Welcome to the new ATS only portal at Critical Hit, Inc. We think you'll agree it was high time you were provided a place just for ATS enthusiasts, where you can delve into the latest offerings for the system without anything to divert you from the mission.

Like our line (and life), this portal is a work in progress and we are putting in the man-hours, creative muse, and everything in between... to come up with ways to entertain you via the tactical-level game metaphor. If you've been around for a while you know we like trying new things, respect old things, and seek to provide a new take on a decidedly 'retro' gaming experience. It often times comes down to the ridges on the paper-clip, not a new way to fasten papers...and perhaps some colored paper-clips!

ATS was inspired by the work of Hal Hock. We 'advanced' from that point, and thus the 'A' in ATS...and the resulting tactical-level system.

"Mister ATS' himself Drew Dorman created a custom terrain play aid for SNAKESHEAD RIDGE we think you'll like. Click here to get your copy now!

Come and get the first issue of the free ATS BRIEFING NEWSLETTER that spells out the birth of what is now the fastest growing tactical-level game system on the market.

The fine folks at the ATS On The Table website have created a handy compilation of all known errata and clarifications for your use. Click here to get your mitts on a copy now!

We are constantly adding new items to our catalog. You can always find the latest additions at the What's New page by clicking here.

Just in case you missed the CONTACT link above, you can drop Maureen a line in customer service by clicking here. You can also reach her during 9-5 E.S.T., M-F office hours at 845-278-9125. We've had the same phone listing and office hours since August of 1994!

In 2006 the popular Japanese wargame magazine COMMAND published ATS Basic Game II, a system best-seller, in a Japanese language edition. It's popularity paved the way for a fully licensed edition of ADVANCED TOBRUK in that country.

In early March 1943 General Paul Hausser threw caution to the wind and ordered his soldiers into the heart of Kharkov, instigating a city-fight that pushed on to Dzerzhinsky Square, re-named "Platz der Leibstandarte" while fighting still raged within nearby buildings. The outcome of the battle led Hitler to sign off on Operation Zitadelle, and seal the fate of German fortunes in the east.

CH's treatment of the battle takes tactical-level gamers into the heart of the embattled city. The included scenarios pit some of World War II's elite soldiers against NKVD and militia troops in a fight for every room, cellar and perch. Check back here for the latest news about this impending project.

Here at CH we are heavily invested in YOU and the publication of tactical-level battlefields is our passion. Another chunk of Stalingrad is about to head out to your place, and will hopefully take its place in your Ostfront historian's heart.

The place is the Krasny Oktyabr (Red October) steel plant. The unit is the 24th Panzer Division, the 'Leaping Horsemen' that were moved into this sector after its workshops and buildings had already been reduced to wreckage. Check back here for the latest news about this impending project and another portion of the Stalingrad battlefield about to join it on the CH printing presses.

Many of our customers know Critical Hit, Inc. has been giving to the New York City Rescue Mission for well over a decade. We plan to continue to support their longstanding mission and have added two new charities to provide a portion of the proceeds of direct sales to. We trust most of you have heard of and are familiar with the Wounded Warrior Project and Autism Speaks. These both serve critical needs of others and if you decide to hold off on your purchase today and click on one of the donation links above, that would be cool with us. We may not make a lot of noise about it, but your hobby purchases here have always helped others and will do more now than ever.

PLEASE NOTE: We are updating the pages as of May 10, 2013 and will be adding links, etc. Thanks for being patient!

UPDATE: The counters for the retro Timmes' Orchard collector's edition are out and we'll be shipping as soon as they come back in. This limited edition item uses the small supply of original Timmes' Orchard maps discovered in our warehouse.

All of the color work for OMAHA EAST is printed, and we're putting the final touches on the scenario cards and materials that are printed on our own offset presses. Yes, if you guessed, 'CH added more components than announced to this module, even after I have already paid for it...' you would be CORRECT. An additional COUNTER SHEET + a color play aid for use in scenario play using landing craft -- has been added to this release with NO INCREASE IN PRICE and at NO CHARGE to our valued, loyal advance order squad leaders!

OMAHA EAST NO ADDITIONAL COST COMPONENT ADDITIONS they are (above), another sheet of counters, AFV Cards in full color and large size, and a color LST covered arc play aid ... plus the Destroyer play aid in color ... all at no additional charge to YOU, our loyal Omaha Beach ATSers!

SPECIAL PRICES/ADVANCE ORDERS: All items reflecting a Specials price (in red on the item page) is an immediate bill, no cancel order that is a contract to create your item upon ordering. You can order with confidence based on our 19+ years of creating product and the depth of our catalog.

With status being marked 'all caught up' ... check back here shortly for MAJOR RELEASE NEWS. First Q of 2013 was one of the best ever for CH, coming off two strong years and we owe it all to YOU, customers that are into their tactical-level gaming and want to be put 'there', in the thick of the action on a wide array of battlefields. And we aim to return your goodwill and support in kind. What that means is twofold (or perhaps, threefold, or manifold). The time is over for the middleman to get between the customer and the folks that create the labors of love you find all over this page. At this time we have no plans to ship OMAHA EAST or the new products to wholesalers that are not in good standing due to late payment of bills. This game release is just too significant to risk on the 'hope' they will pay and sadly, we've experienced payment problems going back to early 2013 that have forced us to choose another direction. If you have ordered OMAHA EAST through a retailer that is not currently getting product direct, have them drop us a line and we'll be happy to serve them, and YOU in the process. Please note, retailers that are not in good standing due to past issues with bounced checks, trying to buy product with declined credit cards, and the like will not be receiving product. We regret any invconvenience and are happy to serve you with this and any other product purchase through our site. To sum it all up: Retailers in good standing will be getting their copies of OMAHA EAST. If you paid a retailer in advance for Omaha East—and they expect to get it from a wholesaler, have them contact us as we want to see YOU taken care of. It is that simple.

THE ATS DICE SET IS HERE! That's right, a set of 6 different 10-sided dice is now available for immediate shipment and includes a free pouch while supplies last. You will receive six different colors for use in firing down one roll, many outcomes ... to make all your ATS gaming routines exciting and colorful.

We've assembled a new product release schedule for the remainder of 2013 that we hope you agree has some compelling addtions to our line, dating back 19 years. The battlefields of Villers Bocage, Bastogne, Kursk, Hurtgen Forest, Gettysburg, North Africa will be visited, a new map+overlay ADVANCED TOBRUK style release ... is coming too. The Great War starts... and that's quite a tactical-level tabletop-full. You are warmly invited to join us on the next leg of the journey via the counters, maps, and boards that drive it all.

ROMMEL GOGGLES ON: ADVANCED TOBRUK is just about sold out in its final printing! That's right, we can make about 10 more copies and then it is gone, a collector's item. If you want one, nail it now from our site. What better time than now to do what we do best here, and that's re-imagine ATS to entertain you in the tactical-level game metaphor? And we're at it again with a NEW take on ATS North Africa gaming that combines EVERYTHING you like, breaks some new ground for the system, and then some!

We're pretty sure you've hammered out the original TOBRUK scenarios in their previous form. It has been, what, over a dozen years? But the Desert Fox wants to break out of the bottleneck, no matter what his 'orders' are ... and what Allied intelligence is expecting. And break out he will .. with a set of 12 brand new scenarios set during the burgeoning offensive of early 1941 ... when Erwin Rommel first served notice on military history that the legendary 'Desert Fox' was on the move in the Western Desert.

COMPONENT-WISE: The new presentation provides 6 copies of the new desert folding mapboard. Think back to the map panels in the original TOBRUK, but six of them instead of 3 ... and printed using the current geo-board stock, art presentation. That's almost 50% more playable map area than the original ADVANCED TOBRUK single mapsheet. Now add a complete collection of ATS color die-cut counters IN KING SIZE ... that's the 3/4" AFV you love, plus 5/8" Personnel, and ½" markers. Include LARGE FORMAT AFV Cards in 4" × 3.25" size, a new desert-theme colored set of complete system play aids and a brand new set of color overlays to trim out ... and include a FREE CLASSIC ADVANCED TOBRUK BOX to store it all in ... and you need only bring your ATS Rulebook and two ten-sided dice and you are ready to roll toward Mechili.

BRITISH/GERMAN/ITALIANS: They are all in there with new art featured, AFVs in desert camo, and all the counters you need to play including a new set of desert-themed markers that will make things more fun AND more realistic, and not provided in any previous edition. This is a MONSTER collection of desert gear and you can count on your support for ATS DESERT FOX being matched by new editions of the desert expansion packs, keyed to play with the new format. New soldier art is being created as we speak and as samples come up they will be posted here.

