Against the Odds magazine investigates military history from a broad
perspective. The economic, political, religious
and social aspects of warfare are examined
in concert with events on the battlefield.
Each issue of ATO features:
Informative and insightful articles showcasing the history
behind events, plus regular columns by noted game
designers providing insight on the latest trends
and events.
A challenging, fun wargame that drops the players
into truly desperate situations but gives them
multiple options to alter history.
Professionally printed graphics, complete with large playing map
and 200 to 360 die cut playing pieces.
And much more!
Look for Against the Odds to cover simulation design issues,
order of battle research, rule writing, play
testing and graphic techniques as it evolves.
Get yourself truly "connected" with games and
gaming by reading Against the Odds!
“Lee will never venture upon a bold movement on a large scale.”
-- Maj. Gen. George B. McClellan
The Seven Days Campaign, fought from June 26th to July 2nd, 1862, represented the Union’s finest chance to put an early end to the great rebellion, and the Confederacy’s best shot at “bagging” an entire Union Army.
Virtually unknown when appointed to command the month before, Gen. Robert E. Lee promptly renamed his force, "The Army of Northern Virginia" - defining a future theater of operations the present defenders of the swampy ground east of Richmond could scarcely imagine.
Both aggressive and imaginative by nature, Lee summoned virtually every spare unit the South could muster for that rarest of Southern advantages, numerical superiority.
His planned counterattack, a massive turning operation designed to roll back the divided Yankee forces and seize their main supply base, would ultimately fail to come about due to Confederate inexperience in operations and command failures.
Yet Lee so dashed and demoralized the Union leadership at all levels that the Army of the Potomac could do little more than fight a desperate defensive retreat, eventually evacuating the peninsula "prison camp" it had been forced into. Here indeed was where "The Legend" began....
Birth of a Legend by Michael Rinella, is his second 19th Century area-map game, applying his award-winning Not War But Murder impulse game system to the American Civil War.
The game includes one 22” by 34” inch area map, 176 large counters, and 16 pages of rules and charts that include extensive examples of play, designer notes, and variant rules, all to ensure many enjoyable game sessions on this campaign that played a decisive role in American and military history.
Bonus Item Included! All copies of this issue contain a small expansion kit (rules and counters) for our earlier There Must Be a Victory game featured in ATO #26. If you enjoy unusual naval developments, be sure to get a hold of this issue!
Birth of a Legend and issue #32 of ATO:
Map - One full color 22"x34" area mapsheet
Counters - 176 full color large 5/8" die-cut pieces
Rules length - 14 pages
Charts and tables - Printed throughout the rulesbook
Complexity - Medium
Playing time - Up to 4 hours
How challenging is it solitaire? - Poor
Design - Michael Rinella
Development - Paul Rohrbaugh
Graphics - Mark Mahaffey
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