Dien bien phu the final gamble rule book

I have always been interested in this battle, and this book really does a nice job of. The final gamble, published in 2014 by legion wargames. Another cause of of the battle of dien bien phu was the viet minh mobilisation. Combat commander europe board game ww2 historical wargame 2014 reprint. Dien bien phu was a trap where superior units and weapons would crush the viet minh onslaught.

It consisted of a struggle between french and viet minh vietnamese communist and nationalist forces for control of a small mountain outpost on the vietnamese border near laos. Here are rule changes that might be introduced into a possible future living rules set 2. I normally dont make much fuss about game components, rule books, or box cover art because. Fourth and final episode of my video series on wargames about dien bien phu covers kim kangers dien bien phu. The lost valley the siege of dien bien phu is a solitaire dice and.

In the waning days of 1953, the french colonial expeditionary force in vietnam challenged the local insurgents, then called viet minh, to stand toe to toe in a set piece battle in the north western. Dien bien phu 2nd edition the final gamble game design by kim kanger. So much has changed that each and every component has been updated and thus there is no upgrade kit available for those that own the 1st ed. In the late 1940s, the french struggled to control its colonies in indochina vietnam, cambodia, and laos. The final gamble 2nd edition is an extensive redesign and upgrade from the 1st edition which was released 5 years ago. Combat has defensive fire and then assaults, quite a few counters can get stacked up. Battle of dien bien phu, the decisive engagement in the first indochina war 194654. In fact, it was rather slowgoing at times, but not because it was dull or poorlywritten. It was fought between the french unions french far east expeditionary corpsand viet minhcommunistrevolutionaries. Ultimately, dbp was a horrific deathtrap for the best soldiers the french had in the theater. In the series books and wargames, i would like to talk about, well, books and. Dien bien phu the final gamble is a twoplayer game about the decisive battle of dien bien phu in 1954 that not only ended the french indochina war but also had political repercussions far outside the region itself. Rolling dice early saturday am on this bad boy with my buddy pete atack. It covers the critical battle that became the turning point of the french indo china war.

Dien bien phu the final gamble 2nd edition version 2. In may, after the united states refused to intervene, dien bien phu fell to the communists. The viet minh victory in this battle effectively ended the eightyearold war. Stanley karnow, pulitzerprizewinning author of vietnam.

Rules and system of dien bien phu, the final gamble dien. Jul 17, 2017 fourth and final episode of my video series on wargames about dien bien phu covers kim kangers dien bien phu. Dien bien phu the final gamble is a two player game about the decisive battle of dien bien phu in 1954 that not only ended the french indochina war, but also had political repercussions far outside the region itself. Toulon, 1793, napoleons first great victory, board game.

Fall is an account of one of the most significant battles to take place in vietnam. Dien bien phu, which had started as a jumping point for infiltration among the people in the western highlands, had now turned into a siege battle where the defeated side would be dealt such a blow to its prestige that it would have great difficulty continuing the war. Apr 10, 2020 you need to be a member of dien bien phu, the final gamble to add comments. The viet minh had been troubled by this strategy since their failure to take the airfield at na san in 195253. The final gamble, designed by kim kanger and published by legion wargames is a two player board game that simulates the final climactic two months of the viet minh assault on dien bien phu, with one player controlling the french expeditionary force and the other player controlling the viet minh. The other player represents the armed force of viet minh, the communistnationalist independence movement of. The only knock is of course fricken errata in box and directions to go d. Dien bien phu by john keegan meet your next favorite book. Dien bien phu depicts the decisive battle which took place in a distant jungle valley in northern vietnam. It can be a name like gabrielle, or a code like e2 eliane 2. Viet minh had been troubled by this strategy since their failure of taking the airfield at na san during 195253. Dien bien phu, 1954, was the final battle of the first indochina war.

One player represents france and her colonial troops. White dog wargame lost valley, the the siege of dien bien. The designer kim kanger used the best book on dien bien phu, windrows the last valley, and created an astoundingly good wargame full of drama, evocative mechanics, balance, and historical fidelity. Despite financial assistance from the united states, nationalist uprisings against french colonial rule began to take their toll. This article appeared on wikipedia s main page as todays featured article on january, 2009. The vietnamese viewpoint of dien bien phu supplies some much needed balance to the accounts of the battle written by western soldiers and historians. The last valley by martin windrow books the guardian.

John keegan was a consulting editor to the multiple volume series ballantines illustrated history of the violent century in the 1970s. Jan 26, 2015 storm over dien bien phu nick richardsonmmp 2014 dien bien phu. Dien bien phu 2nd edition is an extensive redesign and upgrade from. Cold war, dien bien phu, french, kim kanger, legion games, siege, viet minh, vietnam.

