Rumors of Rumors
By Mike Bennighof, Ph.D.
President, 119694_avalanche Press
August 2008

For some time now, we've made our livings at 119694_avalanche Press by making wargames in ways contrary to received wisdom, violating the way things are supposed to be done. We commit many sins against the wisdom, at least according to the Internets. And one of the worst is consorting with that evil role-playing crowd.

Role-playing games are published under a unique structure, known as the "core-supplement model" within the game industry. There are "core games" that you have to have in order to play, and then "supplements" that enhance your play experience. For example, you have to have the Dungeons and Dragons Player's Handbook and Dungeon Master's Guide to play D&D. Celtic Age enhances this experience, and is not playable without those other two volumes.

And so we've imported that method to wargames. There are "core" games in our series — in our modified version, identifiable as "anything that comes in a box." And then there are those that are only usable in conjunction with other products. These are also easily spotted: "anything that doesn't come in a box." To follow this model, it's important that every line have both boxed games and supplements.

And so it is with Third Reich franchise. It has two core games — Third Reich itself, and Great Pacific War. Until now it's had one supplement, the Player's Guide. Rumors of War is the second supplement, and it carries on the tradition. Like the Player's Guide, it covers both of the core games. But it has some extra enhancements that make it a must-have for any dedicated Third Reich player.

Over many years running a wargame company, I've slowly learned a few lessons. Many are negative lessons — the things not to do. And most importantly, "hire very, very carefully and do not hire the obsessed" (I have all the obsession we need, and a lot more besides). And then there are some positive ones. Ryan Dancey, then in charge of role-playing at Wizards of the Coast, pointed something out to me when we brought out our very first game supplement, a Great War at Sea booklet called Great White Fleet.

Our first experiment in supplements, it was titled "a scenario book" and that's exactly what it was along with a set of special tactical rules. We brought it out in 2000, I think, and it sold out several years ago. When it went into layout it turned up a couple of pages short, so I wrote a filler piece about Japanese use of prizes taken in the Russo-Japanese War.

That piece, according to Ryan, was his favorite. While players like the crunchy bits, both historical gamers and fantasy players also want context for their games.

"Most supplements," he advised, "are consumed as literature."

I laughed at him at the time for the stilted phrasing, but I did file away the lesson and it's a foundation of the Daily Content concept as well as the supplement line. Finding time to play games is hard, yet as our VP Lys Fulda likes to point out, "sure you can't take Road to Berlin into the bathtub, but you can read White Eagles there."

And so Rumors of War kicks off with a fine piece on the Versailles Treaty and its shaping of the world of Third Reich, by Dave Lippman who wrote the Midway series on our website. Third Reich is immensely popular, and it's always been fun to write Daily Content for both games as they readily lend themselves to variant treatment. Rumors of War brings in a few things we simply can't do on the internet, starting with the expansion map.

The new map covers Central Asia, linking up with the current Third Reich map. It was designed by David Meyler, with art by Beth Donahue that matches the existing Third Reich style. The hex size is the same as the Third Reich Deluxe Map but it works just fine with the standard size as well.

There are three new objectives on the map: Samarkand in the Soviet Union, Mosul in Iraq, and Abadan in Iran. There are two new countries, Iraq and Iran, plus the British colony of Kuwait and the empty wastes of Saudi Arabia. The Middle East is still a sideshow — you're still going to win or lose by confronting your enemies directly in their home nations — but now it's a much more tempting sideshow. Many a foreign empire has come to grief in these hexes.

New territory of course means new units. The mighty Iraqi Army is present, all of one unit. The Iranians do a little better, with up to three more infantry units and a cavalry unit, and the prospect of a single surface naval factor.

But there are many more new toys, some of which saw their first draft here in Daily Content, some of which have never been seen before. There's the Indian National Army, Japanese atomic bombs, the Irish Army and Chinese armor. But there are also many never-before-seen variants: Romania as a player country, French airborne, mountain troops, Russian fascists, and much more.

And then there's strategy. Jeff Adams walks us through Soviet attacks on Romania, while Tim McBeth has a look at economics — one of the basic underpinnings of Third Reich. William "The Red Goblin" Sariego looks at island strategy in the Mediterranean basin, and how to attack or defend Turkey. Doug McNair, who developed the Third Edition rules, has an overview of new strategic possibilities opened by the new rules set.

Budgeted at 64 pages, like a number of our supplements this one spilled over its allotment. But that's okay. When it comes to wargame fun, there's no sin in excess. And we do like to commit sins.

If you're a Third Reich player, it would be
a sin for you to miss Rumors of War. Order now.