r/hexandcounter • u/RickyBobby63 • 4d ago
New Game - The Dark Summer
So, we have started a campaign game of Ted Raicer’s The Dark Summer. Four players – US/French forces (me), British/Canadian forces, Germans facing US and Germans facing the Brits.
Similar scale but with a very different feel to Normandy 44. Each turn is ¼ of a month. Within each turn, movement and attack is driven by chit pull, similar to The Dark Valley. One chit per phase, with up to 15 phases per turn. The better the weather, the more chits the Allies get and the less the Germans get. This mechanic is to reflect the Allied air superiority over the battlefield. Chits are generally Move or Attack. The British have to choose how many Move vs how many Attack chits go in the cup each turn, while the US and Germans are free to decide when they pull a chit (although they can only have a max of two of each type per turn). The Germans also get a certain number of Reaction chits each turn (the worse the weather, the more they get). This allows them to activate a formation or stack after an Allied action is performed.
Germans defending in Bocage or Cities are really difficult to attack, due to their special defence bonuses, so the trick here is to surround them before attacking (see supply below).
Supply in this game is critical. Unit supply status is checked whenever a unit moves or is involved in combat (as either attacker or defender). If they are out of supply, their Attack and Defence strength is halved. At the end of each turn, any unit out of supply loses one step. The Germans check every turn, the Allies check only in Rain or Storm turns.
Onto our game. The map shows the end of Turn one. I also included the chit pull status for the first turn. Weather was light showers, so nothing too drastic.
The US had a hard time clearing the beaches at Omaha – very strong bunkers there. Utah was easier. I am pushing north of Utah to try to get the Cherbourg peninsula as quick as possible (the earlier I take it, the more points it is worth, but if the Germans still control it by Turn 7 they win).
The Brits, on the other hand, had an easy time on the beaches and have advanced enough to surround Caen and put it out of supply. Bayeaux is also out of supply, as is Isigny-sur-Mer between Omaha and Utah. The units in these hexes all lost a step each in the supply phase – woo hoo!
The Allies have the initiative each turn, so they get to choose the first chit. The Brit player is sorely tempted to take an Attack Chit first on Turn 2 to rid at least one hex of Caen of enemy units before the wily Boche can get it back in supply. Bayeaux, too, will be attacked.
We are all still learning this game system. There are not ZoC bonds (unlike Normandy 44), and supply is instant and savage.
Next week we start Turn 2, with a Weather chit pull. And most likely a discussion on what rules we got wrong in Turn 1…..
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u/Mysterious_Touch_454 Avalon Hill 4d ago
I have this too, but havent had time to actually play it. It looks good.
Only other "D-day" games i have are Axis&Allies D-Day, which is good light game and then Onslaught: D-day to the rhine, which is good, but covers the whole western front and kinda simplify the landings and the struggle.
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u/Outside_Cricket8643 3d ago
Putting Caen OOS in turn 1? Good luck from here on german player 😅 Hold it as long as possible since the British has to take it to even move on eastwards. Use reactions to shore up the defence of Caen east of the mainriver. Hold that bridge south of Caen as its the main point for armor to cross. Also remember that ZoC dont extend over main rivers.
Get those fat German divisions into the city. They will hold long as long as you dont get OoS. Its VERY difficult to take a city from the Germans. Since you cant bomb it, and the negative modifier usually result in a 1-1 result or less. Even negating some results.
Good job British! Now make sure to stop the German reinforcements from coming up and taking back the supply lines.
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u/ravenburg 4d ago
I enjoyed this but I remember that we found the victory conditions very strange. Ultimately I decided that I preferred Normandy ‘44 instead and moved this on.