Greetings!
We have two new games and card sets released this month, as well as several new titles that are under development.
Read on and let the dice fly high!
New Games!
Battle’s Orphan: The Bay of Pigs Invasion, April 17-20, 1961.
“Success has many fathers, failure is an orphan.”—Tacitus, Agricola 98 AD.
When newly-elected President Kennedy was inaugurated the CIA’s plans and Cuban exile army were ready to invade Castor’s Cuba. However, the new president wanted “plausible deniability” and the CIA invasion plans were extensively modified, with all of the Cuban exile aircraft relocated to Nicaragua airbases, and removing any direct support by US armed forces. What was left was very weakened, yet still powerful Cuban exile invasion force armed with tanks, heavy weapons and well trained for sustained combat operations. All that remained was for the Cuban people to rally to their support once the invasion commenced. The game also includes variant units for use with possible US intervention, as well as a second full-sized map for the CIA’s preferred invasion site at Trinidad.
Each copy of Battle’s Orphan is composed of the following:
- Four 11 by 17 inch hex map sheets with game tracks and tables.
- 176 double-side, un-mounted units.
- 15 pages of rules.
A standard deck of playing cards, one six-side and one ten-sided set of dice are also needed to play the game. Battle’s Orphan is designed by Paul Rohrbaugh and features graphics by Tim Allen. Battle’s Orphan sells for $25.95 plus shipping. Mounted counters can be had for an additional $8.00.
A custom card set for the game is also available. The Battle’s Orphan card set replaces the standard deck of playing cards called for in the rules, features graphics by Tim Allen, and has rules reminders on pertinent cards. The Battle’s Orphan custom card set is $10.00 or can be had for free with any purchase of 4 games. You can access the web page for Battle’s Orphan, and the order form, here: https://www.hfdgames.com/bop.html
Nothing to Lose: The Attack on Tan Son Nhut Airbase, January 31, 1968.
I will never forget the night, that Tan Son Nhut was hit. “C Flight was on duty then, we knew that this was it. We hit the dirt and looked around with anxious waiting eyes, and said a prayer as mortars came raining from the skies” –Opening stanza of an anonymous veteran’s poem about the attack at Tan Son Nhut.
When the Communist forces of North and South Vietnam launched the 1968 Tet Offensive one component was an attack on the Tan Son Nhut airbase north and west if Saigon. This was the largest airbase in South Vietnam, with its aircraft ferrying men and material from the US, as well as basing combat aircraft that support military operations throughout all the region.
The Communist offensive was supported by the National Liberation Front’s 9th Infantry Division that had recently been rebuilt following extensive losses fighting the US and ARVN (Army of the Republic of [South] Vietnam) by the attachment of the 267th and 269th Main Force Battalions. The assault force would also include sappers attached to the division’s 1st Battalion of the 271st Regiment who were armed with satchel demolition charges used to destroy the base’s aircraft and air control towers, as well as the division’s mortar and rocket artillery batteries. The battle here would usher in a new phase of the Vietnam conflict. Can you do as well or better than your historical counterpart?
Each copy of Nothing to Lose is composed of the following:
- Three 11 by 17 inch area map sheets with game tracks and tables.
- 77 double sided, un-mounted counters.
- 10 pages of rules
Players will also need a standard deck of playing cards and one ten-sided die to play the game. Nothing to Lose is designed by Paul Rohrbaugh and features graphics by Nils Johansson. Nothing to Lose sells for $20.95 plus shipping. Mounted counters can be had for an additional $8.00.
A custom card set for the game is also available. The Nothing to Lose card set replaces the standard deck of playing cards called for in the rules, features graphics that compliment the game’s, and has rules reminders on pertinent cards. The Nothing To Lose custom card set is $10.00 or can be had for free with any purchase of 4 games. You can access the web page for Nothing to Lose, and the order form, here: https://www.hfdgames.com/tsn.html
Tercio de la Muerte: The Battle of the Ebro River, July-August 1938.