PRESENTATION NOTES: The new KING SIZE counters in the game retain the TT ammunition information to make play faster and easier. You can refer to the AFV Cards or the counters. Random ammunuition depletion, the expanded MG model with Grazing and Traversing Fire ... are all part of the action ... making the game play new and different than the previous generation. All the good things remain, plus the enhancements, and the rulebook is as stable as any on the market for a complete system that allows you to model anything at all ... from one man crawling out of a slit trench to lob a grenade to a platoon of tanks charging across the desert, Blazing Chariots style ... kicking up dust as they come ever closer ... and closer ... leading to a group morale check that may just convert a company of feather-plumed Bersaglieri into a group surrendering mob.

EARN YOUR OWN RED BADGE OF COURAGE: There is no need to learn a new system or paint up hundreds of expensive miniatures to game the legendary Battle of Gettysburg at tactical-level scale. And with the 150th anniversary of the epic struggle looming, you owe it to yourself, once in this lifetime, now, to immerse yourself in the nuances of the battle as only a tac-sim can communicate.Thanks for Lt. Colonel Mark Johnson, noted author of " That Body of Brave Men: The U.S. Regular Infantry and The Civil War In The West" (c'mon, nail a copy to thank Mark for his yeoman efforts for ATSers) and the designer of the concept ... and Chuck Hamack ... for playtesting the entire thing using minis (don't let us stop you from painting up a huge collection ... you just don't have to with this product on hand).

ATS GETTYSBURG: TURNING POINT 1863 is a complete game, there is nothing else to buy. The rulebook is all ATS, but noting the reality of 'addition by subtraction' ... as in no more Stukas, offboard artillery, Panzers, SP-Guns, landing craft, and so on. Easy to assimilate for ATSers (or anyone with a moderate to high IQ), lean, mean fighting machine of a rulebook. But don't get yourself thinking it is one of those '16 page deals', you know, 'easy' ... as a sole function. There is plenty of meat on the bone here, like all of ATS ... with a plethora of rules that are only used for this era and evocative .. not chrome as they are meat-and-potatoes portions of this manly Civil War banquet. This is a BOXED ATS COMPLETE GAME and includes EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO PLAY.

ATS GETTYSBURG: TURNING POINT 1863 gets you into action with maps and scenarios for Bliss Farm and McPherson's Ridge. The counters are classic, 'king size' ATS. The game is boxed (there is a box delete option for overseas customers wishing to save on postage). For those that want MORE expansions are already in hand, starting with ATS GETTYSBURG: DEVIL'S DEN and we'll take it as far as you want to as the Battle of Gettysburg will only turn 150 once and none of us are getting any younger .... so don't hold off until the 200th anniversary to dive in!

A peek at the Little Round Top map for GETTYSBURG—coming as an expansion.

The warm weather ... at least in the Northern Hemisphere ... is finally headed our way. What better time than NOW to bring you back to the dead of Winter. It is the Battle of the Bulge and once again some of the finest soldiers ever birthed by a great nation ... are standing firm ... against the violent force of an entire Panzer Division. There is no turning back on the road to Bastogne, the linchpin to Hitler's last offensive ... and the scene of A Fateful Stand ... replete with new counter art, a full collection of combat counters in Winter gear and camo schemes. Baby, it's cold outside! But we aim to warm the hearts of tactical-level gamers north and south of the equator.

COMPONENT-WISE: This is a BOXED ATS Historical Module that includes everything you need to play just bring your ATS Rulebook/Play Aids/10-sided dice. The counters are KING SIZE ATS -- 3/4", 5/8" and you receive all the counters and markers you need to play. The map is 'winterized' for evocative gaming, historical leaders straight from 'Band of Brothers' ... winter whitewashed tanks ... it is ALL there for your to enjoy.

NOVILLE, BELGIUM, 19 December 1944: Team Desobry (named for Major William R. Desobry, Commanding Officer of the 20th Armored Infantry Battalion, 10th Armored Division) assembled in the Noville area at 2300 hours on December 18. Because the unit arrived in the area during the hours of darkness, full advantage of the natural defenses of the terrain could not be made. Desobry set up a perimeter defense of the town under Captain Gordon Geiger of Battalion Headquarters Company. He sent forward three outposts, each consisting of a depleted platoon of infantry and a section of medium tanks. One went east on the road to Bourcy. Another went northeast on the Houffalize road and the third set up its roadblock at some crosstrails on the road towards Vaux. Desobry's outpost line was about 800 yards from his main body and engineers were instructed to install minefields in support of the roadblocks. Mines could not be laid due to a steady flow of American stragglers down these same roads. Despite having orders to incorporate stragglers into his lines, with the exception of a platoon of armored infantry from CCR, 9th Armored Division, most of the retreating soldiers took to the cellars of Noville, hors de combat. At 0430 hours on December 19 the stream of stragglers ceased suddenly. At 0530 a group of half-tracks could be heard and dimly seen approaching the block on the Bourcy road. In the darkness the outpost could not tell whether they were friend or enemy. The sentry to the front yelled "Halt!" four times. The first vehicle pulled to a grinding halt within a few yards of him. Someone in the half-track yelled something in German. From a bank on the right of the road, Desobry's men showered the half-track with hand grenades. Several exploded as they landed in the vehicle. There was loud screaming as some of the Germans jumped or fell from the half-track and lay in the road. The rest of the enemy column quickly unloaded and deployed in the ditches along the road. There ensued a 20-minute close-up fight with grenades and automatic weapons and although the roadblock crew was greatly outnumbered, the bullet fire did them no hurt because of the protection of the embankment. Staff Sergeant Leon D. Gantt finally decided that too many German potato-mashers were coming into the position and ordered his men to withdraw about 100 yards. At this the Germans turned their half-track around and ran for safety; they were apparently a reconnaissance element and had completed their mission by finding the American outpost. During the action the two tanks had done nothing although they were within 100 yards of the German column. Sergeant Gantt went to Second Lieutenant Allen L. Johnson and asked him why. Johnson replied that he hadn't been sure what to do. He then fired a couple of Parthian shots down the road but the enemy had already disappeared into the fog and darkness. At dawn the outpost fell back on Noville according to instructions.

Hurtgen HELL ... "You cannot be serious": In a reply to this Johnny Mac quote, ..."you are damn right we are". The scenarios and counters are done and the map prototype is being finished ... and it is another significant battlefield recreation. One could build an entire module around Schmidt. Or Vossenack during the dark days of November 1944. Meter after meter ... of Germeter. Or one could wrap the entire battle up in one module with an impressive wingspan of map area ... guess what our choice was (ok, close your eyes and answer without looking at the 3-map battlefield we have in store for you!)

To sum it all up: Retailers in good standing will be gettig their copies of OMAHA EAST. If you paid a retailer in advance for Omaha East—and they expect to get it from a wholesaler, have them contact us as we want to see YOU taken care of. It is that simple.

So check back soon for more news and watch your In Box for the upcoming new product release!

VATS (Virtual ATS) 3.0 is well underway and we send our thanks to Michal and look forward to the working beta for a test drive. It is right around the corner based on Michal's reports and his submission of a credits screen. Stay tuned.

"Tiger, tiger!": Here's an idea. Paint up a pile of tanks in Normandy 1944 camo schemes. Above is one from the collection. Then recreate the village of Villers Bocage and the surrounding countryside, site of one of the most famous battlefields of the entire campaign. Just to give the new AFVs someplace to fight it out all over again ... in cardboard of course. Then put your favorite tactical-level gamers smack-dab in the thick of the action as the lead flies hot and heavy ... see where this is all leading to? That's right, Michael Wittman and company is coming to your gaming table with an evocative map and colorful game piece collection, so check back soon.

More product news...

The stand-alone ATS TT Kursk: Psel River Crossing is now shipping (the Fast Heinz version shipped with those bundles). The ordering page may be down a bit today due to some site maintenance by our vendor, please check back. Omaha East boxes are out to be printed. ATS Timmes Orchard counters are almost done. We have a LOT going on behind the scenes in the form of new product design, stay tuned!

There are also more ATS items hitting the streets, a new Infantry Basic Game, Timmes Orchard, and keep checking back as there is more coming, followed by more. Expect to see MORE ENERGY put into ATS than any line on the market roday. Expect ATS GETTYSBURG in June. Expect new releases large and small.

The new ATS releases speak to our plan to make the system the most extensive tactical-level map-based module collection ever. We are well on our way and EVERY title will be back in print in new TT editions, with colorful new counter art featured throughout. Here are some of the samples, ALL from the 4 new ATS releases now shipping. They include colorful new Impulse markers (for use on the Turn Record Track), Polish 2nd Corps squads (and new counters in pale lime green for Poles in 1944; the color scheme will also be used in the upcoming 1939 Polish Campaign and 'Maczuga' releases). The new Bracchi title also depicts German Personnel marked with their unit-patch (for the 71st Infantry Division). ALL leaders are 'named' ... for individual flavor. At bottom right, French Tirailleurs Tunisiens are included in Cassino I.

