Against the Odds: Khe Sanh

From the Publisher:

If that formula - encouraging the enemy to mass where firepower could destroy them - sounds a bit like Dien Bien Phu, it is even more ironic that the location was the site of an old French fort... and yet more so, since the Marine defenders were surrounded and threatened with complete destruction. Whether Khe Sanh would be the Dien Bien Phu for the Americans was decided in an operation covering 77 days, which saw "the most concentrated application of aerial firepower in the history of warfare" on the U.S. side, and one of the rare applications of PANV armor on the other side. That's right-tanks being used by the North Vietnamese.

It's a complicated story. Fortunately, we have an expert to take us through it with a wargame.

"Valley of Decision" has been called the "definitive" study of the Khe Sanh operation. The book is co-authored, by Ray Stubbe (a marine chaplain who served in the battle) and John Prados, who is known as an authority on the Vietnam War. He also is John Prados, the game designer who brought us "Campaigns of Napoleon," "Third Reich," and many other titles.

Prados' Khe Sanh, 1968, appearing in ATO #2, is winner of the Charles S. Roberts award for "Best Modern Wargame" in 2002. Extensive air and artillery rules, hidden movement by NVA, and a close interconnecting of combined arms and movement that gives players an appreciation for the challenges at hand. Units range from platoons to regiments, offering a "tactical formation" option that means they can shoot well and move slower or move better and shoot less. Battles are filled with such questions.

Khe Sanh, 1968 game and issue #2 of ATO

Maps - One full color 22"x34" mapsheet
Counters - 200 full color 1/2" die-cut pieces
Rules length - 12 pages
Charts and tables - 3 pages
Complexity - Medium
Solitaire suitability - Low
Playing time - Up to 4 hours