C3 – Thin Red Line Games

Posted on 06/29/202307/02/2023 by fvianello — 9 Comments

NATO WIN23 – Aftermath

As you maybe know, Thin Red Line Games (err, me!) is just back from Rome where I’ve attended the Wargaming Initiative NATO 2023 (WIN23).

This was my first time as part of such a high-level event, so it took me the whole first day to get over the “Shock & Awe” effect, with some precious help from the French and Italian expeditionary forces there….Thank you guys 🙂

In short, it was a blast. During the plenary meetings I’ve learned a lot about NATO ACT (Allied Command Transformation) and its approach to the present and future challenges. Several things, including the position of ACT in NATO’s hierarchy, were quite new to me.

And of course, we had wargames! The schedule was densely packed and the time short, particularly when you have a demo to run and a lot of “networking” activity, so I was able to explore only the tip of the iceberg but I had a lot of fun commanding the Iraqi Special Forces in an urban fight against the Insurgents, well led by a couple of French Officers. In the end, our Iraqi Security Forces lost horribly after a disastrous disengagement and a strike with chemical weapons previously hidden in some kebab shop of the old city (“The best Mustard Kebab in Iraq! Try it, and you’ll never go for anything else!”).

Posted on 06/15/202306/29/2023 by fvianello — 6 Comments

NATO WIN23

TRLGames will be at the Wargaming Initiative NATO 2023 (WIN23), in Rome!
We will bring the C3 Series (Less Than 60 Miles, The Dogs of War, Die Festung Hamburg) and see what happens…

Dang, I’m nervous.

Posted on 06/01/2023 by fvianello — 3 Comments

Charles S. Roberts Awards 2022

Once again, we have a Charles S. Roberts Award Nominee!

Die Festung Hamburg has been nominated in the Best Hypothetical Wargame category, thus joining its brothers in arms in the C3 Series: Less Than 60 Miles (2019 Nominee) and The Dogs of War (2021 Nominee).

A big thank you to the C3 community, who made the series more and more visible and acknowledged, and to the CSR Board of Governors for the honour.

And if you want to taste the bitterness of modern operational warfare, a few copies of Less Than 60 Miles – 2nd Echelon are still available!

2022 Charles S. Roberts Awards Nominees and Final Ballot

Posted on 05/15/202306/01/2023 by fvianello — 1 Comment

Less Than 60 Miles – DEFCON 1

Less Than 60 Miles, the first C3 module covering the Warsaw Pact offensive in the Fulda Gap, is now at DEFCON 1.

This second echelon is more an update than a simple reprint. Here’s a summary of the main changes:

Rules updated with the most recent changes introduced by The Dogs of War and Die Festung Hamburg.
Counters with the most used Posture on the back side, minimizing the need for Posture markers.
Revised NATO OOB, representing West German III Corps as a separate high-level Command.
Revised mobilisation rules for West German Teilaktiv battalions and Heimatschutz brigades.
Update of several US battalion designations, more exactly pinning the transition from the Combat Arms Regimental System to the US Army Regimental System.
Several changes to the Warsaw Pact OOB, from Soviet Army-level independent tank regiments to East German pure tank regiments.
Several small but significant changes to the map and scenarios.
An expanded Field Manual 02-002 Battlefield Operations, covering Operational Procedures and Operational Planning. Start reading it immediately, before it’s too late.

CENTAG needs YOU to stop the communist hordes!

Read a more detailed SITREP HERE

Immediately acquire the new Equipment HERE

Watch the latest developments below. Ensure your communication equipment is turned ON.

Posted on 04/19/202305/15/2023 by fvianello — 57 Comments

Less Than 60 Miles – DEFCON 2

Less Than 60 Miles, the first C3 module covering the Warsaw Pact offensive in the Fulda Gap, is now at DEFCON 2.

This second echelon will be more an update than a simple reprint. Here’s a summary of the main changes:

Rules updated with the most recent features introduced by The Dogs of War and Die Festung Hamburg.
Counters with the most used Posture on the back side, minimizing the need for Posture markers.
Revised NATO OOB, representing West German III Corps as a separate high-level Command.
Revised mobilisation rules for West German Teilaktiv battalions and Heimatschutz brigades.
Update of several US battalion designations, more exactly pinning the transition from the Combat Arms Regimental System to the US Army Regimental System.
Several changes to the Warsaw Pact OOB, from Soviet Army-level independent tank regiments to East German pure tank regiments.
An expanded Field Manual 02-002 Battlefield Operations, covering Operational Procedures and Operational Planning. Start reading it immediately, before it’s too late.

CENTAG needs YOU to stop the communist hordes!
Report for Duty by writing to the Quartermaster at info@TRLGames.com.

NOTE: If you are already enlisted, there’s no need to reiterate. Your enthusiastic desire to die, I mean fight for Freedom is well noted.

Posted on 03/17/202303/17/2023 by fvianello — 4 Comments

SDHistCon Online 2023

Comrades!
Saturday, March 18th we will be at the San Diego Historical Convention Online.

We will run an exercise covering opposed river crossing, retrograde operations, interdiction, bombardment, and more. The scenario will use Die Festung Hamburg and will include the East German 8th Motorized Rifle Division and the BALTAP covering forces of West German 6. PanzerGrenadier Division.

The exercise starts at 17.03.2023 1800 Berlin Time (1000 PDT) and lasts 2 hours, including the time for singing the anthem of Union of the Soviet Socialist Republics and for doctrinal / political questions.

Enlist at this link! Participation is voluntary. Absences will be reported.

Posted on 03/06/2023 by fvianello — 2 Comments

Die Festung Hamburg – Japanese Version

Thanks to the Honorable Grognard Kaya Moriya, we now have a Japanese version of Die Festung Hamburg. Arigato!

Posted on 03/02/2023 by fvianello — 2 Comments

C3 Combined Campaign – VASSAL Module

Forward Command Posts rarely have the space to unfold all the 1:20000 tactical maps needed for serious planning.

This VASSAL Module gives Army Group and Front Commanders what they need, when they need it. NORTHAG / Northern Front Sector 1, NORTHAG / Northern Front Sector 2 and CENTAG / Central Front Sector 1 are covered and can be used in every possible combination, allowing to plan and follow the battle in detail.