Speaking of Cassino I, we're calling that the 'most colorful' ATS release ever .... since the combatants include French, Polish, German, American and Gurkha .... with all new counters for these combatants included. Here is a look at some of the counters included in that product:

Speaking of maps, the new map for Cassino I (which depicts the former 'Snakeshead Ridge' terrain and then some) may be some of the most rugged terrain ever gamed. And it will be joined shortly by Cassino II, which depicts the famous Abbey. Take a look at the boulder strewn, rough, hilly patch of ground known as Hill 593. Then picture your Fallschirmjaegers clinging to this redoubt ... assuming they get some good die rolls.

The map for Brave But Doomed takes the Oosterbeek Perimeter to another level graphically, and also serves to clean up some of the more confusing terrain representations. We think you'll agree it is prettier, easier to read, and did we mention prettier? From a functional stanpoint, the two mapsheets that make up the Brave But Doomed battlefield are ALL NEW (the hexes are no an exact reproduction of the earlier effort; a full remastering has been undertaken). We feel you'll enjoy the scope of the two full-size, linking mapsheets included.

The new ATS Field Manual is the latest edition of the rules for the complete system and includes an all-new layout. It is available for IMMEDIATE ORDER along with free play ATS TT color play aids. You can still use ALL of your previous ATS play aids with the new edition of the rulebook, remarkably stable and ALL prior ATS titles are full compatible.

A new ATS Warfighting Guide is ready to go and consists of a a unique layout ... textual, consisting of almost 10 years of compiled Q & A from various sources. It is a read meant for cover-to-cover action and is thus presented in this printed format with color cover.The Guide presentsthe material by section, and is meant to be ‘tumbed through’ and this is presented as text, like the Great American Novel ... only all true. Most answers are from the one and only “ATS Guy” Drew Dorman [EXC: Where RT is noted.] Compiled and collected by Scott Eagles. Many thanks to Drew and Scott and the entire ATS community for their interest in creating these questions. Where an answer was the catalyst for a change or clarification in the new ATS 4.0 rulebook, it will be noted in the answer.

A FREE ATS Basic Game Mini Map I is included with your guide and includes a new BG map and counters, ready to put into action. Even if you never played ATS before, this guide and the included FREE all new BG map will get you into the feel of things.

OOSTERBEEK, THE NETHERLANDS, 17 September 1944: Hurrying down the Utrechtseweg towards Arnhem, 3 Battalion were surprised by a German staff car rolling through the intersection in front of them. Many of the men in the lead platoon opened fire, killing Arnhem Commandant General Kussin and his aides. As the echoes of gunfire faded away, the now-primed men of 3 Battalion moved on. As they neared the next crossroads they suddenly came under fire themselves. Blocking the way was a German position centered on a self-propelled gun, part of SS Major Krafft’s No. 2 Company. B Company’s No.5 Platoon was in the lead and quickly took several casualties, including the platoon PIAT. None of Lt. Cleminson’s men had primed Gammon Bombs to hand, so with no real way of tackling this menace the men scattered and sheltered in some nearby houses and gardens. Major Waddy tried to launch an attack, but found the fencing between houses made maneuver very difficult. The paras engaged the Germans with their Brens and Stens while others hurriedly tried to turn an exposed supporting 6-pounder anti-tank gun. The German SPG blew up the Jeep, striking down the gun crew an instant before it could fire. After this brief but intense gunfight, No. 2 Company pulled back, afraid of being outflanked by the paratroopers, taking with them a number of British prisoners. 3 Battalion hitched up their gear and moved on, already far behind schedule.

ATS BRAVE BUT DOOMED allows you to recreate the classic struggle of the Battle of Arnhem on a never-simulated-at-this-scale rendition of the battlefield. And to do it in the ultimate detail, house-by-house, at 50 yards scale. This module does not purport to answer whether Monty’s bold gamble to cross the Rhine and break into the heart of Hitler’s Third Reich could have succeeded. Nor does it have anything to do with whether ‘Market Garden’ aimed one or more bridges ‘too far’. Instead, BRAVE BUT DOOMED puts the gamer literally inside the hexenkessel, hammered by two Waffen SS panzer divisions day after day.

All of the British Personnel come badged with the Pegasus and they are going to look just GREAT down on that massive battlefield created by the TWO 24" × 36" maps included with this module. And what a map set, large, fully remastered, with detailed foliage art and so much more.

As an additional bonus, the packaging has been upgraded to include the 4-color cover you see above.

Snakeshead Ridge, Near CASSINO, ITALY, 18 February 1944: Two attempts by the 4th Indian Division to take Point 593 had failed. Capture of the point was critical to support the attack directed against the Monastery. During the dark hours of the morning of the 18th the 4/6th Rajputana Rifles, 1st Royal Sussex, and a Co. of the 1/9th Gurkha jumped off in yet another attempt to capture Point 593 and Point 569. Despite heroic efforts by the platoon leaders of the various companies, the Germans held out resolutely on Point 569 and could not be pushed back off the reverse slopes of Point 593. As dawn approached, the German counter attacks began and gradually built in intensity. Due to the nature of the terrain, the issue would be decided with hand grenades. The Germans hurled counterattack after counterattack at the Indian lodgement on the forward slopes of Point 593. As the day wore on the 4th Indian Division. casualties mounted. The assault companies that nearly had carried the position in the morning were only tattered remnants of their former selves. It was too much; orders were issued to fall back to friendly lines. The Germans reoccupied Point 593.

For years we've heard a call for a new generation edition of Cassino I and its follow-on game, depicting the battle at the foot of the famous abbsey... and now it's here with phase 1 ... replete with fully remastered map, color die-cut counters with original military art, new ATS TT layout and more.

Included in the 'more' is the fact that the new maps is LARGER in area than its predecessor (as well as physically larger). Better to depict the battle and to tie-in with the upcoming Cassino Abbey map (see below), finally in hand and poised to complete the series.

As an additional bonus, the packaging has been upgraded to include the 4-color cover you see above. Poles, Americans, Germans, Frenchmen, and Gurkhas go at it in the eight scenarios that all play on the new color map.

KRASNY OKTABYR-KLIUCHI, RUSSIA, 10 July 1943: As the battle of Kursk intensified in the southern pincer, the Waffen SS Totenkopf Division reached the last Russian barrier before Oboyan. Lightly defended fortifications, constructed over the previous weeks and months, lined the River Psel. Pressed by the German advance the 6th Guards Army hurried portions of the 52nd Guards Rifle Division into these fieldworks just ahead of the arrival of the SS tankers. Standartenführer Karl Ullrich was ordered to cross the river and seize the villages there, as well as the high ground overlooking them. At dusk, soldiers from his 3rd Battalion waded across the river braving enemy artillery, tanks, and machine-guns the Russians had emplaced in their path. Crossing quickly with only moderate casualties, the SS grenadiers and engineers captured the north bank villages of Vasilyevka, Koslovka, Kliuchi, and Krasny Oktabyr. The fighting only hinted at the bloodshed to come. Overseen by Ullrich, engineers quickly set to building pontoon bridges. There would be little time to reinforce the meager bridgehead with tanks, men, and guns—the means necessary to halt the inevitable Russian riposte. Worse, German officers did not realize that their bridgehead would so alarm the Russian High Command that STAVKA would promptly order no less than two Guards Armies forward ... to crush it.

Recreate the Battle of Kursk on a tactical level like never before. The ATS Kursk brings you to the bank of the River Psel, where a crossing by the 3rd SS Panzergrenadier Division ‘Totenkopf’ drew an immediate—and massive—reaction from the Soviet 5th Guards Tank Army. The result was a titanic clash along the Psel that saw Pzkw VIE ‘Tiger’ tanks crisscrossing the legendary steppe in mortal combat with hordes of T-34 tanks.

The Germans reached the dominating terrain of Hill 226.6, overlooking the Oboyan-Prokhorovka Highway, only to be attacked by wave after wave of Soviet tanks. The Germans were soon caught up in a savage battle to hold the perimeter around their pontoon bridge over the Psel. With the German spearhead attacked at its base, further advance in the Battle of Kursk came to an end for SSTK.

West of the Minturno-Santa Maria road, SANTA MARIA INFANTE, ITALY, 12 May 1944: To carry on the unfinished mission of the weakened and helpless 2nd Battalion, 3rd Battalion was ordered forward. About 1115 Companies K and I jumped off toward Hill 103. On the battalion right flank the 1st Platoon of Company K—its three squads abreast and deployed in a skirmish line—pushed down the northern slope of the knoll in the face of heavy machine-gun fire from the S-Ridge as well as from the forward slope of Hill 103. On the platoon’s left, the 2nd Squad advanced under partial cover of terraces across the draw and a short distance up the southern slope of Hill 103, where it was stopped by machine-gun fire from the crest and from the rear. The 1st and 3rd Squads on the right could advance only to the draw at the base of the hill before enemy fire pinned them down. On the left the 2nd Platoon of Company K pushed on down the knoll to the draw south of Hill 103. Hardly had the platoon reached the draw when a machine gun on the northern slope of the knoll started firing on the platoon from the right rear, forcing the men to seek cover. Well-placed snipers on Hill 103 also trained their rifles on Company K. In visual contact with Company K and on its left, the two leading assault platoons of Company I moved up the western slope of Hill 103 a few yards beyond the farthest advance of Company K; then, enemy fire from mortars, artillery, and machine guns halted their attack. The 1st Platoon, Company I, advancing on the right, also reached the western slope of Hill 103 and suffered much heavier casualties than the other assault platoon. By the time the platoon reached Hill 103 it had barely the strength of one squad. Half an hour after both companies had begun their attack against Hill 103 they were stopped cold.

