Modifying "Liberia: Descent into Hell"

(Cover art for Liberia: Descent into Hell)

 Just over five years ago, my friend Joe and I played a session of Liberia: Descent into Hell.  This is Counter Strike Mini-Game, by Platinum Dragon Productions, published in 2008, and currently out of print.

(Cover Page for our Liberia AAR)

We liked the game.  However the subject matter of The First Liberian Civil War (1989-1999), isn’t for everyone.

The game designers didn’t spare any gory details: Cannibalism, child soldiers, prostitution rings, and the drug trade; just to name a few topics that factor into the game.  

(A Second Civil War erupted shortly afterwards and ended in 2003).

Nor does the game spare any international relief or charity organizations, because all the donated money from such groups go towards lining the pockets of the two faction leaders.

The first big problem Joe & I had was playing on the small 17” x 11” map.  During playtime, the districts would become crowded with unit and leader counters.  During combat, we'd have to line-up counters off the gameboard.

We also wish the map colors were more natural, or at least subdued.

Shortly after our game, I went to a local print shop and had 2 poster-sized maps made (3’ x 2’).  I gave one to Joe, and put my copy in a closet.

(Poster-sized map mounted on cardboard)

And there it stayed until a few weeks ago.

(A comparison of the original with the enlarged map)

I’m still dealing with health issues, mostly chronic pain and fatigue, as a result of my lung transplant in December 2021.  However, I’m a bit stronger and more mobile than I was last year.  So I figured I could tackle an easy game project.

I thought it was long over due to dig out my Liberian Poster Map from its hiding space.  My wife unrolled the map and secured it on a large sheet of cardboard using clear packing tape.  She’s asked me throughout our marriage if she could help with any of my game projects.  Now, after all these years, she got her chance and did a great job.

Another issue Joe and I had was with the game’s several charts & tables.  For such a small game, spreading them out took up nearly all the table space.

To remedy this, I photo copied all the info-graphics, except for the optional Random Events Chart, which wouldn’t fit in my copier.  I trimmed the excess white spaces and taped them on to a display board.

(The game’s status board)

My original idea was to make a “gamemaster’s screen,” with the display board standing upright. Unfortunately, there were two too many charts to fit on the single side of the screen, and 5 of the charts required counters to be placed on them to indicate the status of various leaders, money, international support, and Juju.  

Yes, “magic” is an issue in this game and treated as popular support.  The side which has the most in a combination of money and Juju, wins the game.

When Joe & I get a chance to play this game again, I’ll write another post about whether or not my upgrades made the session more player-friendly.

Pass in Review: Reaper Pulp Action Figures

While my siblings, friends and I grew up after the Age of  Serial Films, many of them ran on the New York City network-affiliated stations.  These shows aired before the prime time hours, or late Saturday mornings after the cartoons. 

I remember watching some episodes of Buck Rogers, and Flash Gordon, and probably a few others I can’t remember; along with listening to a few episodes of  The Shadow which our hometown radio stations brought back on the air for a bit. 

The show that caught our attention the most when we were little kids was Our Gang/The Little Rascals.  One or more of our pet dogs would follow us around on our own misadventures, and we often tried building similar contraptions—go-carts, tree forts and the like—based on what the rascals did in the series. Often with the same calamitous results. 

Then as we got a bit older we got into The Bowery Boys (previously known as The Dead End Kids and East Side Kids).  We use to tussle around in our back yards and re-enact the fight scenes of the most recent episode we watched.  I guess the idea of fighting bad guys (as the “light side” Bowery Boys) in and around New York City appealed to us pre-teen Upstate New Yorkers.

But our lives didn’t just revolve around what was on the “boob tube.”  We read the comic book versions of pulp magazines, primarily Conan the Barbarian, and Solomon Kane.  

Although our moms were a bit leery of the Vampirella comics we read as teenagers, they didn’t outright forbid us from buying any issues. 

Anyway, spicy adventure stories aside, sometime between buying my last issue of Vampirella and the release of Raiders of the Lost Ark, I got into wargaming and role-playing games.

While my main focus is on historical, science fiction and heroic fantasy, I have a few pulp action games in my collection.

I bought Fortune and Glory and the two boxed expansion sets shortly after they were released.

A few years ago, I stumbled across a copy of Justice Inc at Half Price Books.

After last month’s shopping therapy session, I added Rattrap Productions’ .45 Adventure (1st Edition).

Eventually, I’d like to get my Fortune and Glory pieces painted, but in the meantime, my friend Peter finished the handful of pulp action figures for me.