His new series examines boardgames set in the pivotal engagement of the first indochina war. The french troops were inexperienced in operating in the terrain of dien bien phu. May 21, 2004 fifty years ago the fall of dien bien phu put paid to the french presence in vietnam. Even so, if you can update or improve it, please do so. There would also seem to be a need for special rules for this one.

Bruce humbly calls it a wargaming documentary and beyond just a neat lesson about what makes citadel, frank chadwicks 1977 game of the battle. The french were desperately seeking for an opportunity to bring the viet minh main battle force into battle on french terms. I just recently received my 2nd edition version of kim kangers dien bien phu. A conflict between communist viet minh forces and a frenchestablished garrison, it occurred in a town called seat of the border county prefecture or, in vietnamese, dien bien phu. Dien bien phu, which started as a jumping point for infiltration among people in the western highlands, had now turned into a siege battle where the defeated side would be dealt such a blow to its prestige that it would have great difficulty continuing the war. Dien bien phu in 1954, vietminh rebels besieged a french garrison at dien bien phu, deep in the interior of northern vietnam. He also contributed several titles to the series, one of which was dien bien phu published in 1974 by random house. Dien bien phu the final gamble introduction france wished to establish in late 1953 strong presences around airfields in the viet minh hinterland. Viet minh felt they could not win the war unless they managed to upgrade their mode of fighting into a full scale war. Let me suggest you search for a youtube channel called spacerumsfeld and watch bruce geryk s fourpart series on games about dien bien phu. Dien bien phu the final gamble is a twoplayer game about the decisive battle of. When france occupied the important valley of dien bien phu with a force larger than a division, the leadership of viet minh knew that. The other player represents the armed force of viet minh, the communistnationalist independence movement of vietnam.

Feb 19, 2017 dien bien phu the final gamble gameplay 8 games with bjorn. Jul 09, 2016 moreover, if a french relief force does advance through the laos boxes toward dien bien phu, 5 more slots are lost as transport planes would have to be diverted to supply that force. French artillery and mortar units, on the other hand, exist as units on the. Dien bien phu and the french defeat in vietnam is an outstanding example of the nonfiction writers art. To make logistics even worse for the french, airdrops are often aborted. Filename filetype size date compatibility developer other contributors 1. The lost valley the siege of dien bien phu is a solitaire dice and carddriven board game of tactics and resources management about the battle of dien bien phu, which saw the defeat of the french expeditionary corps in indochina by the vietnamese peoples army in 1954. The vm did come out and fight, and the french got the battle they wanted, and much more.

Dien bien phu the final gamble legion wargames, llc 2014 3 1. So much has changed that each and every component has been updated and thus there is no upgrade kit available for. General navarre brought 0 men in by using air transport and this operation was observed by viet minh from the mountains. Causes and consequences of the battle of dien bien phu examine the causes and consequences and consequences of the battle of dien bien phu, 1954, which affected the lives of the vietnamese until the 1960s. The french gamble to establish an air and land base deep in enemy territory in order to draw. Does the errata for the printed rulebook update it to v2. Dien bien phu 2nd edition is an extensive redesign and upgrade from the 1st edition which was released 5 years ago. Dien bien phu the final gamble does what it does very well, it has a cool artillery system, nice components, it produces a good story but it takes a. Dien bien phu the final gamble legion wargames 2014. The final gamble kim kangerlegion wargames 2014 dien bien phu scenario of operational art of war norm kogertalonsoft 1998. It was fought between the french union s french far east. Bernard fall on the battle of dien bien phu parallel narratives. I prefer games of manoeuvre to games of resource management, with dien bien phu having a bias to the latter.

The battle of dien bien phu began in 1953, when general navarre fortified the valley of dien bien phu, which lay in an isolated corner of northwestern vietnam. Dien bien phutranslated at no cost by al gaudet a qog member forward on november 21st 1953, at around 0800h, i was suspended under my parachute and looking at the still happy valley of dien bien phu coming up under my feet. Apr 01, 2005 the battle of dien bien phu ranks with agincourt, waterloo, and gettysburg as one of the great military engagements of history. His street without joy should be an extra bonus book for you about the french. At best, dbp was an ok idea at the wrong time, and definitely in the wrong place. You need to be a member of dien bien phu, the final gamble to add comments. This battle signaled the beginning of the end for the french colonial empire and the first steps towards independence for vietnam. Giap mobilised about 50000 combat troops to fight the french. Dien bien phu is the definitive account of the great, climactic battle in french indochina that led to the american commitment to vietnam. Tonkin, the first indochina war 195054, 2nd edition. Dien bien phu john tillerhps 2009 i hope you enjoy the first video. When french forces occupied the important valley of dien bien phu with an unprecedented strong force larger than a division, the viet. This game is a quick playing two player medium complexity. No american is better qualified to tell the tale of dien bien phu and its significance than howard simpson.