Feedback says that "Santa Maria Infante" was one of the most linear depictions of war at this scale ever published, almost man-for-man and truly a small unit actions kind of module. A close second was CH's Pointe du Hoc. The new edition, Battle of the Bracchi Hills continues the tradition with new color die-cut counters, new art, the new layout and some treats in the form of a set of 88th Infantry Division-badged Personnel counters to celebrate the feats of this fine unit on the road to Rome during 1944 ... and Germans with 71st Infantry Division patches!

As an additional bonus, the packaging has been upgraded to include the 4-color cover you see above. The map included is the second printing of the mapsheet for this product.

So since your influence counts, and at the CHMB you use it ... here comes an update of ALL the core ATS counters with updated art that we think you'll agree ... is just flat out better than that which came before. Don't get the wrong idea ... we love each and every one of those cardboard veterans that marched for one and all across paper ATS battlefields stretching from North Africa to the Volga ... to Hitler's Atantic Wall.

But there comes a time, and according to YOU ... that time is NOW. So here's the drill. Your last opportunity to order the earlier ATS counters sheets is now. As in the next few days. Then an all new collection of 5/8" and 3/4" counters will be available to use in all of your ATS titles from the past ... to build an all new collection. Then there will be new maps and boards, provided in inexpensive sets to use your new Personnel on ... with scenarios of course. Including an entirely NEW collection of linking, geomorphic boards—released between and alongside historical map-based modules. The end result will be the deepest lineup of historical, map-based, board-based releases in our short history—dating back to 1994. And perhaps, of all time—if we all play our part.

UPDATE: The new large art-based ATS counters are heading into production and will be mated to a significant new ATS tier of products that literally lets YOU ... the ATS gamer ... 'dial up' battles to your own specifications. What that means is the new ala carte counter sets will be released for you to use two ways: with your existing ATS titles (including the new TT releases since maps WERE NEVER REDUCED IN SIZE—STANDARD ATS HEX SIZES REMAINED THE SAME IN TT) ... and with a brand new, TOBRUK-style set of non desert mapsheets + overlays that allow you to create ANY battlefield. The third portion of the presentation is sets of scenarios that play on the new map/overlay sets ... all using the SAME hex size as the paper battlefield that started it all, ADVANCED TOBRUK map sheets.

So nice and slow, Joe, so there's no mistaking (courtesy of the script for "Attack!):

• — Individual sets of ATS counters for each nationality; Personnel and vehicles/H Weapons
• — An ADVANCED TOBRUK-style map + overlay collection
• —Individual scenario sets that list the required counters from the collection for play and often include additional bonus overlays or counters (or both; listed with each pack indivdually)

Advance order items like OMAHA EAST are sold direct at a discounted price with the FREE items listed above based on an immediate bill, no cancel—including at Paypal, 'no whine' (that last a bit tongue-in-cheek but we men understand one another) policy. Your order is a contract we fulfill by manufacturing your items after the order has been paid for.

Omaha East for ATS is in production and NOW is the time to nail YOUR copy and make SURE you get one.

There is also a combined OMAHA EAST + WEST title that is so long in terms of map area, unprecedented for a commercial tabletop strategy game, the it has formally been submitted to the Guiness World Record folks and they've sent confirmation of its acceptance for consideration:

CLAIM ID: 410899
MEMBERSHIP ID: 358344
THIS IS ONLY FOR YOUR REFERENCE
Dear Mr Raymond Tapio,

We are pleased to inform you that your record application has been transferred to our internal system.

You do not need to do anything further at this stage.

We will process your claim and give you an answer to your application in approximately four-six (4-6) weeks.

At Guinness World Records, we take great care to evaluate every claim we receive. Before we accept or reject a new record proposal, we always carry out claim-specific research, which may require the expertise of external consultants.

In the attached document called General Information on Record Breaking, you will find an overview of the record breaking process.

***AND NOW FOR YOUR SPECIAL OFFER! ORDER YOUR COPY OF ATS OMAHA EAST AND GET IMMORTALIZED IN CARDBOARD ... IN THE FORM OF YOUR OWN PERSONAL NAMED OFFICER, BAR GUNNER, OR NCO. JUST USE THE MEMO SECTION OF THE ORDERING PAGE WHEN YOU ORDER TO SPECIFY GERMAN OR AMERICAN AND YOU'LL BE ON THE SHEETS INCLUDED WITH THE GAME AT NO ADDITIONAL COST!

Additionally, your advance order GUARANTEES you a copy of this potentially record setting game at a special price. Click on the cover image below to get all the details at the ordering page. This special offer is first come, first served and as soon as the sheet is filled the offer will end (as long as the page with the offer is up, it is still going).

KHARKOV, UKRAINE, 10 March 1943: The SS Forces under Obersturmbannführer Kurt 'Panzer' Meyer led his recon unit to drive through the Russians and form a blocking position in the southeast section of the surrounded city, around the cemetery. Meyer's men passed through the city center and held a blocking position despite being surrounded for two days, armed with the new MG 42 belt fed machine guns aided greatly in their defense, until contact was reestablished by a sister battalion commanded by Major Peiper. Lt. General Rybalko's forces in the city were composed of a Tank Brigade and NKVD security troops of his Third Tank Army. General Rybalko ordered his units to block the German units from moving through the city, establishing defense lines along the small river meandering through Kharkov. The local militias were called up to aid in the defense of the city and many were thrown piece meal against the SS units armed with new "wonder" weapons. Those new weapons included the MG 42, whose rate of fire almost doubled over the previous MG 34, from 600-800 rpm to 1100 to 1200 rpm. The German forces would begin to have a new type of problem, an inability to maintain a high enough level of supply of ammunition to take advantage of the high rate of fire of the MG42. Many soldiers interviewed after the battle were quoted to say that the rate of fire was so high it was impossible to discern acoustically the individual shells firing. Many cited that the machine guns sounded like the tearing of canvas.

On 12 March, the LSSAH made progress into the center of the city of Kharkov, breaking through hardened enemy defenses in the northern suburbs. What followed was a house-to-house bloodbath as the Germans pressed ever closer to city center. By the end of the day, the division had reached a position just two blocks north of Dzerzhinsky Square. The 2nd Panzergrenadier Regiment's 2nd Battalion was able to surround the square, after taking heavy casualties from Soviet snipers and other defenders, by evening. When taken, the square was renamed Platz der Leibstandarte. That night, 2nd Panzergrenadier Regiment's 3rd Battalion, under the command of Joachim Peiper, linked up with the 2nd Battalion in Dzerzhinsky Square and attacked southwards, crossing the Kharkov River and creating a bridgehead, opening the road to Moscow Avenue. Meanwhile, the division's left wing reached the junction of the Volchansk and Chuhuiv exit roads and went on the defensive, fighting off a number of enemy counter-attacks.

In the aftermath of the debacle at Stalingrad it almost defies belief that German soldiers, in this some of the last elite units available on the Eastern Front ... would plunge into the heart of a massive urban center and initiate house-to-house combat. But that's exactly what took place in Kharkov during the winter of 1943 and the results were a victory ... of sorts. The decline of German fortunes in the East were halted and the desire of Hitler to launch another offensive, to eliminate the Kursk Salient, was whetted. The battle also pointed some historians toward an answer to the 'what if' ... as in what if Hitler had assigned Waffen SS units to attack Stalingrad.

KHARKOV: BATTLE FOR THE SQUARE places you in the heart of an urban battlefield with nothing to fight with but elite units on both sides. The counter collection is impressive: ALL THE COMBAT COUNTERS NEEDED TO PLAY ALL OF THE SCENARIOS ... in ALL NEW presentations ... Germans AND Russians in Winter 1943 uniforms. And all AFV counters are 'winterized' ... aka 'whitewashed' ... to be more evocative than ever. What's more, the battlefield map is also done up in winter colors!

Ruweisat Ridge, EL ALAMEIN LINE, EGYPT, 15 July 1942: The Allied counterattack against his positions on and south of Ruweisat Ridge had been successful in dislodging Rommel's forces from the Ridge. Fearing a rout might develop if he lost this anchor position in his line, the Desert Fox ordered an immediate counterattack to retake Pt. 63. The Germans timed their counterattack to coincide with the setting sun. Rommel was determined to regain his hold on Point 63 before darkness fell. The fighting was furious and Axis forces suffered heavy losses in both men and their ever-dwindling armor. Rommel would regain Point 63 but the cost would rob him of any chance at pushing on to Alexandria. General Auchinleck would be relieved soon after this engagement. But he had succeeded in stopping Rommel from entering Alexandria and the Suez Canal.

