Description

Defeat the Threat! THE FIRST GUNSHIP is a SOLITAIRE wargame of operational and tactical command. At the game's core is a patent pending Threat Assembly that simulates an attack by a mysterious alien Threat, making this a truly SOLITAIRE game-playing experience. The Threat Assembly is tied to varying Intelligence Reports and can be adjusted to varying difficulty levels. The player commands the maneuver of aircraft, armor, and infantry divisions to repel the Threat attack on the ground and to clear the launch of the First Gunship to move global defense to the next strategic phase.

During each round of play, the player as the Ground Forces Commander orders divisions to maneuver and engage Threat Elements that deploy throughout the game, which represents an operational campaign of 22 months, based on the Threat Assembly. A Reference Card summarizes all major features of play for quick reference. The player must achieve the game's objectives, which include successfully defending certain city regions and clearing certain regions of Threat Elements so that the strategic breakthrough of the launch of the First Gunship is achieved.

The game usually lasts 8-9 rounds. In each round, the Threat deploys based on using the patent pending Threat Assembly. The player then collects income and purchases new units for deployment at the end of the round. The player then moves units and conducts Offensive Combat. The Threat then moves based on the game board configuration, after which Defensive Combat is conducted. Each round ends with new unit deployment.

The patent pending Threat Assembly is designed to deploy the Threat based on various Intelligence Summary reports that are provided to the player. The player can thereby control units with advance knowledge of at least some of the Threat's expected movements. However, the patent pending Threat Assembly also varies the deployment of the Threat so that there is always an element of surprise that varies with each game. That is, the Threat deployment always varies significantly between games, although the Threat attack proceeds generally based on the provided Intelligence Reports that may change between games.

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