Sinister Forces
From: Avalanche Press, Ltd.
Reviewed by: Ron McClung
Sinister Forces is a new Counter-based War Game Supplement from Avalanche Press, Ltd.. The writer of this supplement apparently struggled with making it. After making Eastern Front (previously reviewed by me), he received considerable requests to include the Waffen SS. After some soul searching and occasionally touching on SS units in other game releases, he finally put this supplement out. This supplement covers not only the infamous Waffen SS but also the Soviet NKVD.
From the back cover: “The four years of brutal warfare on the Eastern Front brought the political troops of both sides into front-line fighting.”
The Waffen SS had an interesting evolution during the 30s and 40s, and this book overviews that history pretty well. Following that, it details each type of unit, from infantry to anti-tank guns; from infantry support to acquired armor. This detail includes tactical analysis of the units historically and a picture of each of the counters. Following this is a similar section for the NKVD, the Soviet political troops.
From the back cover: “Knowing their well-deserved fate if captured, they often fought with suicidal fanaticism.”
Greg Guerrero then presents a long essay detailing the NKVD. This is a fascinating piece of history. Following this, the NKVD scenarios begin. There are ten of these. Following this is another essay on the OMSBON – Soviet Elite Commandos. They were a special unit formed by the NKVD for recon and harassment duties. There is one scenario that accompanies this section.
One of my favorite aspects of the Eastern front is the actions by partisans. Greg Guerrero delves into a lot of little known history relating to the Soviet partisan movement during the war. Along with this are four scenarios for partisan actions.
The next few chapters follow in this pattern. The chapters are The Reich Division (the first Waffen SS “Special Duty Troops”), Death’s Head Division (one of the more notorious SS divisions), The Police Division (the Order Police – a division with a less than stellar service record), the 5th SS “Viking” Division (a multi-national team loyal to the Reich), 6th SS Mountain Division Nord (a division with a very bad reputation), the SS Ski Battalion (a Norwegian team of loyalist and German SS), and finally SS Cavalry.
In many cases, the scenario requires maps for different Panzer Grenadier sets like Eastern Front, Beyond Normandy, or Battle of the Bulge. It is very cool that all these maps are compatible and can work together, but it could get very expensive to buy all the required sets. Buying this assumes you at least have one or two of the sets.
In conclusion, I like Panzer Grenadier a lot, although it is relatively complex and detailed. This addition, although probably not entirely necessary (I understand the authors trepidations), is pretty cool. It is rich in detailed history and I found it a fascinating read for that value alone.
For more details on Avalanche Press, Ltd. and their new Counter-based War Game Supplement “Sinister Forces” check them out at their website http://www.avalanchepress.com, and at all of your local game stores.
Sinister Forces
From: Avalanche Press, Ltd.
Type of Game: Counter-based War Game Supplement
Written/Scenario Design by: Mike Bennighof, ph. D.
Additional Text/scenario Design by: Greg Guerrero, Michael Perryman
Scenario Developed by: Doug McNair
Editing & Layout: Shane Ivey
Cover & Playing Piece Art by: Shannon Brown
Number of Pages: 64
Game Components Included: One rule & scenario book, 2 cards of counters (165 counters)
Game Components Not Included: A Panzer Grenadier core game (ex: Eastern Front or Beyond Normandy)
Retail Price: $ 24.99(US)
Item Number: APL0809
Website: www.avalanchepress.com
Reviewed by: Ron McClung