Tag Archives: Solitaire

Wolfpack

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Wolfpack is a solitaire game in which the player takes the role of the WW2 Germans trying to have their U-boats sink as much Allied merchant shipping in the North Atlantic as possible. Despite the game’s subtitle – Submarine Warfare in the North Atlantic, 1942-44 – the four scenarios provided cover February, March, April and May all in 1943.

The game, designed by James F. Dunnigan, is a high-level, low-complexity treatment of the subject, much of the action being abstracted, though it does enough to reflect some of the real-life challenges and decision making. It was published with S&T 47.

Scale

Each game turn is 24 hours, each hex is 43 nautical miles, and each counter represents individual U-boats or packs of U-boats, a convoy, a group of escort ships, or an unknown number of aircraft. Each scenario is 15 game turns. The game map displays part of the North Atlantic from Britain to Newfoundland.

The Wolfpack map.

Sequence of Play

Convoy Initial Placement

You put the next convoy on the map. Convoys appear in numerical order, alternating from eastern to western-bound, and with a hidden escort. The escort may be a dummy or a real one with a combat strength from 1 to 3.

Weather Phase

In this phase, existing foggy weather is removed, then existing storms randomly move on the map. Convoys that are touched by a storm may straggle making them more vulnerable to U-boat attack. You also randomly determine whether another storm or fogged-in-zone appears.

Air Phase

First, you allocate air units as escort to qualifying convoys. Then you conduct searches for U-boats with remaining air units. Air units may then attack any U-boats they have found. These procedures are programmed into the rules so you cannot cheat the system.

Naval Phase

In this phase, you move each convoy according to a random movement procedure. You may find that a juicy target has moved in a most inconvenient direction! Convoys will move to avoid U-boats spotted in the Air phase. Also in this phase, escorts may search for and attack U-boats they find and U-boats may try and locate convoys that enter one of their search zones. A single U-boat has a single-hex search zone. A wolfpack has a three-hex search zone. If the search turns up a dummy, that convoy is removed from the map.

U-Boat Operations Phase

First, you may freely organize your U-boats that are stacked. A single U-boat has a combat strength of 1 and 8 movement points. A pack of 6 U-boats has a combat strength of 7 and 6 movement points. A pack of 12 U-boats has a combat strength of 15 and 6 movement points, and so on. A pack of 30 U-boats has a combat strength of 40, but only 4 movement points. In this way, the game models the clash between concentration – good for combat, but reducing search capability – and dispersal – good for widening the search, but reducing combat ability.

A bundle of U-boat counters from the game Wolfpack.

Next, you may move your U-boats. If there’s a spotted convoy, you need to move adjacent to be able to attack it. On the other hand, you might try and put your U-boats where you anticipate convoys may sail so you can try and spot them and make them targets.

Combat Phase

Here, U-boats may attack adjacent located convoys. Escorts get to counterattack. Finally straggling – which comes in 2 strengths – is reduced from 2 to 1 or 1 to none.

Game Turn Indication Phase

The almost universal administrative requirement to move on the game turn counter!

Game Play

The first thing to note is that I had no problem with the rules. Indeed, a search for errata was unsuccessful. It appears that SPI learned some lessons from the Fall of Rome game.

The second thing worthy of comment is that the game is easy to play. There are one or two details that are hidden away – like the effects of straggling – which would have been best added to the tables printed on the map. However, this minor issue aside, the game flows well. The sequence of play is straightforward and the game mechanics are logical, well-explained, and easy to do. After the first couple of turns I rarely had to go back to the rule book.

Close up of some convoys and U-boats on the Wolfpack map.

It plays quite quickly though this is dependent on how active you are with your U-boats. For example, if you have widely dispersed your forces and there are lots of searches to do, things will take longer. I finished some game turns in under 10 minutes and I think the longest was about double that.

I managed a German Substantive Victory in my game. This suggests it is too easy to win. However, I wouldn’t take a single game experience as definitive. Further, for some strange reason, I seemed to remember some of the tips and tricks I discovered all those years ago that helped maximize my score. This doesn’t always happen!

Be warned that this game has a lot of luck. You can have a good search result only to find the convoy is a dummy. You can mass your U-boats for an attack only to roll poorly and squander the opportunity. And, as mentioned above, convoys don’t always go where you expect them to.

