Ambush! (My Collection)

[Whiterook]

Ambush! by Victory Games, is an age old favorite solitaire game from 1983, and just happens to be one of the batch of first-bought games back in the 80’s. It was a newish game, just a couple years old when I purchased it n 1985, and started my love affair with solitaire wargaming.

from the back of the box:

Ambush! is the solitaire wargame of combat, adventure, and heroism in World War Two France. Using a ground-breaking development of the programmed paragraph solitaire system, Ambush! gives the player control of an American squad, faced with a variety of missions against an ever-changing, hidden German foe. The variable events, innumerable tactical options, and wealth of unexpected occurrences make Ambush! a solitaire gaming experience unlike any that has gone before. The easily learned rules are specially designed to get the player into the action within minutes. The player selects and arms his squad, providing each soldier with command and initiative ratings, perception, weapons skill, driving skill, and movement capability. After selecting one of the eight missions provided, the player sends his squad into a mission map to conduct operations called for in the mission. Soldiers move freely, as far as the player wishes, checking for events each time they move...until the sequenced action rounds are triggered by the whine of German bullets!

From the mind of the world renowned mind of John Butterfield, and a 1983 Charles S. Roberts Best Twentieth Century Game Winner, it remains one of the most sought out games, still to this day, with a used game price of $60-100 as of this writing. Though 40 years old, it is still, very much playable and viable. I believe that it’s a Wargame Essential, particularly for solitaire fans.

[Whiterook]

Though the rules and map still hold up well in todays high tech style designs, what didn’t hold up so well, especially over the last decade, with so many modern card driven games on the market, are the cards; small, perforated pop out yellow cards that yellowed more with age… fortunately, a custom Card Upgrade has become available through The Game Crafter, available here. I picked my set up a few years ago for about $12… the upgrade currently runs $19.59.



The cards themselves are much bigger, poker card sized, and with gorgeous graphics.









Certainly a wonderful investment and highly recommended!

[Whiterook]

Move Out! is the second offering in the series (the first expansion) for Ambush! It adds four new scenarios along with new weapons, vehicles, and enemies. The scenarios are designed to be more difficult, so that your veteran characters who have survived the 8 missions in the base game have more of a challenge.

Contents:
60 new Character/Vehicle Cards
11 new Mission Cards
1 new Paragraph/Mission Booklet



This, and subsequent expansions were all bought second hand many years down the road. I like the frost game so much, I had to try and get the full catalog! I don’t know why I didn’t buy these new when they came out, but I was in a different place back then. Thank goodness for second hand market resources.

[Whiterook]

Purple Heart, form 1985, is the third offering (second expansion) for Ambush! It adds six new scenarios along with new weapons, vehicles, enemies and maps. The scenarios are designed to be challenging for experienced characters. Instead of being limited to France in 1944 like the base game, Purple Heart also takes you to:
- The Ardennes, December 1944
- South of Caen, July 1944
- The Rhone Valley, 1944
- Western Germany, Spring 1945




My collection was filling out when I found this one! Prices were still low enough on this and the next one you’ll see in a moment, that I was able to pick up Very Good to Like New condition games.

[Whiterook]

Silver Star, from 1987, is the fourth offering (the third and final expansion ) for Ambush! It adds six new scenarios along with new weapons, vehicles, enemies and maps. The scenarios take place in Italy, and are designed to be challenging for experienced Ambush! characters.



as you are about to see momentarily, there had follow-on games, but they were more or less, based on the original game and three expansions laid out to this point. As earlier, this was bought years ago when the proces were still reasonable…but these are getting more and more expensive now!

[Whiterook]

Battle Hymn, was a new game unto itself. Set in the Pacific Theater of Operations, it was based on the Ambush! blueprint, but was not really, technically, an Ambush! add-on module. Also, oddly enough, it came out in 1986, a year before Silver Star.

It my very last acquisition thus far, purchased about a year ago for a more pricy penny, but I consider it part of my Ambush! series.

…a solitaire game of combat, adventure, and heroism in the Pacific during World War II. Using the revolutionary programmed paragraph approach pioneered in the Ambush! game system, Battle Hymn gives you a squad of American Marines and challenges you to fight your way through a variety of Missions against a deceptive and ever-changing Japanese foe. Unexpected events and innumerable tactical options offer virtually endless solitaire enjoyment, and the easily learned rules start even relatively inexperienced players on their first Mission quickly. Select you squad, arm them, and choose their Mission. Move your men out, advancing them as you wish, until something triggers an Event - until a peaceful walk in the steaming jungle turns out to be a fight for your life!

