Modest Auction of Exotic Wargames, Update #2B
FanmailAPH
STATUS OF CURRENT BIDS
1.) Black Wednesday, The Gamers, 1995
wegner@ 98-08-13 08:48:47 EDT $20.00
2.) Stalingrad Pocket, 2nd. Edition, The Gamers, 1994
pierre.jerome.lescanne@ 98-08-14 20:50:18 EDT $10.00
3.) Strategy & Tactics #135, w/game "Sideshow", Summer, 1990
pierre.jerome.lescanne@ 98-08-15 18:29:44 EDT $11.00
4.) Jagdpanther magazine #10, w/game "Marine", July, 1975
tbarnett@ 98-08-14 22:55:33 EDT $20.00
5.) Jagdpanther magazine #12, w/game "Anvil-Dragoon", January, 1976
tbarnett@ 98-08-14 22:55:33 EDT $20.00
6.) Jagdpanther magazine #14, w/game "Warsaw Pact", July, 1976
tbarnett@ 98-08-14 22:55:33 EDT $20.00
7.) Battlefield magazine #15, w/game "Jacksonville: Beaches of Doom", October,
1976
tbarnett@ 98-08-14 22:55:33 EDT $20.00
8.) The Battle for Madrid, Jagdpanther Pubs, 1976
tbarnett@ 98-08-14 22:55:33 EDT $25.00
9.) Ace of Aces, Handy Rotary - Deluxe Edition, Nova Games, 1986
Minimum Bid: $10.00
10.) Ace of Aces, Balloon Buster -- Nova Games, 1985
Minimum Bid: $6.00
11.) Ace of Aces/Jet Eagles -- Desert Storm Limited Edition, Nova Games, 1990
aebrain@ 98-08-15 23:48:45 EDT $12.00
12.) Dragon Pass, Avalon Hill, 1984
aebrain@ 98-08-15 23:48:45 EDT $16.00
13.) Invasion: Earth, GDW, 1981
Minimum Bid: $10.00
14.) Starship Troopers, Avalon Hill, 1976
Minimum Bid: $10.00
15.) Cry Havoc!, Standard Games, 1984
DUThibault@ 98-08-16 14:20:18 EDT $13.00
16.) Dark Blades, Standard Games, 1986
DUThibault@ 98-08-16 14:20:18 EDT $13.00
17.) Lords of the Middle Sea, Chaosium, 1978
gstedin@ 98-08-15 07:07:23 EDT $18.00
18.) The English Civil War, Ariel Games,
Minimum Bid: $20.00
UPDATE TEXT: Here's a new update. Only a few changes.
What do I mean by exotic? Confronted by a large pile of games I want to sell,
and having established a precedent of writing some commentary on the
provenance, history and characteristics of the games in my auctions, I chose to
list some items with unusual or noteworthy qualities, which were therefore
easier to find things to say about. Some of them have unusual physical
qualities or packaging, others cover conflicts or battles seldom simulated, and
still others are just uncommon items that aren't seen in every other auction on
the Net. I hope you find something you've been looking for. Thanks for reading.
-- Andy Hooper
AUCTION PROCEDURES:
* Each update will feature the current status of all games at the beginning of
the post, and the game descriptions and full bid history will be listed below
these rules. Once again, I've crossed AOL's 30,000 character barrier, and I'm
forced to split the bid history/game description into two posts. # 1 to 9 will
be in Part A, 10 to 18 in Part B. If you're just maintaining a bid, no need to
read farther than the current status board before framing a reply or closing
the post.
* Bids in one dollar increments, first bid at a given price takes precedence,
all bidders will receive e-mail updates. No barter, or trade. Regular bids
should be for a specific whole-dollar amount.
* Conditional or "Automatic" bids will be accepted, but the bidder must set a
ceiling for their bid -- e.g., a bidder could say that they will beat any
advances on an item by $1.00, but set a bid limit of $25.00.