The Battle of El Alamein continues to excite wargamers and for good reason. It was a unique battlefield, a departure from most of the fighitng that had taken place in the Western Desert and along the Via Balbia ... to that point in the campaign. Alam Halfa ... Ruweisat Ridge .. Deir El Shein ... 'Snipe' ... Miteirya Ridge ... Kidney Ridge ... Tel el Eisa ... all historic places where the outcome between Rommel and Montgomery ... the Deutsches Afrikakorps and 'Tommy Atkins' ... was decided.

As Carrell said it in Foxes of the Desert, 'the war started breathing again' ... and it does in ATS format in EL ALAMEIN: THE BATTLE OF RUWEISAT RIDGE.

For those that have been building an ATS TT color die-cut counter collection ... and it is an ever expanding endeavor ... a missing nationality is filled in with EL ALAMEIN: THE BATTLE OF RUWEISAT RIDGE. We think you will agree it is HIGH TIME for Tommy Atkins ... in the form of new and updated British 8th Army counters ... to make their appearance. And they duly appear, just in the nick of time. See, Rommel, 'Wolf' and everyone in his Mammut and HQ tent were already thinking about donning a crisp shirt, dress uniform ... for the victory parades through Cairo and Alexandria.

EL ALAMEIN: THE BATTLE OF RUWEISAT RIDGE includes all the color-die cut counters you need to play the scenarios, a brand new map, and a set of scenarios that all play on the historical map. Rommel Goggles are not included.

GAVRUS, 29 June 1944: B Company of the Argylls bore the brunt of the first assault made by 10th SS “Hohenstaufen” in Normandy. As waves of Panzer Grenadiers broke against the Argylls’ position, B company PIATs drove off the accompanying tanks. By evening, the enemy had infiltrated the sunken road behind B Company, driving a wedge between it and the rest of the battalion. The position of B Company’s forward 11 Platoon became difficult, as it was engaged front and rear. Difficult, but not impossible, so long as ammunition held out. Captain Mackenzie, 2 i/c B Company, was leading 11 Platoon. Earlier in the afternoon, he used the platoon PIAT to drive off three enemy tanks that were manoeuvring along the hedges north of the Bougy road. By evening, he and his Platoon had been given up for lost. But just before sunset, he led the fourteen survivors of 11 Platoon back into the Battalion perimeter. He had only withdrawn from the fight when his 2 inch mortar had taken a direct hit and the platoon had no rifle ammunition left. He brought out all but his most seriously wounded. Mackenzie’s gallant stand won him a Military Cross.

Many years ago military historian par excellence Ian Daglish joined CH to launch the first in a string of historical modules created by onsite research. What followed was a successful career as a military history book author, penning titles including Operation Bluecoat and others for Pen & Sword. Before his research went into books focused on the British experience during the Battle of Normandy, Ian's work was brought to the fore in the form of what became ATS's SCOTTISH CORRIDOR. This release has long been slated for new editions and the time is finally here, NOW, in the form of ORDERS FOR THE MAJOR and SHOUT FOR PIATS.

Times have changed, art has changed, and we continue to strive to create the most eye-pleasing tactical-level game cartography and color counters to provide you with an interesting and evocative experience. Both of those elements make the ORDERS FOR THE MAJOR equal to a brand new approach, with color die-cut counters, maps that simply DEFEAT the earlier versions on every level, and more. More as in scenarios using the new and popular layout plus optional scenario OOB tweaks that pop the action in tournament-sized actions ... to meatier versions. The product stays true to design Daglish, and the new OOB changes are provided as additional content for those that want to boost the octane and push the redline ... and up the Panzer count ... in their gaming.

The new counters include more Tommy Atkins (i.e., British nationality), an all new set of Waffen SS in yet another one of their camo patterns (never before published), PLUS AFVs and guns in Normandy camo.

GRAINVILLE-SUR-ODON, 27 June 1944: The Cameronians expected to find Grainville cleared by 11th Armoured Division. This expectation was confirmed by a squadron of the Fife and Forfars who believed the village was clear of infantry but warned of the possibility of enemy tanks. Fond hopes were rudely shattered at 20:00 hours, as D Company moved into the ruins, supported by two troops of 7th RTR. The place was enemy held, opposition was heavy, and three of the Churchills were quickly knocked out. All through the long summer’s evening, the battle raged to and fro over the ruins of the small town. Finally, the Cameronians and their supporting armour pulled back for the night, and shortly after so did the Germans. At midnight, the Cameronians’ M.O. and Padre ventured into the rubble to search for their wounded and found Grainville deserted. The Cameronians would be back.

Raise your hand ... or optionally SHOUT to your mates for a Projecter Infantry Anti Tank (aka "PIAT) ... if you like the idea of a SIX FOOT LONG historical map with campaign game and macro scenario to play on it. Oops, that pretty much means you're shouting at the top of your lungs for a copy of ATS OMAHA or BERLIN from CH ... we just can't get past the desire to provide you the longest, largest tactical-level battlefields this side of joining a pile of geomorphs at a convention (may we suggest the new Museumfest in Michigan). If you wanted to know if the new British in Normandy releases, i.e., the new editions of the maps ... connect, the answer is "yes". If you wanted to know if these new editions, unlike their predecessors, total about 6' in length ... again, check. Affirmative. Yes. If you want to know what it feels like to collect your Panzerkampfwagen Vg platoon around a hamlet ... and stare over a klick away in game distance .... and order your cardboard Frundsbergers ... panzer marsch! You'll need to mount up and take to the turret in the form of a copy of SHOUT FOR PIATS ... and ORDERS FOR THE MAJOR.

Of course if you want to know what it's like to order your Firefly troop (complete with AFVs bearing a troop leader pennant, see the sample directly above) ... to stop the jerries from going anywhere, let alone forward ... we suggest OFM and SFP ... on the double! Either way, you'll note the road signage says 'this way to Hill 112' and 'this way to Villers Bocage' ... both places that are in hand and coming from CH to build an unprecedented British in Nornandy collection of tactical-level modules ... start engines!

MAMAEV KURGAN, STALINGRAD, RUSSIA, 27 September 1942: Acknowledging the damage done to his army in assaulting the southern and central sections of the city, General von Paulus had systematically reconfigured his forces for a fresh assault. Two shock groups were formed, with one consisting primarily of the 100th Jäger Division, whose task was to clear and control Mamaev Kurgan, followed by an advance into the Tennis Racket and the Bannyi Ravine and finally to occupy the Krasnyi Oktiabr workers' settlements. Paulus' counterpart, General Chuikov was well aware of these preparations and had planned appropriate spoiling attacks, though he was unaware of the fresh German reinforcements. His attack was disrupted before it could even begin, with waves of Stukas strafing his advancing forces. His strongpoint on the crest of the burial mound was destroyed. Bombs and artillery cut down the attackers, decimating their ranks and allowing the following German advance to gain ground. The jägers advanced two regiments abreast and captured the western slopes, but initially failed to take the southern slopes. The 227th Jäger Regiment's vigorous assaults, supported by intense artillery, destroyed the Russian ability to hold on. The Germans would secure the summit that evening (though some bypassed remnants would harass the Germans on the southern and western slopes for the next few days). By day's end, the 95th Division retained a foothold on the northern and eastern slopes of the burial mound, but was down to only 400 effective fighting men.

The Battle of Stalingrad has received no shortage of treatment in the wargame realm. No tactical-level game has ever treated the titanic and unique battle for Stalingrad's Mamayev Hill, aka Mamayev Kurgan ... until NOW. From the first thrusts of Hitler's Wehrmacht on 13 September to the last days of 1942 the hill changed hands time and again. By 27 September the Germans had again captured half of Mamayev Kurgan. The Soviets held their own positions on the slopes of the hill, as the 284th Rifle Division desperately defended key strongholds. The defenders held out until 26 January 1943, when the Soviet winter offensive known as Operation Uranus, relieved them, in the process trapping and destroying the German VI Armee in the tomb of Stalingrad.

When the battle ended, the blood-soaked hill known as Mamayev Kurgan was plowed up and under ... and mixed with blood and fragments of shrapnel (between 500 and 1,250 steel splinters were later counted per square meter). The earth on the hill had remained black in the winter, as the snow kept melting in the many fires and explosions. During the spring of 1943 the soil of Mamayev Kurgan remained black. No grass would sprout in its scorched and blood-soaked soil.

It's time to come out of the factories ... at least until CH's ATS Krasny Oktyabr hits the streets ... and have a unique Stalingrad-themed experience as you fight to hold, capture, or re-capture Mamayev Kurgan. Interested in accurate, color Molotov Projector counters? Check. Panzers in Eastern Front summer 1942 colors? Check. And a battlefield like none you and your cardboard soldiers have ever contested? Check and mate. It's time to get your Schmeisser strapped on, hitch a ride on the pack of a Panzerkampfwagen IIIj ... and get to where your Feldwebel tells you to get. Raus!