History

As a high-level look at the topic, the game does a reasonable job of imparting some useful historical patterns. For example, it quickly becomes apparent how important airpower was. Also, weather is a fickle beast that can make convoys more vulnerable but also slow down your U-boats and make discovery harder. The whole convoy movement seems a fiction as in reality the convoys had a route that they followed and it didn’t typically include sudden drastic changes of direction as may occur in the game. The abstraction seems to be design for effect and if you suspend your disbelief a little it makes sense. The game’s optional rules give you added insight to some of the key elements of the historical campaign.

Overall

The physical components are fine: the map and counters are clear and the rules are well done. Given the limitations in place, it’s a fine looking game.

It was fun playing Wolfpack. It wasn’t the toughest challenge, but it was quite quick and provided decent entrtainment. It’s held up reasonably well. It’s not a game you absolutely have to play, but if you get the opportunity it probably deserves some of your time. If you do try it, check out the supporting article in S&T 47 first.

The Fall of Rome

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On the table now is The Fall of Rome, the SPI game included with Strategy & Tactics 39 back in 1973. It is a solitaire game pitting you (as the Romans) against those threatening to bring down the empire. Designed by John Young, it has an area movement map and counters representing legions, militia, barbarians, and raiding parties. Each turn represents one year. There are five scenarios: 67 A.D, 247 A.D. 260 A.D., 332 A.D, and 420 A.D.

First, the perspective here is very high-level. Although each scenario attempts to recreate the situation facing a particular emperor, there is no distinction in the game between the differing leaders and their respective strengths and weaknesses. Instead, you are cast in the role and it will be your skill, judgement, and luck that will determine if you can keep the empire from falling.

In a similar vein, each legion strength point is the same as any other – no troop quality here – and, indeed, the respective military forces of legions, militia, and barbarians may break down and build up like money.

The components are perfectly serviceable, though basic. The map is clean, clear, and easy to follow. The counters are OK, but are not backprinted. The rules are deficient in several key areas, so ensure you have the errata before starting out.

Game Turn

  1. Internal Revolution Phase
  2. Non-Roman & Non-Loyal Roman Movement Phase
  3. Non-Roman & Non-Loyal Roman Combat Phase
  4. Barbarian Creation Phase
  5. Loyal Roman Movement Phase
  6. Loyal Roman Combat Phase
  7. Legion Rebellion Phase
  8. Control Determination Phase
  9. Barbarian Attrition Phase
  10. Tax Collection & Disbursement Phase
  11. Roman/Persian Replacement Phase
  12. Barbarian Bribe Phase
  13. Game Turn Record Phase

The game turn begins with a check to see if there is any internal revolution. If so, a subsequent die roll determines where the trouble starts and how big it is (how many Roman militia are revolting). For example, in the first scenario (67 A.D.), only a roll of 6 in the appropriate phase would generate an internal revolution. This is where some of the limited color is on show because each scenario has its own column on the table. So, a roll of 4-6 in the second scenario (247 A.D.) would mean there was a revolution. The subsequent die roll will typically generate revolts in various locations of various strengths.

Part of the Fall of Rome map showing Egypt with rebel milita facing loyal Roman forces.
Trouble in Egypt!

At this point, you should be able to guess if the game will be to your liking because that phase replicates much of what goes on in a turn: you roll the die and chaos ensues. This is not a criticism, just me emphasizing that there’s a large luck factor involved. In other words, you can play well and the game may still beat you.

Next up in the game turn, any at-loose Barbarian and non-loyal Roman type forces move in a preordered sequence. Roughly one-third of the post-publication errata was about this part of the game, and it’s easy to see why. The system tries to have the enemy forces move in a way that makes sense. For the Persians, for example, there is a priority list of areas they must try to control. (Persia is top of the list, followed by Mesopotamia, Armenia, Syria, and Asia, in descending order.) The Barbarians try to move to the nearest, richest, Roman-controlled Province, unless they are a raiding party, in which case it’s simply the nearest Province*. You roll a die each time a Barbarian force tries to move into a new Area, with 1-2 resulting on the move being canceled and the barbarians staying put. Note that Roman-controlled – and other scenario-specified – Provinces have Militia that pop up to fight the invaders.