* Buyout offers will be considered, but I admit no obligation to accept them,
and a buyout offer should be at least twice the minimum bid. Bidders who have
previously bid on an item with a buyout pending will be given 24 hours to
exceed a buyout offer with a bid at least $5.00 more before the buyout becomes
official.
* At the end of the open bidding period, all bidders on a given item will be
informed of the current high bid, and given 24 hours to respond with an advance
on that amount. No bids from new bidders will be accepted after the open
bidding period ends. In the closed bidding period updates on new bids will be
sent to all continuing bidders on an item as soon as I receive them. Once no
one responds in a 24 hour period, the item will go to the current high bidder.
* For bidders who do not have such regular e-mail access, IT IS THEIR
RESPONSIBILITY to make alternative arrangements to communicate with me, but
I'll be happy to accommodate such arrangements as best I can.
* SEND ALL BIDS to fanma...@aol.com. Buyer pays all postage costs, which
ranges from $3.00 to $5.00 per game, although folio and magazine games can
usually be shipped much more cheaply. This auction's open bidding will begin on
August 11th, 1998 and end 12:00 pm Pacific time, Wednesday, August 26th,
1998.
GAME DESCRIPTIONS AND BID HISTORY:
10.) Ace of Aces, Balloon Buster -- Nova Games, 1985
In this installment of the Ace of Aces series, one player controls a Hanriot
HD-1, and the other a ground battery defending a German barrage balloon.
Although the setting doesn't sound as adventurous as the other games in the
series, it is actually extremely challenging for both sides. Correctly leading
a flying target, particularly one which tends to change speed and heading, is
seldom easy, and it's eve harder to line your plane up for a fatal burst on a
barrage balloon without flying into the flaming wreckage yourself. This copy
may be another review release; the cover slicks are present, but not the outer
box which protected the books, which are enclosed in uncut cover galleys. All
that's necessary to play the game is included.
Minimum Bid: $6.00
11.) Ace of Aces/Jet Eagles -- Desert Storm Limited Edition, Nova Games, 1990
It seems to me that the speed of contemporary jet combat would render
impossible the kind of close-up dog fighting which Ace of Aces simulates so
well; but the game which emerges from this hybrid of simulation objectives is
undeniably fun, presenting some of the interaction of emissions so important to
jet combat, but retaining an emphasis on stick-and-rudder flying -- come to
think of, that sounds like a perfect recipe for simulating modern jet combat.
This is Desert Storm Special Edition, which means it has a yellow sign
overlaying the bottom-right corner of the box top, decorated with a little
tricolor banner of horizontal red white and blue stripes -- apparently meant to
approximate a Kuwaiti flag. The game inside is otherwise unchanged. The photos
in the maneuver books are of a Mig-29 and an F-15, but the game includes
statistics to simulate 24 different kinds of fighter. The box of this example
shows some modest shelf wear, but the game does not appear to have been played.
Minimum Bid: $10.00
aebrain@ 98-08-15 23:48:45 EDT $12.00
SBrooksMia@ 98-08-14 21:56:35 EDT $11.00
12.) Dragon Pass, Avalon Hill, 1984
"The reign of Argrarth Dragontooth was a time of constant war between the
people of Sartar and the Lunar empire. Commercial jealousy, religious rivalry,
political distrust, erupted into a fury involving even the gods." So begins
Greg Stafford's introduction to one of the most impressive fantasy board games
ever designed. Beginning life as "White Bear, Red Moon" in the mid-70s, Dragon
Pass was the first published depiction of the world of Glorantha, which
inspired several other board games and the popular "RuneQuest" role-playing
system. When Avalon-Hill entered into a partnership to distribute RuneQuest
material in the mid-1980s, Dragon Pass was one of the first items they chose to
reprint. Combining magical and outlandish characters with a classic
counter-pushing wargame design, it was a game AH felt it could sell to its core
consumer base. They did a very fine job of repackaging the game, with
attractive, readable counters, and a gloriously garish map by William Church. I
think the game compares favorably to Costikyan's Sword & Sorcery and TSR's
Divine Right, and deserves a greater level of popularity. Players control men,
trolls, dragon-newts, dinosaurs, zombies, chaos monsters -- almost as many
troop types as Campaign for North Africa! This copy has not been played,
although for some reason the former owner cut out the dinosaur counters and
bagged them. Some minor box wear.
