Game of the Week - February 12 to February 18

Hi everyone,

Last week we kicked off our new "Game of the Week" program. The response has been extremely positive. Have a look at what you all said:

• A great Idea. Looking forward to each week will be fun. Antietam is a nice choice for the first. I always thought it was the best Civil War game.
• This is a great idea, even if it will cost me a fortune in the long term. :)
• I love this idea! I like how you give details of the game and have a book suggestion also.
• Damn I had just bought it !!!!!
  • @Simon, but I see you got it in the Winter Sale - so same pricing. Don't worry, we'll have a new game announced next Monday! :-)
• This is a really great idea. Although this first title is not high on my list, I will eagerly await those that are!
• Darn Worst timing ever since I bought it last week.
• One of my favorite titles. There is a lot of solid, varied game play from historic to what if. Great book as well.
• Ooh, good. Nice promo to have and will pick up today after I buy a drone part 4 Ukraine.
• I just got it last week. It is fantastic. Using it both for fun and understanding topography etc as started studying the campaign. I also have Gettysburg and Ozarks. They are two other places I like to tour/study. These games are a fun resource. Will get Chancellorsville when it is game of the week. Thanks for your amazing work.
• One of the best ACW titles. A great introduction to the series, in addition to being a cornerstone of the series.
• Great promo idea. I'm looking forward to rebuilding my old HPS Napoleon library with the new versions.
• Will this be like the annual sale where anything less than a year old will not appear?
• Outstanding idea. Great chance to get that obscure title that you've been putting off all these years.
• Great idea! It is the attention to detail and historical narrative that draws many players to WDS.
• The book suggestion is great. Please include one with each title. Background is necessary to enjoy these titles.
• Excellent idea on the "game of the week" promotion. And yes, we old HPS/JTS customers really need to consider "re-buying" the latest game versions, as WDS needs to prosper. Campaign Antietam is indeed chock full of content besides "just" the Antietam scenarios and a ridiculous bargain at $40, no less $30. After 15 years, I finally "finished" this game. The maps and details are simply wonderful. It was SSI's Battle of Antietam and Sears' book that got me started in the 1980s, but the latest WDS game should not be missed by anyone. Best wishes!
• A great idea and I look forward to more. Please continue to include book recommendations. They really help one appreciate the game.
• Awesome idea! It gives me a little extra perk each week to look forward to. Including a book recommendation for the game topic is also a big bonus. I've put in dozens of hours in Antietam and particularly enjoyed both Bull Run battles. Please excuse me while I dive back into the Thirty Years War!
• Just want to say 'Game of the Week' great idea! You really do look after your customers what with upgrades improved graphics and so on. Thanks!

It is great to get such positive affirmation and we are pleased to say many of you took advantage of the price reduction to pick up Campaign Antietam.

This week’s title is a complete change of pace.

The Game of the Week is Modern Campaigns: Danube Front ’85.

Danube Front ’85 is the jewel in the crown for the Modern Campaigns series. Not only does it include the fighting in Southern Germany and Austria, but it combines the two previous titles, Fulda Gap ’85 and North German Plain ’85 to create a West Germany monster scenario. The Austrians, Czechoslovak, as well as additional NATO forces are included. All in all, there are 94 scenarios in the title including a second campaign game, The Bolt out of the Blue from prolific modder Tazaaron.

The master map (210,756 hexes) covers the entire area from the Rhine River bend in the west, Denmark in the north, Berlin in the east and Austria in the South. The Bolt out of the Blue map is even larger at 232,000 hexes.

Never fear though, there are a range of different sized scenarios allowing players to choose the scale that suits them. The scenarios are based on the actual units and their placements in 1985. The Bolt out of the Blue is set four years later in 1989.

The tables of organization reflect the equipment used by each formation across all combatants. You will find a range of national forces: Soviet, East German, Polish, Czechoslovak, United States, British, West German, Canadian, Austrian, French, Dutch, Danish, Belgian and Italian.

The game situation is obviously a hypothetical Cold War gone Hot but is based on the available historical plans and deployments. There are even rules for the unthinkable: chemical and nuclear munitions.  Players can ultimately decide whether to use these shock weapons, or not.

 Following are some in-game screen shots of what to expect. Each image can be clicked for a full-sized view.

If you would like to see some Video Reviews here's some links to choose from:

SmartWargames: Danube Front '85 Content Review

The Mack: 4 part game play series - Parts 1, 2, 3 & 4

There have been a range of books covering both the forces of NATO and the Warsaw Pact in the 1980’s as well as works of fiction that extrapolated what a theatre wide war in Europe would look like. Following are some representative books for anyone that would like some more background on this perilous period. You can click on the book images below to be taken to Amazon, where applicable.

Informational

 (PDF download on click)

Fiction for backstory

Note: Effective Feb. 11th, 2024 - As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.

We hope you enjoy this week’s, Game of the Week. Like all WDS titles, there is a lot of game play included at a very attractive price.

Head on over to the product page for Danube Front ’85 and pickup a copy for yourself!