Miracle at the Marne

[Volcano Man]

Right, the other "thing" about the full Marne scenario is that it probably won't yield the same results twice. There are tons of tactical dilemmas in every sector. This is especially true in the west of course, where the Germans are fighting for their life - but the great thing about the full Marne scenario is that both sides are fighting for survival in different places. It is one of those rare battles where both sides are on the attack and on the defensive at the same time. It is kind of like the Ardennes scenario, which is one of my personal favorites, except that the full Marne scenario is like the Ardennes on a much grander scale (it is hard to imagine the scale of this conflict until you play the battle out -- it is truly awe inspiring).

Most boardgames and PC games about WW1 up until this point make it seem as if the "1st Battle of the Marne" consisted only of the action in the Ourcq-Morins area; it seems as if it has been implied that the rest of the front was static during the battle. This couldn't be further from the truth though, everything they have not covered is where some of the bloodiest fighting occurred, so I knew I had to cover all if it. Of course this creates a VP level balancing nightmare of sorts (mentioned in the previous post), since the results can vary wildly. However, it is felt that it is "reasonably" balanced for two equally competent human vs. human play. If it turns out that my estimates are incorrect (over a long period of time of playing it out H2H), then I will certainly consider making VP level adjustments to it over time. Let me know in a couple of years after there have been several reported matches with different opponents. :)