Minimum Bid: $10.00
aebrain@ 98-08-15 23:48:45 EDT $16.00
chapin@ 98-08-13 06:21:21 EDT $15.00
dagin@ 98-08-14 09:07:54 EDT $12.00
Heracleitu@ 98-08-13 07:27:03 EDT $10.00
pierre.jerome.lescanne@ 98-08-14 20:50:18 EDT $10.00
13.) Invasion: Earth, GDW, 1981
The most striking distinction of this design is the icosahedral projection map
of the earth, which solves many of the spatial problems confronting designers
who want to portray a truly global war. The game simulates the climax of the
Solomani Rim War from GDW's Traveller universe, in which a united Terrestrial
humanity "historically" succumbed to the attack of the Imperium, another
culture of humans from a region to galactic spinward of Earth. Humans from
Earth are called the "Solomani," because of their common belief that humanity
originated on Earth, and that they are the "true" strain of humanity -- sounds
distressingly plausible, doesn't it? The Imperial fleet must fight past the
system defenses in the other planets before likewise assaulting Solomani forces
in orbit, and once they have control of the orbital frontier, they can begin
the difficult process of landing forces on the planet, and reducing its
defenses with orbital bombardment. Despite the massive casualties such
operations imply, it seems as if the Solomani have a very hard time winning
this game; their forces are so large that they are almost certain to reduce the
Solomani urban holdings to 10 hexes within a matter of a few years. Their best
hope for victory in game terms is to make the game last as long as possible,
which may encourage a less than active defensive strategy. This copy has been
punched and played, and has had a tear in one corner of the box repaired with
clear tape; otherwise, all colors are still bright, corners square and the game
ready to play.
Minimum Bid: $10.00
14.) Starship Troopers, Avalon Hill, 1976
Avalon Hill's original study of the operations of the mobile infantry against
the skinnies and bugs has only become more popular in the wake of Paul
Verhoeven's black comedic treatment of Heinlein's novel, and the dull-witted
toy-pushing contest that AH released to tie in with it. That AH would release
such an insultingly stupid design in preference to revising and re-releasing
this classic game seems like a neat summation of the many reasons why the
company was acquired by Hasbro toys a few weeks ago; ultimately, they felt they
had to achieve a level of sales which was simply not compatible with producing
games that appealed to intelligent, patient players like board wargamers.
Hasbro will know better how to help them capture the broader, dumber market.
But that's all good news for the dealer in board wargames, as this beauty seems
to be going for higher and higher prices all the time. The simple hidden
movement system for the bugs, the weapon/wound displays for the MI, the use of
air mobile tactics, were all impressive innovations in their time, and point to
a surprising evolutionary relationship between Starship Troopers and Squad
Leader. This copy is punched and played, with some shelf wear, but complete and
ready to play.
Minimum Bid: $10.00
15.) Cry Havoc!, Standard Games, 1984
A tactical game of man-to-man combat in the middle ages. Standard Games
published at least four installments in this series, including item # 16, "Dark
Blades." They proved surprisingly popular, perhaps largely on the strength f
the simple game-system, which can be learned in minutes. This initial offering
focuses on fighting between a handful of knights and their retinue; the huge
hexes of the map-boards (and all the boards are useful for all the games of the
series) make this an ideal game for conversion to use with miniatures, although
that would then deny players the sight of the superb counter-art. This copy is
punched and played, with counters neatly bagged, and there is some shelf wear
on the box.