1938 went from bad to worse for the Republican cause in Spain. Successes the previous year at Guadalajara, Teruel and Belchite were undone by Nationalist victories that overran Vizcaya as well as continued and massive military support from Nazi Germany and fascist Italy. Madrid was finally cut off and fell in the early summer and many outside of Spain felt the cause was lost. However, there was some hope in the Republican enclave centered on Barcelona. A new and friendly government came to power in France that reopened shipments of badly needed arms and supplies, and new shipments of arms from the Soviet Union successfully made it past the Nationalist blockade, reinvigorating the Republican forces still in the field. A larger war in Europe was increasingly apparent, and it was hoped that if the Republican forces could hold out long enough, they could be part of this larger conflict against fascism. As such, the Republican military decided upon a bold offensive across the Ebro River to retake ground in Valencia, as well as demonstrate that all was not lost.
Each copy of Tercio de la Muerte is composed of the following:
- Two 11 by 17 inch map sections with Turn and Game Record tracks.
- 154 un-mounted, double-sided units.
- 8 pages of rules.
Players will also need a standard deck of playing cards and a six-sided die (D6) to play the game.
Tercio de la Muerte is designed by Paul Rohrbaugh and features graphics by Ilya Kudriashov. Tercio de la Muerte sells for $20.95 plus shipping. Mounted counters can be had for an additional $8.00.
A custom card set for the game is also available. The Tercio de la Muerte card set replaces the standard deck of playing cards called for in the rules, features graphics by Ilya Kudriashov, and has rules reminders on pertinent cards. The Tercio de la Muerte custom card set is $10.00 or can be had for free with any purchase of 4 games. You can access the web page for Tercio de la Muerte, and the order form, here: https://www.hfdgames.com/ebro.html
Operation Iron Brain: The Siege of Beirut, June-August, 1982.
For over a year the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) had bombarded Israel’s northern province of Galilee with artillery and rocket fire. On June 6, 1982 the Israeli military invaded southern Lebanon in an operation dubbed “Peace for Galilee”. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) quickly defeated the PLO’s armed forces and drove north. Although the declared aim of the Israeli offensive was to clear a 40 kilometer “buffer zone” along the Lebanese/Israeli border, Israeli Defense Minister, Ariel Sharon, was determined to eradicate the PLO once and for all, and hopefully kill its leader, Yassir Arafat. With new orders the IDF crossed the Litani River and drove on Beirut where the remnants of the PLO’s forces were retreating, and where most of their refugee camps were located. What ensued was an escalating conflict that threatened to engulf the entire mid-east once more in conflict and bring Lebanon to the brink of abyss of genocidal civil war.
Each copy of Operation Iron Brain is composed of the following:
- Two 11 by 17 inch hex map sheets
- One sheet of 140 double-sided, unmounted counters
- One Players’ Aid Sheet
- 8 pages of rules
Armor and Infantry (Militia, Regular, Heavy Weapons) units are all Battalions. Airborne and militia units are companies. A hex on the map is about a half mile across. Each turn represents two weeks of time. The game is designed by Paul Rohrbaugh and features graphics by David Gomez Prieto. Operation Iron Brain sells for $20.95 plus shipping. Mounted counters can be had for an additional $8.00.
A custom card set for the game is also available. The card set replaces the standard deck of playing cards called for in the rules, features graphics by David Gomez Prieto, and has rules reminders on pertinent cards. The Operation Iron Brain card set is $10.00 or can be had for free with any order of 4 games. To access the game’s web page and order form visit our web site here: https://www.hfdgames.com/brain.html
Two New Game Series in the works!
Please remember we also have these promotions in effect throughout the year:
- Any purchase or 4 or more High Flying Dice Games (Professional or DTP) and you get one mini-game for free (your choice of any that sell regularly for $8.95).
- Alternative Bonus! Instead of a free mini-game, any purchase of 4 or more games and you can instead get a single-deck card set (any of those that sell regularly for $9.00).
- Note: Our newest postcard “Pocket Battle” game, A Rock and a Hard Place can be used for the above bonuses!
Upcoming Games!