In general, after these moves, combat takes place. (Barbarians etc. encountering barbarians fight immediately during movement.) Attacking is odds-based, requiring a minimum of 1:1 odds. So, if the Persian force of 15 strength points is on the march into Syria, a force of 6 strength points of legions, backed up by the 10 strength points of milita, will be safe. At times, these gamey tactics are essential. However, massing the right forces at the right place is not always so easy. Combat results are a combination of the usual eliminations and exchanges topped up with 1/2De – meaning half the defending force is eliminated – and 1/2Ex -meaning the defending force is eliminated and the attacker loses half the number of strength points the defender lost.

Then you must face the possibility of new Barbarian forces. In the first scenario (67 A.D.) you roll for this every second turn. In the second scenario (247 A.D.) you roll twice per game turn. In scenario five (420 A.D.) you roll four times a turn! Not every roll is guaranteed to bring about new Barbaraian forces – it’s about a 50% chance – meaning you once again face the vagaries of fate.

Part of the Fall of Rome map showing Picts and Romans in Britannia.
Here come the Picts!

After this, the loyal Romans get to move and fight. This is straightforward, though you need to be wary of having too many legions in the one Area as that increases the chances of a rebellion. And that’s what you check for next. Rebelling Roman legions may march on Rome or try to form an independent state.

Following this, you determine control for the Provinces, work out the effects of attrition on Barbarian forces, collect and spend taxes, bribe Barbarians, and finally advance the game turn marker.

Treasury

The Roman legions are there to do the fighting, but you need tax revenue – determined by the Provinces you control – to keep them in the field and to rebuild losses. Further, you can stave off Barbarian incursions by bribing them. So, your financial resources are key. You must repeat the bribes every game turn if they are to remain effective. If you are lucky enough, you can bring the bribes to an end when attrition has taken its toll and you have collected enough loyal legions to wipe the remnants out.

Game Play

Although the game turn sequence looks long, it’s largely self-explanatory and easily followed. This means you can quickly focus on working out what you need to do to survive and win. However, the game lacks any meaningful play aids – for example, to track the treasury amounts, to track Province control, and so on. So, if you try to play it as it is, you will quickly be reaching for pen and paper and may well find yourself drowning in crap. I solved this by creating my own handmade control and treasury counters, as well as markers to note the starting strength of the legions and the Persians (because you cannot rebuild beyond these starting strengths). Thereafter, play proceeded quite smoothly. I did spend a fair bit of time checking the rules out – especially when moving the Roman foes – in the first few turns, but that petered out.

Game play can be summarised thus: the baddies appear and you have to work out how to deal with them – military action or bribery. You put your plan into action and, inevitably, not all of it works. Then more baddies appear. Rinse, and repeat. In between it all, if you are fortunate, you can try and grab some extra territory (and tax revenue). There’s a reasonable game narrative and, if you win, a sense of achievement.

I played the first two scenarios. I won the first one quite easily. It took me several attempts before I won the second scenario.

It’s a fun game. It’s not a serious study of the subject, but it assuredly gives you a (high-level) flavor. It’s also a great example of game design, an opportunity to see, at this stage, what the state of the hobby was in solitaire gaming, and how the designer tackled the issues. For the time, it was pretty novel. It’s been suggested, but I don’t know for sure, that it was the first proper solitaire wargame. Quite a landmark. Incidentally, the supporting article in Strategy & Tactics 39 is well done.

I enjoyed my time with Fall of Rome.

*Provinces are named groups of one or more Areas on the map. For example, the Province of Persia has three Areas. However, Cyprus is a single Area Province. Rather unhelpfully, the rules sometimes refer to a Region, an undefined term that appears to be an alternative name for Provinces. I assume that at some point the game used Regions before it used Provinces and the change wasn’t universally implemented by the editorial team.

James Dunnigan famously described wargames as “paper time machines”. (It’s one of the fundamental pillars of my wargaming life.) The quote came to mind as I realized that by playing this game now, in 2025, I was not only travelling back in time to that of the Roman Empire, but also to 1973 when I first bought and played the game. (It was probably 1973 when I last played the game!) Fall of Rome triggered lots of happy and some wistful memories. The latter time-travel experience is indulgent nostalgia – and I love it.