Gary Grigsby's new game

[Big Ivan]

Hi Gil,

I have the original with a couple of updates and yes I have seen the new advertisement for the upcoming game.

To be honest I haven't played it much. I picked it up a few years ago with a coupon because long ago with a couple of buddies of mine in Cleveland we played GDW's Fire in the East that needed two ping-pong tables to setup the map. That game was division level like War in the East is. Takes a long time to play with a couple of thousand counters. Guess I got the itch again in later life that's why I picked up Grigsby's child. 

War in the East is kind of the same; a lot going on with that game on the division/brigade operational level. I played the AG North scenario a little bit which was manageable compared to some of the other scenarios. 

Another game that comes to mind on the same scale as War in the East is The Operational Art of War IV. Some of those East Front scenarios in that game are just massive.

When one sees an operational game on the Eastern Front in WWII, board game or computer, it is mind boggling to see the vastness of the expanse and the shear number of divisions that occupied that theatre of the war. Either on a ping-pong table or a computer screen.

IMO its not for the feint of heart. One must be committed 100% into operational gaming and the operational mindset/style. I drifted away from that with Panzerblitz, Panzer Leader, Advance Squad Leader and finally the Campaign Series.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not knocking it. Just saying it's different. I will say that the War in the East game engine is pretty good once one gets to know it. I kind of did and it plays well.

Hope this helps.

Regards,
John