While writing this post I took the time to concoct a title using my Comic Life program:

What follows is my Gallery of Pulp Heroes from Reaper Miniatures (Modern), somewhere on the grimy streets of Midnight City (you may have to scroll down on the linked pages to see the unpainted figure):

1. Agatha Fox, female spy, front view...

...rear view:

2. Sister Maria, front view...

...rear view:

3. Sascha DuBois, time chaser, front view...

...rear view:

4. Nightslip, pulp era heroine, front view...

...confrontation view...

...rear view:

5. The Black Mist, front view...

...rear view:

6. Rex (Dark Future Hero), front view...

...rear view:

7. Meanwhile, Frank Buck, adventurer, is exploring some remote part of the world, front view...

...rear view:

Uh-oh.  Looks like Frank got more adventure than he bargained for...

The "giant" snakes are some cheap kids' gag toys I bought years ago for just such occasions.

Here's a group photo:

Well, it seems like Frank made it back from his Adventure in the Cave of the Giant Snakes, but Agatha Fox must have disappeared on one of her clandestine missions.  (Translation:  I forgot to include her).

When the chips are down, my gang of heroes aren't above to plagiarizing catch-phrases:

Shantytown Anyverse

(Image from:  Ashes of Dystopia)

Since I'm a mediocre painter, I'm a big fan of cardboard terrain.

Come to think of it, I'm not much better at assembling pre-painted buildings either.

Which is why I like Runestone Entertainment's Model Card Shanty Town.

While actual shanty towns are, sadly, an all-too common sight in our world, they're often the settings for Dystopian-style games and stories, also known as Crapsack Worlds.

So they can fit anywhere from Terra Firma to a recently terraformed world.

Runestone's Shanty Town currently can be downloaded for $6.95.  But Drive Thru RPG often has sales, or even offers stuff for free.  So check the site as often as you can.

You can either print the material on card stock yourself or take it to a print shop.  (There's a local print shop I like going to because their card stock is sturdier and their ink better quality).

This particular product comes in a PDF format and is 23 pages long.  This includes assembly instructions and various Building Templates (white paper "frames") and Texture Templates (exterior) in the following scales:  28 mm, 20 mm (1/72), 15 mm (1/100), and 1/144th.

Not all the Exterior Templates fit completely over the walls and roof.

This is deliberate in order to give buildings that slap-dash, scavenged look.

I assembled 9, 28 mm buildings.

First, are some "public buildings," which could be stores, warehouses or dive-bars.

 Here's the front view:

Here's the right-side view of the "general store," (first building on the left), and the rear views of the other two buildings.

The left-side view of the "general store," along with rear views of he other two buildings.  (Their sides are just plain walls with no unique features).

Next are some "private buildings," which could be dwellings, or storage facilities.

Front view:

Rear view:

Once again, the side views are plain walls with no unique features.

The last three buildings are small sheds.

Front view:

Rear view of the first two buildings:

While I question my skills at assembling cardboard models, I liked how these structures turned out because they're suppose to look decrepit.

Five Second Flick Theater: When All Else Fails, French Indochina Version

My friend Tim likes wargaming the French Indochina War.  A couple weekends ago, he hosted a game at Fall In!

He and a friend took several pictures of his game.

And of course, I couldn't leave well-enough alone and concocted another Five Second Flick.

Five Second Flick Theater: Somewhere in French Indochina

My friend Tim has a collection of figures and vehicles based on the French Indochina War and hosted a couple of games at last year's Fall In! and Cold Wars game conventions.

I selected a couple of photos I thought would make good Five Second Flicks.

First, there's the Indochina weather...

...and then there's the "typical patrols."

Decision Games Modern Battles: Golan--The Syrian Offensive

Just over 45 years ago, the Yom Kippur War broke out.

I was in junior high at the time and was already reading about the tank battles of North Africa during World War II.  So in addition to reading history, the October War sparked my interest into keeping up with world affairs.  This of course all led to wargaming.

Fast forward to the early part of this year:  My friend Joe and I managed to get-together and play a few turns of Golan: The Last Syrian Offensive.  (Although my copy, printed in 2010, is titled--Golan: The Syrian Offensive).

This is one in Decision Games' Folio Series.

Within Golan's folio is a map (12" x 22"), one 8-page Folio Standard Rule Book, one 4-page Exclusive Rule Book, and 100 die-cut counters.

Golan is a two-player game representing the initial Syrian attack during the Yom Kippur War to be played within 1-2 hours.  The Complexity Rating is considered low, but has a high solitaire suitability.  Unit counters represent battalion, regiment or brigade forces while each hex on the map represents 2 kilometers (1.25 miles).

The After Action Review of the Initial Phases of the Syrian Offensive

Four Syrian Divisions, the 3rd, 7th, and 9th Mechanized, along with the 1st Armored Division, mass in assembly areas just beyond the DMZ.  

Meanwhile, elements of the Israeli 11th and 19th Mechanized Brigades occupy outposts along the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) centered around the towns of Ahmediye and Boutmiya.

