:GEMBLOUX THE FIENT SCENARIO n $12.25 due 97/ 3 PAK Campaign including 8 scenarios of the btl in Belguim, 1940. '96 CRI ASL:PRIMOSOLE BRIDGE PLTN LDR n $7.00 due 97/ 4 PACK #3 Additional campaign for the Platoon Leader module. Focuses on the fight for Primosole Bridge, Sicily 1943. '97 CRI ASL:TIPS FOR ASL TANKERS n $6.30 due 97/ 4 Tips on defeating enemy armor in the ASL lifestyle. Strategy, examples, etc. '97 DECGMS EUROPE, WAR IN... V2.0 [PC DISK] n $42.00 due 97/ 6 Req DOS, 4mb RAM, 6mb, VGA, 486+, mouse, sound card supported. PC version of the grand old SPI monster game of war thruout Europe. Has many qualities paralleling the original: simple yet functional systems & graphics, fun, with lots of potential for fun. This version should have professionally produced manual & packaging. G.Ploussios'97 DECGMS SUN NEVER SETS ON THE BRITISH HC $29.40 due 97/ 5 EMPIRE Britain defends its empire in 3 gms: Zulu War, River War, and March to Peking. DECS_T ARAB-ISRAELI WAR: 1948 #184 BC $14.00 due 97/ 6 Covers the chaotic, tense 1948 war in which Israeli assured itself of continued existance. DECS_T BYZANTIUM #183 n $14.00 due 97/ 4 Strat lvl gm of the dark ages. '96 EUROG CONDOTTIERE Y $33.00 due 97/ 4 ? European card game played on a board. Fast, intense, played in rounds. Aim is to build the most powerful kingdom in Renaissance Italy. Top game in '95 in Germany. '97 EUROG MYSTERY ON THE NILE Y $25.00 due 97/ 4 ? European gm of mysterious theft on a cruise down the Nile. Players must discover the theif before the boat docks in 3 days. '97 EUROG SERENISSIMA Y $40.00 due 97/ 4 ? European game of trading & conquest in the Mediterranean region during the Renaissance. 2-4 players represent seagoing powers of Venice, Genoa, Spain & Turkey. '97 FATMES INSECTA: RAINFOREST KIT zl $0.00 due 97/ 4 1-6 player gm of building better, more competitive insects thru genetic improvements. Clever design. GMT BARBAROSSA BC $32.90 due 97/ 4 ?? Onslaught of Army Group South, using the Typhoon system (akin to Spires of Kremlin & Army Group South). 3 maps, many nationalities, rgt/div lvl. GMT SARATOGA BC $20.30 due 97/ 4 ?? GMT THREE DAYS OF GETTYSBURG ERRATA n $4.90 due 97/ 5 ?? KIT Kit w/ counters & extensive errata correcting the rushed development of 3Days. '96 GMT WINGS OVER THE REICH BC $17.50 due 97/ 4 GOB HOSTILE AIRCRAFT WW1 MINIATURES Y $25.20 due 97/ 4 RULES Miniatures rules set for 1/285 WW1 air battles. 288 aircraft ratings from 1915-20 from all fronts. Includes 2 metal aircraft. '96 GRD SECOND FRONT, 2ND FB $77.00 due 97/ 4 Limited reprint of 1000 copies, only change was to counters. Massive, v.hi complexity game of the war in Italy, France and Germany starting in July'43 or Apr'44 using Europa game system. Complete Grand Europa OoB for Germans & Allies. J.Astell'94 HA ALIENS/PREDATOR BOX OF 12 DECKS SC $75.18 due 97/ 5 2-3 player collectable card game of the wonderful elements of both the Alien(s) & Predator movies. Cards show scenes from both series of movies. Aliens, Predators & Marines each have different abilities & different goals. '97 HA ALIENS/PREDATOR BOX OF 36 SC $74.34 due 97/ 5 BOOSTERS Card game of the wonderful elements of both the Alien(s) & Predator movies. '97 HARPER ALIEN RESURRECTION POSTCARD BOOK n $6.30 due 97/ 5 30 full color postcard images from the upcoming Aliens sequel. '97 HARPER ALIEN RESURRECTION SCRIPTBOOK n $9.80 due 97/ 5 Offical scene by scene scriptbook for the 4th Aliens movie. '97 HSG SHERIDAN IN THE VALLEY Y $28.00 due 97/ 4 Rgt lvl, larger game of the 1864 Shenandoah campaign including scenarios for Opequon Creek, Fisher's