There is something to be said about a wargame that throws warnings about rules complexity right in your face. Here is how the first page of the 148 page rule book for Bruce Maxwell’s Air & Armor: Wurzburg – Designer’s Signature Edition from Compass Games (2024) starts:
Design Note: Even a veteran gamer is going to experience a sinking feeling weighing this booklet in his hands and wondering just how long it is going to take to digest these rules. Take heart! Three things lighten this load:
1. The first 15% of this booklet simply describes the components of the game and the various units and markers it contains; another 25% consists of detailed examples of play and Design and Play Notes. Only 60% of this booklet is actually rules, and some ten pages of those are optional.
2. There is a solid little introductory scenario (see Thermopylae, Case 47.1), which makes it easy to play your way into the game after reading just half the rules.
3. You will find extensive video clips online showing how the game is played. Links can be found at http://www.compassgames.com.
Finally, it is worth relating that when playtesters first picked up the game, they consistently reported being daunted by the rules and the extensive Sequence of Play. Once they got into it, they equally consistently reported that the game was easy to play because the Sequence of Play and the Charts & Tables support game play without requiring much reference to the rules. Players familiar with my earlier game, NATO: The Cold War Goes Hot, may wonder why I have not used the Veteran’s Summaries that made those rules so easy to absorb. The answer is that Air & Armor is played using a unique game system. Even veteran wargamers are unlikely to have seen anything like it before.
[1.0] INTRODUCTION
Maxwell’s advice: “The key to absorbing this breadth of rules is not to try to remember them all, but rather to rely on the Sequence of Play and the Charts and Tables to provide you with a clear path for exercising all game functions in a logical order” ([1.3] LEARNING THIS GAME). They go on to advise:
To break up the effort of learning the rules and to start playing as quickly as possible, we encourage the following approach. Skim the rules up to Case 23.0 and then stop. Skip to Case 31, Shatter, then skip to Case 46.0, Scenario Play (or to Case 45.0, Hidden Mode Play, if you want to play solitaire), after which set up and play the introductory scenario, Thermopylae, Case 47.1. Replay this scenario until you feel that you have mastered the basic mechanics of the game.
[1.3] LEARNING THIS GAME
Going forward in this Game of the Week I will try to use Maxwell’s advice and make it my warplan for Air & Armor. Now on to the first 15% which looks to be about 25 pages.
By the way; if you feel you are a veteran wargamer and can quickly skim these sections there are warnings buried within. Like the Design Note at the start of [3.0] GLOSSARY that states, “Even veteran gamers should read this section.” I get the feeling this Game of the Week may be a Game of Weeks…
Feature image by RMN
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Rocky Mountain Navy Gamer 
Only 60% is rules. LoL that still makes in nearly 4x longer than original.
I do not understand why Modern wargame designers have decide Sim is in!
These titles such as Red Strike and to a lesser extent C3i system[TRL Games] are almost according to some unplayable and sim heavy, massive time sinks and not really much fun!! Why?
At 12 pt font the errata is already clocking in at 10 pages, first up a change to sequence of play! Plus map and counter fixes in the box…
the pre warning should be a warning to potential buyers?
Perrhaps its a warning about the detail and massive change from what WAS an innovative design for its time with just 12.5 pages of standard rules and 5.5 of advanced. Some how that became 80 pages of rules there abouts….using the 60% yard stick.
As I am working my way through I am finding a lots of secondary explanations and examples of play that drive up the page count…perhaps by a factor of 2? Still roughly 50 pages of rules.
While I don’t currently own RED STRIKE, I have played LESS THAN 60 MILES from TRL Games and find it an in-depth look at OODA in combat. It takes some time to learn but once you do the experience it delivers is both satisfying and very enlightening.
More postings coming in the days ahead…
im just going by the author Bruces note – 60% of pages is rules. My pdf has 148 pages 88.8 pages of rules vs under 20 for the original. But its the play that matters so lets see.
As for C3i, our team went at it 3 times in a team of 4 and walked away under whelmed. way too many DRMs that did not move the needle . As with NDC , its inspiration; both sides tend to stick to one or two modes, as you lose too much time on mode change and increase risks.