- Several new games are now Under Development and are undergoing playtesting. Brand new titles that are now being play tested are
Cockleshell Heroes: Operation Frankton, December 11, 1942, A Sanguine Fight: The Battle of Riachuelo, June 11, 1865, Villa’s Vengeance: The Columbus New Mexico Raid, March 1916, Muerte Desde Arriba: Air Battles of the Spanish Civil War, Heaven’s Will: The Raid on Ulithi Atoll, November 1944, Diggers’ Resolve: The Battle for Milne Bay, August-September 1942, A Resolute Action: The Battle of Fort Meigs, May 5, 1813, Falling Skies: Operation Rolling Thunder, March-April 1965, Operation Menace: The Attack on Dakar, September 23-25, 1940, A Lamentable and Calamitous Action: The Attack at Mers-el-Kebir, July 3, 1940, A Sharp and Fierce Fight: The Battle of Cook’s Mills, October 19, 1814, A Mad Endeavor: The Attack on Stony Point, July 16, 1779, Tempting Fate: The Battle of the Granicus River, May 334 BCE, Waters Unvexed: Three Battles of the Mississippi River, 1862 (Island Number 10, Plum Point Bend, Memphis), The Yanks are Here! The St. Mihiel Campaign, September 1918, Operation Musketeer: The Attack on Port Said, November 1956, A Gallant and Efficient Fight: The Battle of Hamel, July 4, 1918, One Small Step: The US/USSR Space Race to the Moon, and Depths of Courage vol. 12: The Raid on Valletta, July 25/26, 1941, Dying is Easy: Naval Battles of the Boshin War, May 1869, Heights of Frustration: The Battles for Longstop Hill, December 1942 and April 1943, So Far From God: The US Punitive Expedition in Mexico, 1916-1917, Late to the Fight: The Battle of Palmetto Ranch, May 13, 1865. Blood and Oil: The Persian Gulf Tanker War, 1985, Falling Stars: Air Battles Over Ukraine, 2022, Gimme Shelter: The Siege of Firebase Ripcord, July 1970.
- Heading into final development and graphics are
White Christmas? The Fall of Saigon, April 1975, Shadows of Hell: Operation Karbala 6, January 15-17, 1987, Galahad’s Ordeal: The Battle of Myitkyina, A Sea of Fog and Fire: The Battle of Heligoland Bight, A Brilliant Little Affair: The Battle of Chrysler’s Farm, November 11, 1813, Cross vs. Crescent: The Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa, July 16, 1212, Nothing Then is Done: The Battle of Najera, April 3, 1367, A Steadfast and Violent Affair: The Battle of Lundy’s Lane, July 25, 1814, Red Coats, Grey Jackets: The Battle Chippawa, July 5, 1814, A Wretched and Costly Fight: The Attack on Fort Erie, August 15, 1814, Wheels of Change: The 1950s US Auto Industry, Souls to Waste: The Battle of An Bao, May 5, 1968, Depths of Courage, Volume 13: The Attack on the Tirpitz, September 1943, A Scourge of Stone and Spirit: The 1415 Siege of Harfluer, Kings of the Castle: The Battle of the Imjin River, April 1951, In Harm’s Way: Battles of the Dutch East Indies Campaign (Sunda Strait, Badung, Balikpapan, Java Sea) Paint it Black: The Attack on Lang Vei, February 6-7, 1968, A Cruel and Bitter Fight: The Battle of the Thames, October 5, 1813 and A Dreadful Fight: The Battle of Horse Shoe Bend: March 27, 1814, Operation Icarus: The Invasion of Iceland, June 1940.
Look for upcoming release announcements as these games are finished up.
Online Retailers!
High Flying Dice Games are available from this fine online retailer:
- Noble Knight Games: http://www.nobleknight.com/ Note: All games carried by Noble Knight Games now have mounted counters!
- Agorajeux: https://www.agorajeux.com/en/
Be sure to visit the High Flying Dice Games website for the latest information, view the full range of games, as well as see what is being worked on. You can also place orders and ask questions about all of the games in our catalog and in development. Visit us at: http://www.hfdgames.com. We’d love to hear from you!
Thank you very much for your interest and support. Let the Dice Fly High!
Paul Rohrbaugh
Founder, High Flying Dice Games
9753 Deltona Drive
New Middletown, OH 44442
