GOA-THE GUNS OF AUGUST

1. TITLE: THE GUNS OF AUGUST
2. PUBLISHER: The Avalon Hill Game Company (TAHGC)
3. SCOPE: Strategic level World War I
4. TAHGC CATALOG
5. TITLE: Guns of August
6. PUBLISHER: The Avalon Hill Game Company (TAHGC)
7. SCOPE: Strategic level World War I
8. TAHGC CATALOG DESCRIPTION: THE GUNS OF AUGUST is a strategic simulation of the First World War.
9. GAME BOX DESCRIPTION: From the summer of 1914 through the final surrender on the eleventh hour of eleventh month of 1918, GUNS OF AUGUST, spans the entire First World War in monthly Game-Turns; each player maneuvers hundreds of infantry and calvary corps and their supporting artillery and engineer regiment. An din addition to this mammoth campaign game, separate scenarios for each front during each year of the war, which can be combined into two front 1914, 1915, 1916, 1917, have been specifically designed to allow players to vary the size, difficulty, and playing time of their games.
10. YEAR PUBLISHED (EDITIONS): 1976. Discontinued by TAHGC prior to 1998; all rights reverted back to Designer (Robert Beyma) per contract specification. WGA has drafted a 3rd edition rules incorporating the designers unpublished material and other sources.
11. CREDITS
    • Design & Development: Robert Beyma
    • Game Development: Frank Davie.
    • Cover Art: Roger MacGowan
    • Game Components: Dale Sheaffer, Roger MacGowan
    • Playtesting: J. Balowski, Pete Bennett, Bob Coggins, Jim Juengerkes, Erick Lerner, Bruce Milligan, E. Mizell, George Scheper, Ron Toelke, K. Zucker.
    • Printing: Monarch Services and Colonial Composition
12. NUMBER OF PLAYERS: 2-4 (East and West front division)
13. WGA COMPLEXITY SCALE (1-10): 4
14. TYPICAL PLAYING TIME (HOURS): 3-15 hours.
15. MAP SCALE: approximately 65 miles per hex.
16. UNIT SCALE: Infantry/calvary Corps, abstracted naval. Late war air, tank and strosstropen units.
17. TIME SCALE PER TURN: One month
18. NUMBER OF GAME TURNS: Campaign [52 turns], 1914 [5], 1915 [12],1916 [12], 1917 [12], 1918 [9].
19. PARTIAL ARTICLE LISTING: Click here
20. GAME INVENTORY: Over 800 Military units and markers, 22"x 28" (four section) mapboard, two player aid cards, rulebook, and die. GOA Counter Inventory
21. WBC & AVALONCON HISTORY: Not a current tournament title.
22. PBEM TOOLS:
• A Java application VASSAL module is being finalized at this time.
23. PBEM OPPORTUNITES: Contact Wargame Academy if interested. A Boardgame Player Association PBEM tournament can be organized by WGA pending suitable interest once a VASSAL VGOA module is completed.
24. WARGAME ACADEMY COMMENTS: The game possesses simple elegance and grand strategy that is not apparent to all. Due to WWI subject matter, the opportunity for slashing victory and mobile warfare is lacking. By its nature it is a game of attrition covering a period lacking in grand maneuver. Many fail to recognize the subtle strategies to take advantage of two fronts, variable entry, morale, and eroding the enemy nations will. Biggest 'flaw' is it accurately represents an era of warfare without the tactical options of WWII.