I've always been a fan of Henry Hyde's wargame books, and several already adorn my bookshelves, including MARTINSTAAT 1744: A DETAILED WARGAME CAMPAIGN SET IN A FICTITIOUS WORLD, THE WARS OF THE FALTENIAN SUCCESSION, WARGAMING CAMPAIGNS, and THE WARGAMING COMPENDIUM. When I read that he had just published a new book – JUNCTION JEOPARDY: LINKED GAMES FOR ANY HISTORICAL OR FANTASY SETTING (COFFEE BREAK CAMPAIGNS) – I just had to buy a copy … and I’m very pleased that I did!
In the book's blurb, Henry makes the following point:
Junctions have been crucial both tactically and strategically ever since the dawn of warfare. Whether it be the ancient Plain of Megiddo, Mortimer’s Cross, Quatre Bras, Chancellorsville or, indeed, The Battle of Heartbreak Crossroads in 1944, the point at which major thoroughfares meet will always be significant.
The book is split into 6 main sections:
- Introduction
- The Campaign Area
- World War 2
- Horse & Musket
- Additional Ideas
- The Individual Maps
The book contains nine maps (and I think that the book is worth buying just for them!) arranged in a 3 x 3 grid. The central map contains the junction that gives the book its name and the others show the approaches from the north, northeast, east, southeast, south, southwest, west, and northwest. The maps are described as being generically European and are suitable for most places that enjoy a temperate climate. That said, with a bit of imagination they could be used for more arid parts of the world.
The maps are drawn to a scale of Movement Units (MUs) and are all 6 MUs x 4 MUs. This makes it easy for users to scale them to suit their table size. For example, if you have a 6' x 4' (180cm x 120cm) table, a MU is 1' (30cm) ... and if your table is 3' x 2', (90cm x 60cm) a MU is 6" (15cm).
The sections covering World War 2 and Horse & Musket contain ideas for different types of mini-campaigns that can be fought over the maps (Encounter, Attack/Defence, and Retreat by Stages) and suggested movement rates ... which are all expressed in MUs. For example, Infantry moving on foot on even ground move 2 MUs and Infantry moving on foot across rough ground move ½ MU.
This is the first of a planned series of similar 'Coffee Break Campaigns' ... and I look forward to buying each of them as they are published.
(The series is named 'Coffee Break Campaigns' because the cost of the hard copy is roughly equivalent to the cost of a coffee and pastry from a high street coffee shop.)
JUNCTION JEOPARDY: LINKED GAMES FOR ANY HISTORICAL OR FANTASY SETTING (COFFEE BREAK CAMPAIGNS) has 24 pages and was written by Henry Hyde and published by Gladius Publications (ISBN 979 8 2619 5688 4). It is for sale via Amazon for £8.50.
