From: "Chas Argent" To: Subject: [Aslml] New Product Report: "From The Cellar" Date: Thursday, February 24, 2005 1:08 AM Last week I received, all the way from France, my copy of a new scenario pack from Le Franc Tireur called "From the Cellar Pack 1". I had ordered this from Xavier Vitry at the end of last year and paid $27.77 cents (converted to Euros; I don't recall what the exchange rate was at he time, so I can't remember how many Euros that actually was). After a month I had not received the pack, so I emailed Xavier who was out of the country at the time but had one of his minions mail me a replacement, which showed up within a few weeks. He said they'd had some trouble with some others sent to the US, so I appreciated the quick action to solve the problem. The pack contains 10 scenarios printed in color on A4 card stock. Graphically the pack looks good. The scenarios use VASL icons as well as reduced-size VASL maps for board depictions. They come in a color folder with a silly German rodent with a rifle on the cover standing on a "Fortified Cellar" counter. There is a Foreword from Xavier on the inside cover (page 2). The 3rd page contains the rules for a "Campaign Game" which combines three Le Franc Tireur scenarios which take place in Lingveres, France (the first two scenarios, FT47 and FT48, appeared in the last issue of Le FT); the 3rd Lingveres scenario is the first one in this Pack (FT49, called "Lingveres-Aftermath"). This is a pretty sweet idea, and I will be curious to try it out. Basically it provides varying levels of balance and victory points for each side depending on how they do in each scenario, so some adjustments are made depending on how play goes-very much like a CG, but using the more fixed format of a scenario at the same time. The back page of the folder is a color advertisement showing the last four issues (#5-#8) of Le Franc Tireur. All the he scenarios are written in quite broken English, with very brief descriptions of each action. I know that I (and several others) have offered to proofread future Le FT releases for Xavier to try to bring the English translations up to snuff a bit more. It's really the only physical weakness of the Pack. Considering the shipping from France, I think the product is worth the cost. I haven't played any of the scenarios, however, which will be the real test. Here's a quick look the scenarios: FT49: "Lingveres-Aftermath"; Lingveres, France, June 16, 1944; German vs. British; boards 13 & 48; 6 1/2 turns; medium size (10 squads, 2 tanks for the Brits; 13 squads, 4 tanks for the German) FT50: "Meeting on the Summit": Mont Froid, France, April 6th, 1945; French vs. Germans/Italians (who I thought were out of the war by now; no explanation is given, so I guess I'm wrong); half of board 9; 6 turns, all-infantry (12 squads for the French, 12 squads for the Axis); this is a Night scenario in Deep Snow with Heavy Wind; sounds tricky FT51: "Harmless Steel"; Raseinei, Russia, June 24th, 1941; German vs. Russian; boards 20 & 49; 6 1/2 turns; medium size (14 squads, 6 tanks for the Germans; 10 squads, 5 tanks for the Russians) FT52: "Bouchon a Bouchain"; Bouchain, France, May 26th, 1940; Germans vs. French; boards 23 & 49; 6 1/2 turns; large all infantry (13 squads for the French; 27 squads for the German) FT53: "First Drop"; Gorki, Russia, July 14th, 1941; Russian vs. German; boards 5 & 12; 6 turns; 15 Russian HS enter via Airdrop; the German has two squads, plus 12 vehicles which must set up Abandoned, their crews sleeping in nearby buildings, presumably; the crews may not move on Turn 1 FT54: "The Wisps Come and Go"; Menil 3 Fetus Farm, France, June 4th, 1940; British/French vs. Germans; half of board 43; 7 turns; medium size (12 squads for the Allies, plus one tank and 6 Lorraines; 6 squads for the Germans) FT55: "Finnish Blitzkrieg"; Alakurtti, Finland, August 24th, 1941; Finns vs. Russians; boards 32, 34 & 40; 6 1/2 turns; medium-large size (Finns have 17 squads plus 3 captured French tanks; Russians have 14 squads and 2 Guns) FT56: "Primo Cantatto"; Pokrovskoje, Russia, August 11th, 1941; Italian vs. Russian; boards 4 & 16; 6 turns; medium size (Italians have 21 squads but no vehicles; Russians have 9 squads, 1 Gun, and two tankettes) FT57: "Dream is Over"; Le Mesnil Adelee, France, August 7th, 1944; Germans vs. Americans; half of boards 11, 43, 44 and 46; 6 1/2 turns; big armor fest (Germans have 9 squads and 6 AFVs; Americans have 11 squads and 16 AFVs) FT58: "Wysoka Mountain"; Wyzoka, Poland, September 2nd, 1939; Germans vs. Poles; boards 2 & 18; 7 turns; large (Germans have 25 squads and 14 vehicles; Poles have 22 squads and 2 Guns) Regards, Chas "Argent means Silver in French" Argent