North of BORISOV, RUSSIA, 4 April 1943: Operation Lenz Sud had commenced in hopes of finally reducing or eliminating the growing Partisan force near Borisov. As the German forces began the push the partisans were ready and awaiting for an ambush. The Partisans were not trained soldiers and the tactics of the partisans were simple and the challenges put on them by their leaders were less than would be expected from a military unit. Surprise and ambush were their best tactic. Their spot chosen lay on both sides of the Narotch stream. Having capturing a German field gun earlier and using their long hidden anti tank gun—a leftover from the retreating Russians in 1941—the ambush was prepared. Mines were placed, demolition charges were planted by explosive teams smuggled behind German lines and now the wait began. One Partisan survivor remembered: “We would ambush the Germans on the Narotch stream bank. We knew the Germans planned to come to the aid of the guard from the other side of the stream. Our commander, Sagalchik, was also a guide, as he had lived in Miadel for many years and was familiar with the area. When we arrived everything was quiet. Suddenly shots were heard. We lay down and awaited the Germans. When we received the sign to attack we ran to the houses where the Germans and Lithuanian sharpshooters were. The battle lasted a few hours and the Germans dispersed.” Within an hour the fight was over leaving the battlefield in partisans hands. The Germans suffered 40 dead and over 50 wounded. “Lenz-Sud’ was off to a bloody start.

Here at CH we're into firsts. We like to delve into esoteric fronts and combatants. We don't base our creative decisions on the bottom line. We live to provide our fellow gamers opportunities to explore their labors of love, pet topics, to read-up, research ... literally 'disappear into the stacks' of their private libraries and public archives. In Bandenkrieg: HELL BEHIND THE EASTERN FRONT each and every one of those touch-points are struck like a chord. A map by Larry Winslow ... a design that has been augmented, added to ... since inception. Actions that have never seen the light of day on a historical map. It's all 'in there' and then some.

If you love new color die-cut counters with a purpose ... i.e., scenarios that use them ... you'll get Polizei infantry. You'll also get Schuma soldiers, new AFVs in black with German designations including the LKW ZIS (with Russian LMG), PzKw T26B 738(r), PSW 42 ADGZ, PSW BAF 203(r), Pzkw T-70 743(r) ... and more! And this motley crew of polyglot squads with their under-powered AFV collection has to take on the OOB of Russian Partisan counters ... all new, color die-cut beauties ... on their home turf. Besides home field advantage, the Partisans are armed with captured weapons, guile, and livestock. Yes, counters for all of the above (including Battlefield Gleaning counters via a variant rule .... for guile) are provided.

The new LARGE MARKER COUNTER sheet for all your ATS gaming is here! And it includes the things you have been asking for, including Large wreck markers, Large smoke markers and MORE.

What's more, order 2 copies of the sheet at the same time and get ONE FREE. Order 4 and get TWO FREE (a total of 6 counter sheets). Each sheet is 8½" × 11", a full size sheet, replacing half sheets ES and FB from earlier games.

When you order 2 or 4 sheet, the additional sheets will be automatically stuffed in with your order (the free sheets do not show up on your invoice).

HOTTON, BELGIUM, 21 December 1944: After revealing itself prematurely, the spearhead group of the 116th Panzer Division remained quiet for about ninety minutes. During that time, the Americans had time to improvise a defense. A roadblock was established in the Rue Haute using Bailey bridge components. Command was assumed by Major Fickessen of the 23rd Engineer Battalion. Fickessen organized 200 men from various staff, messengers, engineers, as well as supply and rear echelon troops. At 0900 hours a group of four Panthers slowly moved from the heights toward the east of town, probing for a way to the bridge. They first tried the Rue Haute, spotted the roadblock, and clanked off to some nearby gardens. One Panther continued on alone and returned to the Rue Haute a little farther up the road. There, the massive Panzer faced off against a diminutive Stuart, which was quickly destroyed. The Panther then engaged a Sherman, brewing it on the second shot. The German crew then backed away after seeing some anti-tank mines sitting on top of the ground. The retreating Panzer was struck on its side by shots from an AT-gun and some bazookas near the south bank of the Ourthe. The crew quickly bailed out, leaving the German platoon leader, Oberleutnant Köhn, pressing forward. He entered the Rue des Ecoles near a second building without being engaged, but then reversed back the way he came, fearful of unseen enemy. Back among the gardens, Köhn halted his tank and was attacked by a Bazooka team. The Panzer leader rotated his turret to face the threat but unbeknownst to him, a lone Sherman from the 7th US Armored Division had been found in the repair shops at Marche and requisitioned to bolster the south bank defense. Sited near the bridge, at the corner of Rue Parfonry, it was offered a rear shot and with two rounds from its 76mm gun, the Panther was brewed. The other two tanks pulled back after half-hearted attempts to reach the Rue des Ecoles near the railway line. As a side note, the south bank defenders also engaged a lone German 75mm gun-armed half-track, spotted near the Ti-Château’s heights, and destroyed it with fire from their 40mm Bofors anti-aircraft gun.

Moving images of the Battle of the Bulge often include German soldiers in their long greatcoat scuttling across the fields from their dark forest lairs, the men of the Volksgrenadier divisions. Now YOU can push cardboard around while you play out the epic stand at Hotton on three fully remastered maps that includes all the counters you need to play and a total of 20 scenarios in all. Darkest December for ATS TT includes all the combat counters and large markers you need to play, just bring your ATS rulebook and play aids and the standard small ½" marker counter sheet and you are IN ACTION in this new take on the Battle of the Bulge classic!

THIRIMONT, BELGIUM, 15 January 1945: By the end of 1944 the German offensive in the Belgian Ardennes was definitely stopped. But the Allies still had to push the Germans back behind the Siegfried Line before they could resume their strike into the Reich. By January 13—eleven days after it was launched —the counteroffensive had expanded far enough to the east along the battle line to engage the American 30th Infantry Division into the fight, with the capture of St. Vith as a first objective. While its sister regiments were plowing south over the hills, the 120th Regiment was locked in a bitter three-day struggle for Thirimont, a ridge village which controlled the east flank of the attack. By irony of fate, this village was defended by the 1st Battalion of the 9th Fallschirmjaeger Regiment, the same unit, whose soldiers so full of confidence, earlier rode on the tanks of the powerful Kampfgruppe Peiper, and had traversed Thirimont one month earlier on the way to the Meuse bridges.

Here comes an entirely NEW way to enjoy your ATS gaming: Geomorphic boards that link in a myriad of ways! And no one has a cooler scenario collection to put you into the action with on the new boards like CH! Battle of the Bulge I for ATS TT includes all the combat counters and large markers you need to play, just bring your ATS rulebook and play aids and the standard ½" small marker counter sheet and you are ready for this all new take on the Battle of the Bulge and ATS gaming!

‘IRON TRIANGLE’ OUTPOST PORK CHOP HILL, 1025 Hours, 6 July 1953: At 1025 hours on the night of July 6th a massive artillery and mortar barrage preceded an onslaught by 700 soldiers from the CCF 200th Regiment, 67th Division. The sounds from the crashing shells concealed the oncoming Chinese, until they burst forward in what was described as “a moving carpet of yelling, howling men--whistles and bugles blowing, their officers screaming like women driving their men uphill.” In a bunker CP just beneath the crest of the hill Corporal Dale W. Cain heard his radio come alive with reports of “enemy in large numbers”. Company A reported hand-to-hand fighting in the trenches. The battle was fought in a driving monsoon rain, making evacuation of the wounded difficult, as well as re-supply. As the battle swayed back and forth, the Chinese made repeated pushes to take the hill while both sides unleased a storm of artillery fire upon the struggling soldiers. During the course of two days, parts of four companies defended Pork Chop. At dawn on July 8th, the rain ended for a time and the initial defenders withdrawn. A fresh unit, 2nd Battalion of the 17th, counter-attacked and re-took the hill, then settled in to prepare a defensive perimeter for the coming night.

We suspect the majority of you out there have witnessed the movie "Pork Chop Hill" more than once, with its stirring performance by Gregory Peck. If you are like us, you've seen it over and over again. It's just that good. Our feelings about this film are on par with those we reserve for YOU, our customers, the historical wargamer with the imagination and daring to break out of the rusty cage, genre-wise, that someone once told you was the only place you could maneuver your cardboard warriors. And it is for YOU, the decisive "Lt. Joe Clemons" of tac-sim gamingthat we've created a nifty little treat known as ATS TT BATTLE OF PORK CHOP HILL. It includes an historical map and 6 scenarios all playable on the historical map. PORK CHOP HILL I for ATS TT includes all the combat counters and large markers you need to play, just bring your ATS rulebook and play aids and the standard ½" small marker counter sheet and you are ready to dive into the movie as if you were there!

ATS TT Pork Chop Hill you will LOVE the detailed historical map!

