"Eisenbach Gap in miniature" Topic

After being very keen to get back into cold war hot for a while but not finding a system that really seemed to work for us, my regular gaming partner and I decided to try miniaturisng the Lock and Load platoon level board game Eisenbach Gap. Unfortunately it's out of print but second hand copies are easily available, and LnL are in the process of reissuing a revised and updated version in the next few months.

We use the recently re-released Skytrex Action 200 (c8/9mm) modern range for all the vehicles figure and aircraft, and render the Eisenbach game board out on Kallistra Hexon terrain.

Many folks on TMP will be familiar with Eisenbach, but if you aren't it is a cracking game which won some awards when it came out. It is 'chit pull' based with variable turn length, moves quickly and gives a pretty realistic feel. NATO units tend to have more chits so are more responsive, but much smaller. Russian units are less responsive with fewer chits to draw, but are much bigger- giving a slight David and Goliath quality. As a NATO company commander you certainly don't want to wait in place for one of the big Russian units to roll over you.

Where the board game has double sided counters for full strength and reduced units, we render the full strength platoon as two vehicle models or troop bases, and just remove one when the unit becomes reduced.

We've taken the game to one or two shows in the South of England- most recently Colours a couple of weeks ago. We were so busy I never actually took any photos, but the nice people at Kallistra did. en-gb.facebook.com/KallistraLtd

As it happened on this occasion the Soviet offensive ended in bloody failure, with their command finding it difficult to keep forward momentum going, and supporting echelons struggling to disentangle themselves from and pass through the embattled first echelon. Well sited tanks and ATGWs, and a heroic stand by a US forward company position which inflicted too many casualties to be bypassed or masked, eventually bent the Soviet battle plan right out of shape.

Next up we're going to have a go at miniaturising Lock and Load's BAOR game, the mighty 'Blood and Bridges'.

Great looking game. Eisenbach Gap is a fun game and nice rule set. A great choice.

I've got all those LNL games, I think they're pretty good! Thought about using them for minis, but never got that far.

Great looking game.

I used the game mechanics from Dawns Early Light but used them for my BAOR vs. Soviets. I liked the way it played—may have to revisit it again sometime.

I used Blood and Bridges a few years back with 1/300 and it was pretty good.

NATO were pretty invincible though.

There didn't seem to be much thought to ammunition supply or use though, apart from missiles suddenly running out on a bad die roll.

Hi Battler,

I remember your posts on this a few years back- they were great.

I'd agree that some NATO units are quite powerful, but you have to play them very carefully and there's not much margin for error when the Sovs are closing in- it can be all over for NATO in the twinkling of an eye. Our experience is that the scenarios can can mostly go either way- though I would say that there is more finesse that an experienced player can get out out of the NATO side than they can the Sovs- so maybe that has an effect.

Cor, somebody remembers my posts .

Cheers Dood, made my day .

Get back into it- they were always worth reading!