On 6 October 1973, the Syrian 7th and 9th Mechanized Divisions pour across the DMZ border near Ahmediye, and engage two Israeli battalions (one from the 11th and 19th Brigade), who are supported by the 71st Tank Battalion.

While near Boutmiya, elements of the Syrian 3rd Division engage the three Israeli battalions picketed there (two from the 11th and one from the 19th Brigade).

Both sides quickly call for fire support.  In the opening engagement, 10 kilometers (kms) west of Ahmediye, the Syrian 7th Infantry Brigade and the Israeli 71st Tank Battalion sustain heavy casualties.

As the battle around Ahmediye rages, the Israeli 21st Mechanized Infantry Battalion and the Syrian 5th Infantry Brigade inflict heavy casualties on each other.  Fire support continues for both sides.

As the Syrian forces to the west of Ahmediye regroup to renew their advance, the focus shifts on dislodging the Israeli 10th Mechanized Infantry Battalion hunkered-down in the village itself.  The Syrians call-in heavy artillery and rocket batteries, while two flights of Israeli F-4 Phantoms attempt to provide close air support for the beleaguered defenders. 

Unfortunately, the Israeli aircraft draw attention from three Syrian SA-2 batteries.

The volley of Surface-to-air missiles surprise the Israeli pilots and two F-4s are shot down.

Despite the loss of vital aircraft, the Israeli defense inflicts heavy casualties on the Syrian 8th Brigade/9th Infantry Division.

Meanwhile, back near Boutmiya, the Syrian 3rd Mechanized Infantry Division attempts to envelope the Israelis by attacking the 12th Battalion/11th Armored Brigade northwest of Jukhadar.  Both sided call-in artillery support.

The Syrians press-home their attack, and the Israelis call-in another artillery fire-mission.

The intense artillery fire forces the 2nd Brigade/3rd Mechanized Infantry to fall back.

Despite the Syrians' set-back at Jukhadar, they continue their attack on the Israeli positions around Boutmiya.  The Syrian attack is supported by two batteries of heavy artillery, while the Israeli defense is supported by two flights of F-4s.

The F-4s brave three salvos of SAM fire and engage ground targets.

Despite the intensity of the surface-to-air fire, this time all of the missiles missed.  The Israeli air strikes and ground defense forces the Syrian 10th Mechanized Infantry Brigade to fall back and inflicts heavy casualties on the Syrian 1st Mechanized Infantry Brigade.

Syrian reinforcements approach the DMZ border on the weak Israeli western flank.

Israeli artillery fire attempts to neutralize a Syrian SA-6 battery.

Both sides pour-in massive fire support for the battle still raging around the fort at Ahmediye.

Masada is captured by the Syrian 11th Armored Brigade/7th Mechanized Division, as the entire Syrian 1st Armored Division crosses the DMZ, while the Syrian 1st Paratroop Brigade captures another Israeli hilltop fort.

The Israeli 71st Armored Battalion is wiped out, leaving the 21st Mechanized Battalion to hold the collapsing western flank.

The last stand of the Israeli 21st Mechanized Battalion is short-lived, despite a fire-mission from heavy artillery, and an airstrike which is shot down by a salvo of SAMs. 

Israeli reinforcements finally arrive and occupy key secondary positions...

...but will it be enough to stem The Syrian Offensive? 

Concluding Notes 

Joe and I didn't have enough time to run through the entire game and only played a few turns.

As the Israeli player, I committed two major mistakes.  

The first was leaving my six battalions strung-out in forward positions along the DMZ.  I should have retreated, or attempted to break contact with the Syrian forces right from the get-go, trading space for time.

The second error I committed was under estimating the effectiveness of the Syrian SAM umbrella.  The fact that historically, the Israeli Air Force (IAF) made the same mistake provided me with little comfort.  In game terms, a SAM battery isn't all that effective in-and of itself, needing a "6" on a six-sided die (1d6) to hit.  But each IAF flight ended up being targeted by several SAM batteries simultaneously, which greatly improved Joe's odds of rolling a 6.

I lost half my aircraft within these first few turns.  If I lost one more flight of aircraft, it would have degraded my ability to win if we played the entire game.

And while we're on the subject of supporting firepower:  Howitzers, rocket launchers, mortars and air strikes are represented in an abstract manner.  That is, there are no actual artillery batteries to move around on the map.

Joe didn't particularly care for this mechanic, because he had played an earlier version of this game that utilized specific artillery units.  (Unfortunately, I can't seem to find any links to this on-line).  

I thought it was a bit too abstract myself.

However, despite the need to get use to a healthy dose of abstraction, Golan:  The (Last) Syrian Offensive is an inexpensive and quick way to spend time wargaming a modern military campaign.