VIERVILLE-SUR-MER, FRANCE, 0630 Hours, 6 June 1944: The 743rd Tank Battalion didn’t have any illusions about D-Day. Unlike other units, they fully expected to be hurled at the beach first, paving the way for the infantry and all of the following waves. They were expected to make the landings easier for following units, but even with a successful bombardment they knew there would be hell to pay on the beach. In Company A, two of each group of three Shermans was standard; the third was a bulldozer model. Each tank had been specially waterproofed and had large ‘fishhook’ ducts mounted over the engine compartment. The rough surf had caused the officers in charge of the landing to conclude at 0505 hours to cancel the planned launch of the 743rd’s DD tanks in the water, and instead carry them ashore on their LCTs. The neighboring 741st Tank Battalion infamously lost 27 of their 32 DDs after launching them, with only a few sharp crews with small boating experience able to handle the sensitive craft in the high seas. Landing at the same time as the doomed infantry of the 116th Regimental Combat Team, the tankers didn’t find the going much easier. The LCTs took a pounding—they were the first big targets to hit the beach. Two LCTs were sunk during the approach, and only eight of Company’s B’s sixteen tanks actually made it to shore. An 88 shell knocked out the first Sherman off the ramp of LCT-591. Company CO Captain Ehmka’s LCT landed right at the Vierville draw, and Ehmka and many of his men were killed before they could unload. Across more than 400 yards of open beach, the surviving tanks had a terrible time picking out the guns firing on them, while they were exposed except for what the drivers could keep under water without flooding. Instead of supporting infantry who could threaten the gun positions, the tanks found themselves alone in the surf, surrounded by a great many bodies of the 116th. And they were stuck on the beach, trapped by the great anti-tank wall at Vierville. Walking among his tanks, trying to coordinate their actions, the 743rd commander, Lt. Col. Upham, got drilled in the shoulder. Still, the crews tried to stay alive while they looked for targets they could hit. Finally all of the work was rewarded when the survivors moved through the D-1 exit at Vierville just before dark, then rolled a precious half-mile inland. Lt. Harold Beavers was Company B’s only unwounded officer, and he earned the DSC. “They shot the hell out of the Germans,” an officer of the 116th said of the 743rd, “and got the hell shot out of them.”

OMAHA WEST begins the final chapter of our ATS TT exploration into the famous battle that will conclude with the release of OMAHA EAST. Ownership of OMAHA WEST will be required to play OMAHA EAST and the entire package has been upgraded and updated with new counters. ATS TT OMAHA EAST will use the TT format and ownership of this product will be required to play that upcoming title. OMAHA WEST for ATS TT includes all the combat counters and large markers you need to play plus an additional batch of small markers, just bring your ATS rulebook and play aids and the standard ½" small marker counter sheet and you are ready to begin a whole new generation of Normandy gaming!

ATS TT Omaha West 2nd edition maps, all new counters, wow!

WINGEN-SUR-MODER, FRANCE, 4 January 1945: Shortly before the crack of dawn on 4 January sleeping American soldiers were suddenly awakened by what some on the scene described as “the most intensive machine-gun and automatic weapon fire that any had ever heard.” Disoriented GIs awoke to the sudden outburst of fire but there was no panic. German forces pushed out of the Low Vosges forests to capture Wingen-sur-Moder, situated along the road net needed for Operation Nordwind. The attacking enemy forces struck Wingen at the first light of day and rapidly moved through the village. In the confusion that followed, Company A lost communications with Companies B and C, and for a time the Company was without radio contact with the Battalion CP in the Kirchberg. Within the company perimeter confusion made it difficult for the platoon leaders and platoon sergeants to get their men organized. Nearly every squad was on its own. Their reaction to the sudden attack was left to the judgment of the individual squad leaders. By 0900 hours the Germans had captured and occupied the town, the high ground to the northeast of town, and established a bridgehead on the south bank of the Moder River. They immediately went about establishing a perimeter defense around the village then prepared to continue their attack southward toward Saverne.

During the first days of January 1945 German forces pushed out of the Low Vosges forests to capture the towns that lay along the snow-covered route of attack. One of these towns was Wingen, along the Moder River. American units there were initially caught by surprise as battle-hardened troopers from the 6th SS Mountain Division stormed in and captured the town. American reinforcements were soon pouring in from the west and the south and despite bitter fighting, by January 5th the German offensive had been brought to a standstill. Lacking exits from the Vosges, planned armored reserves stood idle and Operation Nordwind ended in failure.

Wingen sits in a small valley along the Moder River between Bitche to the north and Saverne to the south. Described in the following bucolic terms, “...the village and the surrounding area looked very much like a winter scene one might expect to find on a Christmas card back home. Smoke rising from a few chimneys made the houses appear warm and inviting...” Wingen would erupt on 3 January 1945 and become the focal-point of Operation Nordwind.
This module consists of eight scenarios, all playable on the Wingen-sur-Moder historical map. The map seeks to recreate this wooded region, and specifically allow for the investigation of combat problems inherent to a built-up area with river, bridges, and buildings laid out realistically in a manner unlike that which can be depicted on geomorphic boards.

Welcome to the ATS NORDIC TWILIGHT*, a new module that depicts the fierce fighting in the Low Vosges by the 6th SS Mountain Division during Operation Nordwind. NORDIC TWILGIHT contains eight scenarios, all playable on the new map included. You also two copies of two new die-cut counter sheets PLUS a free copy of the standard ATS American Personnel counter sheet making this a value you'll need to nail down without delay.

MABATANG, PHILIPPINES, 0830 hours, 12 January 1942: The 1st Battalion rode out the initial Japanese offensive facing little action on their front, enabling the unit to provide support for Colonel Fry’s more heavily engaged units. The commander of 1st Platoon, A Company, Second Lieutenant Alexander R. Nininger, led his men through the night, moving from hole to hole, facing nothing more than occasional sniper fire. Nininger, a West Point-trained, 23 year-old, was born to be a warrior and had no intention of letting enemy snipers go unpunished. During the morning of January 12th, Nininger directed his men to fire into the woods’ edge, where he suspected enemy snipers were lurking. He then gathered stragglers from 3rd Battalion, and along with his men headed into the dense vegetation to root out the Japanese. Enemy fire sent Nininger and his men back out of the brush. Undaunted, he ordered his charges to push back, and they attacked again. When the young lieutenant was wounded he continued to encourage his men to move forward, even managing to work his way to the front. The 23 year-old warrior refused evacuation, declined medical help, and went back at it, rallying his soldiers for a third push. This time he personally took the point, throwing hand grenades and killing Japanese soldiers as he inexorably moved ever onward. At about noon on the 12th the valiant lieutenant finally succumbed to his wounds. For his actions 2nd Lieutenant Alexander R. Nininger posthumously received the first Congressional Medal of Honor awarded during World War II. His, he first Medal of Honor awarded during World War 2 was not the first to be won, although Second Lieutenant Alexander R. Nininger was not aware of the distinction nor is it suspected would he have cared.

Welcome to the ATS ON THE ROAD TO BATAAN, a historical module that depicts the fierce fighting for the Abucay/Mabatang Line from 11-15 January, 1942. Situated on the on the Bataan Peninsula, this position ran through Mauban on the coast of Manila Bay (east side) to Mabatang on the coast of the South China sea. ATS ON THE ROAD TO BATAAN contains eight scenarios, all playable on the historical map included. You also receive a Battlefield Walkaround booklet plus a special set of counters. You get two sheets of the Philippine Scouts Personnel, all the vehicles and guns needed, PLUS A COPY OF THE JAPANESE FULL ATS SHEET (a $12.95 value) ... all the combat counters you need to play! Just bring markers, ATS Rulebook and play aids.

Below is a scene from the battle around the A-T ditch in between Hill 43 and the beach. All the counters shown are included with the game along with a full sheet of Japanese combatants, the standard U.S.M.C. personnel sheet, an American AFV/H weapon sheet, and new sheets created just for this game.

A turretted 37mm LVT(A)1 wades ashore in hex E4 to lend fire support to Gyrenese, led by grizzled veteran Captain Dorman. There's Japs in them hills though and getting off the beach won't be easy...nor will moving inland as the island of Peleliu is literally infested with enemy troops. The AT ditch (e.g., G4) can be crossed by friendly AFVs as long as they are escorted...because the ravages of time and sand partially filled it in. It will be a long, hard...hot slog inland for cardboard Marines and die-hard ATSers alike.

Below is a scene from the northern portion of the two-map Ponyri battlefield and we think you'll agree that even this tiny portion of the action is rife with decision-making possibilities. The hachures denote hillock hexsides (e.g., EE10/EE11) and these negate the LOS difficultes of the crops (yellow) terrain, making each 'up' position critical...and potentially vulnerable.