Hill & Cedar Creek plus a small learning scenario. Many what-ifs, good solitaire play. '97 ICE MIDDLE EARTH: DARK MINIONS BOX SC $74.34 due 97/ 4 OF BOOSTR Second expansion to Wizards. Adds another 180 cards focusing on agents, under-deeps, quests, challenges. . Ea booster contains 1 rare, 3 uncommon, 11 commons. '96 ICE MIDDLE EARTH: DARK MINIONS n $7.00 due 97/ 4 PLAYERS GUID Players guide containing the rules & basic anaylsis of play. Extensive documentation & analysis of the DM deck. 3rd Strategy Guide for this series. KIN ASL:MARCH MADNESS 97 TOURNEMENT n $8.00 due 97/ 3 PACK 12 scenarios from thruout WW2 used in the Kansas City tourney, Mar'97. '97 KOP TRAIN DICE GAME Tb $3.50 due 97/ 5 Small Yahtzee-like game of building the most valuable trains using a roll of special train dice. VERY simple, portable, fun, suitable for the family. '97 MAYFR CHINESE RAILS Tb $17.50 due 97/ 4 Empire Builder series does China. Should be a great geography & phonetics lession. MIH ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT zl $31.50 due 97/ 4 Lrg, simpler gm of the Western Front during WW1 beginning with the March 1918 German offensives thru the armistice in Nov. Designed to be playable. T.Raicer'97 MTT GAMERS' ALMANAC n $7.00 due 97/ 3 Shopping guide to the world of games, from computer games to role playing, w/ convention info, designers, etc. ONE AIR DUEL n $5.00 due 97/ 5 Sml board game of modern air-air combat. '97 ONE BATTLECHROME: FIRE & STEEL SB $3.50 due 97/ 5 2 player board game adaptation of their CCG. Requires mounting the counters. ONE DER KESSEL: STALINGRAD SOLITAIRE n $4.00 due 97/ 5 Sml solitaire game of the struggle for Stalingrad. Player controls the 6th Army trapped in Stalingrad & attempts to hold out until the rescue comes. '97 PACRIM ROAD TO BERLIN FB $52.50 due 97/ 4 ? Monster game of the final Soviet drive on Germany at div/corp lvl. J Youst'95. [Who knows when this will really arrive, if at all...] SPEARH CHICKAMAUGUA BC $0.00 due 97/ 5 Area move grand tactical game similar to Storm over Arnhem, same system as Bloodiest Day. Brig lvl. '97 STI BLACK CROSS, BLUE SKY MINI RULES n $14.00 due 97/ 4 Replacement rules set for the earlier Squadrons. Includes rules for Poland, France & the Btl of Britain. Revised & updated. '96 TIMJIM REIGN OF TERROR BC $33.25 due 97/ 4 Bloody good game for 4-7 players who manipulate historical factions trying to gain control of the provisional government. Mobs, armies, money, printers, generals, etc. Modestly complex. '97 TIMJIM THRONEWORLD BC $35.00 due 97/ 4 Galactic conquest for 2-6 players. Each alien race manages technology & allocates resources to conquer other races' worlds. Large gm w/ 900 counters. '96 WINSOM TRAINSPORT: SWITZERLAND SB $14.00 due 97/ 4 3-5 player gm of building RRs thru the Alps. The expense of rail building makes the right choice of routes crucial. M.Wallace'97 WINSOM TRANSSIB Y $28.00 97/ 4 Multiplayer game of Russian mafia characters trying to safeguard their special cargo against other seedy players while traveling on the trans-Siberian RR. WIZARD DILBERT: CORPORATE SHUFFLE CARD SB $8.40 due 97/ 5 GAME Simple, humorous non-collectable card game of life in cubeville. A Dilbert cartoon on each card. Based loosely on the Great Dalmuti system. For 4-6 players. R.Garfield'97 WIZARD MAGIC: WEATHERLIGHT BOOSTERS BOX n $74.34 due 97/ 6 Limited edition expansion compatible with basic & other add-ons but targeted on intermediate to advanced, current & past Magic players. '97 WMI ULTIMATE BACKGAMMON FB $21.00 due 97/ 5 Classic backgammon plus 5 variations including 4-player