Minimum Bid: $10.00
DUThibault@ 98-08-16 14:20:18 EDT $13.00
murrys@ 98-08-13 18:30:05 EDT $12.00
Heracleitu@ 98-08-13 07:27:03 EDT $10.00
murrys@ 98-08-13 15:42:37 EDT $10.00
D.U.Thibault@ 98-08-14 18:13:35 EDT $10.00
16.) Dark Blades, Standard Games, 1986
This is the fantasy expansion of the Standard Games medieval skirmish system.
Humans, elves, dwarves, and hybrid creatures called mon-ogers battle across two
cool new maps, "The Arena" and "The Watermill." The other major innovation is
the use of magic -- and most players will be tempted to spice up their Cry
Havoc! and Outremer games with a little of that, too. The game includes a
rather generic fantasy map with descriptions of its towns and cities for use in
a campaign game. If you like the kind of skirmish hack and slash game
exemplified by classic Warhammer, et al, this is an affordable alternative with
at least as much systemic sophistication. This copy is punched and played, but
shows almost no exterior wear -- looks like new.
Minimum Bid: $10.00
DUThibault@ 98-08-16 14:20:18 EDT $13.00
murrys@ 98-08-13 18:30:05 EDT $12.00
Heracleitu@ 98-08-13 07:27:03 EDT $10.00
murrys@ 98-08-13 15:42:37 EDT $10.00
D.U.Thibault@ 98-08-14 18:13:35 EDT $10.00
17.) Lords of the Middle Sea, Chaosium, 1978
A game from the first heady year of the Chaosium's existence, when rules were
typed up on Selectrics, and pasted up by hand. Lynn Willis's design postulates
a near future of geological and climactic upheaval that inundates the great
majority of North America under shallow seas, leaving an archipelago controlled
by warring factions among the fragmented surviving population. The background
material is very well-written, almost poetic in passages, and the cover and
rules are illustrated by the late Canadian master of comic art, Gene Day.
Players try to control raw territory, but also have opportunities to capture
libraries and plunder sunken cities. Units are termed gangs, levys and hordes,
while the oceans are sailed by sea-raiders, arks and dirigibles. Willis, whose
other credits include superb Call of Cthulhu modules and the Metagaming
micro-gem Olympica, deserves high marks for creativity and ought to have more
of a reputation in the field. The copy has never been played, the counters
unpunched but beginning to drop off the sprue; unfortunately, one Trans-Wyoming
7-10 levy counter went missing between me and the dealer I bought this from, so
it cannot be called complete; a replacement should be easy to devise, with
minimal impact on play.
Minimum Bid: $16.00
gstedin@ 98-08-15 07:07:23 EDT $18.00
DUThibault@ 98-08-16 14:20:18 EDT $17.00
srydzews@ 98-08-13 09:32:07 EDT $16.00
18.) The English Civil War, Ariel Games, 1978
British game designers seem to have a particular weakness for area movement
games. Roger Sandell and Harley Patterson's approach to the English Civil War
looks like a simple beer and pretzel game at first glance, but proves to be
remarkably demanding and involved in play. Unit points are interchangeable and
can be combined or divided at will, and while this leads to marvelous
flexibility of operations, it admits an enormous degree of wristage to the
design, as players are forever scrabbling to make change and build new
formations. The Royalist player has a considerable force advantage at the
beginning of the game, but he must make use of it while he can to take control
of critical areas of the country. With the arrival of Cromwell, the New Model
Army, and Montrose' Scots in the early 1644, the Parliamentary player will
usually turn the tide. One of the more interesting features of the game is that
a region will continue to produce troops for the opposing side even if your
troops are the sole occupiers. I thought this neatly illustrates one of the
pitfalls of fighting a civil war -- the lines are often far from clear.
Interesting abstract tactical combat system with heavy emphasis on the role of
cavalry. Attractive, sturdy, mounted map board. This copy is punched and
played, but complete, with a moderate amount of box wear.
Minimum Bid: $20.00