In this one swirling melee we see two massive Elefant SP-guns serving as fire-base bookends to German attacks from each flank while a Stuka swoops down from above. There are Ivans hunkering in those printed hedgehog trenches (e.g., EE7) while a KV-1 M42 clanks toward its revetment in hex AA9. Pillboxes (hexes DD8; EE11), smoke rounds, mortars, a 25mm AA-gun and more are all part of this small sampling of the action you'll find in this ATS title.

Below is the cover of the upcoming ATS FIELD MANUAL rulebook. Beneath that is a facsimile of the new 8½" x 25" tri-fold full color system play aid that will be included with the ATSFM. We're finishing all the new tables now so the placement on the final tri-fold will be different than what you see here... but what won't change is the use of a large, folding, coated 4-color system play aid printed front and back. That's 6 sides of data.

The new ATSFM does a number of things. First and foremost it compiles what little errata has been identified since the last edition. It also adds the latest rules to the main game engine including the expanded MG presentation, enhanced Collateral Fire rules, and more. The ATSFM also provides the new ATS Tabletop (TT) rules and counter information and this is where the system moves forward in convenience and playability.

H weapons and vehicles have their additional ammunition-types printed right on the counter. New '×' weapons are added to the system to reflect reduced reliability. Nationality-specific FOW back-of-counter displays make keeping track of those sneakly little tanks and guns easier while still concealing their exact identification.

DROP ZONE NORMANDY^TM is the first release for the ATS TT line and is also dedicated to that great soldier Dick Winters and his 'band of brothers', featured in the set. All of the scenarios depict actions in Normandy by the men of the 101st 'Screaming Eagles' Airborne Division and you get all the counters you need to play, just bring standard ½" ATS markers. An ATS TT introductory booklet is included so owners of the main rulebook can dive right in and use the new counters and rules created just for this product!

LZ X-RAY is coming for ATS TT and it's a perfect fit component-wise.

LZ X-RAY is a labor of love of designer Jason Brown and we know that YOU too will love the way the system seamlessly moves forward in time, from the French Indochina War to the latter part of the conflict, aka the "Vietnam War". The place is a remote swath of empty terrain in the Chu Pong Massif foothills. There's one problem...almost an entire NVA Battalion is streaming out of the foothills toward you and your men. It's November 1965 all over again and YOU are under fire on a 'Hot LZ' and there is only one way in and one way out...by air. New counters join the system in the form of multiple helicopter models, the 'Thumper Gunner', M60 machine-guns, and more.

With ATS LZ X-RAY you'll be brought in....and hopefully back out again in a series of scenarios that depict the action from initial landing to Hot LZ and then some. Moore, Plumley, and all the valiant soldiers depicted in the book and movie "We Were Soldiers Once" are there and back in action again, facing a determined enemy with one goal: overrun the LZ and the men of the 7th Air Cav. You'll find all the termite mounds you can handle, NVA Regulars, historical leader counters, and Hueys...Hueys...Hueys...in various models. All with DETAILED COLOR MILITARY ART used for the die-cut counters.

ATS TABLETOP (TT) IS WELL UNDER WAY! ATS TT is a new branch of the popular game system that will consist of steadyu releases that get you more cardboard counters per release and serve to build the largest collection of map-based tactical-level simulations ever. Your choices are broader than ever as a new wave of 'king sized' ATS counters is also right around the corner so every man is a fortress ... of ATS gaming!

The new ATS TT line also allows the publisher to experiment with some new system components and concepts, as well as introduce enhancements before they are adopted into the full system.

The Mammut has landed:

"The Bundle landed on my doorstep last night - and it is truly impressive!"

CHantal is back with a message for you. After 19+ years of tactical-level gaming we agree with every word she has to say. Click on the image above to hear it for yourself.

With 4,446 customers signed up at our site and 3,000+ at our message board, is it time to give Twitter a whirl? There is only one way to find out we suppose, and that's to give it a trial run. To save you the trouble some are having with the Twitter link 'widget' created by the people behind the 140 character service, you can head over there and use your existing account—or create a new accountr—and follow Ray CH@CH_Direct. The tweets begin if we get to critical mass in terms of followers, or we'll stay with the current metaphor of website and free CHMB for customer interaction ... until the next big thing comes around. Tweets from here will include product updates, specials, and anything related to tactical-level gaming, military history and ... what have you.

Here at CH enthusiasts make it all happen and we are humbled and gratified to be in a position to bring their labors of love to printed form. Another new addition is in hand and heading to the desert sands of your gaming tables. It is the most up to date rulebook version of the original edition of TOBRUK in a new "Deprogrammed" format by Desert Rat extraordinaire Brian McCue. Yes, there is new material fully called-out in italics and yes, it it fully remastered as a complete rulebook. No more Programmed Instruction. A new Table of Contents and Index rounds out this useful new booklet.

What's more, if we see enough interest in the new TOB-DEP book, you can count on new counters and vehicle charts + updated play aids in the original format, providing new AFVs, AT-guns...and more (dare we mention overlays for the original TOBRUK boards...new scenarios in the original format...new nationalities...shhhh!)

Vying for the title "Mr. ATS" Benoit Foucque has created something special for his fellow ADVANCED TOBRUK SYSTEM hobbyists. The result of untold hours is the Virtual ATS (VATS) edition of the game that started it all. Play "Aberdeen", "First Crisis at Knightsbridge" and "The Group Crüwell Feint" online, live and in real time or use the software to keep track of your own games...or use it as a Play by E-Mail tool...the choice is yours (and you know how we feel about open-minded creative people around these parts!)

Benoit didn't stop with TOBRUK. The valiant Frenchman wiped the dust from his Rommel goggles and pushed on... right to the Battle of the Bulge and software for VIRTUAL DARKEST DECEMBER. What's more, the art department at CH equipped Benoit with the latest, re-mastered and yet to be published Hotton map for use in the software!

Ownership of ADVANCED TOBRUK and DARKEST DECEMBER the boxed games are required for license purposes and you will also need to download the VATS software, available here. All 24 scenarios found in ADVANCED TOBRUK are playable with this software as are all 16 scenarios contained in DD.

FEBRUARY 2013 UPDATE: Virtual ATS is getting an update as we speak and will be available soon in a new edition relfecting the latest graphics and more. Stay tuned!

The Battle of Berlin rolls on as inexorably as Stalin's generals, rolling toward the infamous bunker and its inhabitants...as April 1945 draws to a tumultuous close. Following the boxed game BERLIN—RED VICTORY, the follow-on expansion that brings another 'baker's dozen' collection of scenarios, ranging from small, fast-play, to über monster that brings it all together with all four Berlin map-sheets.

Everything CH manufactures is 100% MADE IN THE USA and always has been.

 

CRITICAL HIT, INC. specializes in recreating tactical-level battlefields for the historical board wargaming market. Our online catalog consists of 275+ unique offerings, in addition to numerous free downloads. Use the links on this page to enter our 'stockroom' and begin exploring.

Founded in 1994, Critical Hit coined the phrase "Enthusiast Media" to describe the firm's approach to bringing together the publisher and the hobbyist/designer in a unique method of cooperation that strips away everything but a mutual effort to bring labors of love to the fore. This approach has proven successful in the form of many tactical-level wargames in print, and many more currently being prepared for publication.

We currently serve 5,000+ individual customers and 20+ wholesale and other dealers and our ongoing focus is taking their gaming interests to new historical battlefields with a more extensive collection of military maps than any other firm. Critical Hit, Inc. is the publisher of the largest tactical-level/squad level simulations in wargame history with its BERLIN and OMAHA product offerings. Not content at that, both of these titles are slated for upcoming add-ons, expanding the OMAHA BEACH presentation beyond TEN FEET IN LENGTH and BERLIN to a massive FOUR 24" x 36" mapsheets in all.

The center-piece of the Critical Hit line is the ADVANCED TOBRUK SYSTEM (ATS). Nominated for board wargame of the year and inspired by the original TOBRUK by Avalon Hill, the system has been expanded to depict the gamut of 20th Century warfare at the scale of 50 yards per hex. In addition to a series of board wargames and expansions, ATS is augmented with VIRTUAL ATS (VATS) software, a free download licensed for use by any owner of the matching print title. VATS allows users to play ATS online and in real time against anyone in the world and is also a great use for SOLO play and for saving set up information and games in progress. It is a fully supported licensed software product created by Critical Hit and uses original source graphics for game pieces and maps.

Critical Hit acquired the German board wargame company MOMENTS IN HISTORY in 1999 and continues to produce and distribute products through its MiH division. Most notably, D-DAY THE GREAT CRUSADE is now in a second edition, with expanded beach landing presentation. Previous owners of DDTGC can also purchase the beach landing expansion to add it to their existing game.

If you're looking for 2,500+ of your fellow hobbyists and what is widely recognized in wargame circles as the friendliest and most informative message board on the internet you can sign up for the CH Message Board. It's a free service provided by Critical Hit and has attracted over 70,000+ posts to date and counting.

CH is now an authorized Amazon Associate and we'll be selecting titles for your attention and making them available at our site on an ongoing basis. New book selections coming soon!