versions. WMI ULTIMATE STRATEGO FB $21.00 due 97/ 5 Classic 2-player game plus 3 variations including a 4-player version. _MAG ASL:TIME ON TARGET MAGAZINE #2 n $22.00 due 97/ 3 ASL Magazine that often includes new scenario kits w/ counters & maps. This issue focuses on running btl between German 2nd Marine and Brit 8th & 12th Corp, Apr '45, w/ 20 scenarios, die cut counters. '97 _MAG ASL:TIME ON TARGET MAGAZINE #3 n $23.00 due 97/ 3 ASL Magazine that often includes new scenario kits w/ counters & maps. This issue focuses on German vehicles not presented in any other ASL module w/ 13 scenarios, die cut counters. Requires ToT #2 to play. '97 _SFTWR BATTLEGROUND: NAPOLEON IN BC $45.00 due 97/ 5 RUSSIA [PC CD] Req Win3.x or Win95, 8mb min, 486+, 2xCD+. Most recent in a series of nicely done multimedia wargames. Variable command lvl (from an army to a sml unit), various perspectives, SVGA graphics, sound, drag & drop interface, null-modem play, PBEM. Recvd PC Gamer Editor's Choice award. Many small scenarios on well known actions during Napoleon's incursion in Russia, w/ several what-if options. Talon Software'97 _SFTWR BATTLEGROUND: SINAI [PC CD-ROM] BC $37.50 due 97/ 3 Req Win3.x or Win95, 4mb min, 486+. First of a series of nicely done multimedia wargames. Variable command lvl (from an army to a sml unit), various perspectives, SVGA graphics, sound, drag & drop interface, null-modem play, PBEM. Covers each of the 3 major Arab-Israeli Wars w/ lots of tactical scenarios. Talon Software'96 _SFTWR BLACKBEARD [PC] HC $42.00 due 97/ 4 ? PC version of the solitaire game of the same name. Priacy around the world. _SFTWR FLYING CORPS [DOS CD-ROM] Y $45.50 due 97/ 4 Req 486DX+, DOS5.0 or Win95; 8mb RAM, VGA+, 2xCD-ROM. Detailed WW1 air-air combat w/detailed ground appearance & flight simulator. Campaign & scenarios. Includes both DOS & Win95 versions. Play opponents via modem or cable. Empire Interactive'97 _SFTWR HISTORY OF THE WORLD [PC CD-ROM] BC $49.00 due 97/ 4 Faithful recreation of this easy game of the rise & fall of empires thru 5 millenia. 1-6 players try for best long-term position in Eurasia live or by email. '97 I N D U S T R Y N E W S TSR SOLD. Wizards of the Coast, the wizards of Seattle, casts its long, money-dripped spell on TSR, the dragon of the midwest. The two largest powerhouses of the gaming industry agreed to merge. TSR will be subsumed by its now larger, former rival, and will move its operations in the immediate future. Now, Fine Games handles little of either company's products. But a company of the size of this new magical wonder will have immense bargaining power in this little industry. In a market economy, that means alot. MAYFAIR SOLD TO ICE. Iron Crown Enterprises purchased the vast majority (and all significant items) of Mayfair's game assets. The transfer will be immediate, and games in short supply (eg Settlers) are already back in wide circulation. Further, Silverton & India Rails *will* be published tho moved back to July & August, respectively. Minor assets like Sim City CCG were sold separately. The Cosmic Encounters line *may* be doomed since it is a licensed line; we'll see. COLUMBIA GAMES DIVORCES DISTRIBUTORS. Citing inadequate sales of both existing and new games, Columbia plans to cease dealing with distributors. It also increased the price of games sold to the dealers (like Fine Games) it still sells to. Y O U R S U G G E S T I O N S YOUR SUGGESTIONS that help me improve the service I provide to you via this Update or in any other way are greatly appreciated. Michael Dean Fine Games for Players & Collectors