FRONT TOWARD ENEMY is a simulation that recreates tactical engagements during the Vietnam War at the scale of 50 meters per hex and five minutes per turn. Units represent fire teams, heavy weapon sections, leaders, vehicles, and helicopters. Eight scenarios with set-up options recreate twelve missions that typified company-level engagements during the Vietnam War, including airmobile insertions, assaults on fortified positions, and classic search-and-destroy operations, among others. Rules cover all of the elements associated with combat in Vietnam: helicopter gunships, armored vehicles, artillery support, snipers, sappers, civilians, booby-traps, medics, evacuation of the wounded, prisoner interrogation, tunnels, hidden caches, and more. Winning doesn't always mean holding the objective if the cost in casualties is too great. Sudden combat in difficult terrain causes command and control to quickly break down. A chit-pull system means command and control is erratic, and volume of fire is rewarded, but results are fickle. The unforeseen occurs, ranging from non-combat injuries to interference from higher headquarters to so-called “friendly fire”. Immediate action drills, staying close, and the ability to move and act as a coordinated unit ensure survivability in this environment. FRONT TOWARD ENEMYputs you in the middle of the toughest fighting of the longest war of the 20th Century. FRONT TOWARD ENEMY contains: three countersheets (5/8") two unmounted mapsheets (22" x 34") one rulebook (20 pages, color) two Combat Results Tables/Terrain Effects Charts (color) one Helicopter Table (color) four scenario cards (color) two d10 & one d6 one box & lid
D**S
Well designed game
Front Toward Enemy is a moderate complexity tabletop wargame simulating tactical engagement between the Americans and the NVA and/or VC. This is an infantry focused game, although there are some simple vehicle rules added for chrome. A few things I liked about this game that other tactical games lack...1. Artillery and mortar support are inherent in a unit. You can attempt to call in indirect fire at any time, in almost any scenario. A game that does not have a good indirect fire is not an infantry game. This game passes that standard better than most.2. The presentation reminds me of the game Fields of Fire (FoF) in that it is very military looking. For example the font used is the font I became familiar with when I served. Instructions in the scenario look like Op Orders (operation orders in the US Army). Like FoF the scenarios and the game mechanics are heavy structured around military organization structures, and rules to encourage the player to behave in realistic ways (like keeping your platoons together so they can activate together).3. Has a chit draw activation system which results in the players grouping units in a realistic way. Has random events (chrome).4. The glaring issue with most tactical wartgames is fire control. In real life units usually open fire automatically. In games fire direction is typically commanded by the player. This game does nothing to address that, which is my biggest gripe about the system. To be fair, the only game to get it right is FoF. You can and will use kill stacks in this game, and that's not realistic. Its a minor point, though, as again, most designs get it completely wrong.5. Unit size is fire team (4 men), and single man units. Each casualty is tracked, so if you lose a man you put a WIA or KIA counter on the board (and flip your 4 man counter over to reveal a 3 man counter). The KIA or WIA represents a body, and taking care of your casualties is critical for victory points. This instills a very Vietnam War flavor to the game. There is a simple (but effective) vehicle system including M113s, UH1s, and Cobras.6. Complexity is moderate, tending toward easy. It would be easy, but there is a lot of chrome (good chrome though). For example the helicopter rules are fairy simple, but there is a whole game mechanic that allows you to transport troops, as well as call in medivacs. That takes rules, but they are simple. Memorization is kept to a minimum, but there is some. All infantry units have a MP allowance of 5, or 9 if double-time. You have to remember that, but its dirt simple.7. This is a 'roll to hit' game, so you roll for a hit, then roll to see how much damage you caused. Types of fire are a) small arms, b) HE and c) dual purpose. Here you can see how the designer stuck to military terminally.I like the game. That being said, Hollow Legions just arrived in the mail...