[Whiterook]

Leather Neck is the sequel to Battle Hymn, expanding on the PTO. This one still eludes me! It’s extremely rare and hard ti find, and when you do come across it, the seller wants both testicles and dinner at an expensive restaurant.

The rules, missions, playing pieces, and mapsheets provided in Leatherneck are fully compatible with those components in your Battle Hymn game. This complete four-mission module is designed to test your squad to its utmost. Using the most exciting solitaire system ever devised, it is up to you to lead your men through steaming jungle and across shell-torn beaches - and lead them home again. The stakes are high, the missions dangerous, and the enemy cunning, but your squad has not survived the rigors of Battle Hymn for nothing!

Contents:
60 new Character/Vehicle Cards
11 new Mission Cartridges
108 new Counters
1 8 1/2" x 22" Map (E)
1 7 1/2" x 22" Map (D)
1 new Paragraph/Mission Booklet

I don’t doubt I’ll get this game someday… I hope 

[Whiterook]

Shell Shock! is yet another off-shoot from the Ambush! system, this time a 2-player game! I bought this several years ago at a decent price, and I’m seeing that it’s another hard-to-find game.

Shell Shock! is a two-player game of combat, adventure and heroism in World War II Europe; adapted from the award-winning and incredibly popular Ambush! solitaire game. In each of six missions, one player commands a squad of German infantry while another commands American, British, or Soviet troops. The players determine the composition of their squads - men, weapons, and equipment - and purchase Light and Heavy supports to assist them in the mission - from foxholes and barbed wire to artillery support. Every playing is different as the intensity of the battle, mission objectives, forces and weather change.

Contents:
One 22" x 32" Map Display with one 16" x 18 " Map
Four 8" x 16" Maps (B-E)
540 Counters (3 Sheets total)
One Rule Booklet
Two Mission Booklets
Two Player Cards
Two Squad Record Pads
Two Vehicle Displays
120 Playing Cards
- 46 Random Event
- 30 Allied Aid Card
- 30 German Aid Card
- 8 Special Guest
- 6 Crew Vehicle
One Counter Tray
Two ten-sided dice

I love this add…

[Whiterook]

There are at least six variants, published in magazines and a 3-document scenario expansion set… they are totally impossible to find, with maybe the exception of a once in a blue moon offering on eBay! I’d love them, but I don’t count my chickens on them.

[Whiterook]

An interesting side trip in the Ambush! legacy is this little gem…

Open Fire!

"Open Fire: Solitaire Tank Combat in WWII" is the solitaire wargame of combat, adventure, and heroism for everyone who ever wondered what World War II armored combat must have been like. Inspired by the award-winning Ambush! solitaire wargame system, Open Fire provides the player with a platoon of American armor, faced with a variety of missions against an ever-changing German foe. The variable events, innumerable tactical options, and wealth of unexpected occurrences make "Open Fire" a game unlike any tactical armor game you have ever played before. The easily learned rules are designed to get the player into action quickly, selecting his platoon and vehicles and providing each unit with command and initiative ratings, perception, weapon skill, driving skill, and movement capability. After selecting one of the six missions provided, you will send your platoon into operations, where your vehicle will move as you wish... until the sequenced action rounds are triggered by the shriek of an incoming 88mm anti-tank shell, and then the fun begins.

Contents:
210 Counters (1 Large Sheet)
1 22" x 32 " Map
1 Rules Booklet
1 Paragraph Booklet
79 Unit Characteristics Cards
1 Mission Cartridge
1 Cartridge View Sleeve
1 Platoon Record Sheet Pad
1 8" x 22" Display Sheet
2 Decimal Dice
1 Counter Storage Tray

This was another, original jump into wargaming purchase at the end of the 1980’s, ans was bought brandie-dandy new at a wargame store in Boston. It’s still pristine and one of my most cherished games, partly because of when I bought it, partly because it’s Patton (I mean, come on!’, and partly because cause it puts me in a tank!

[mikeh]

Except for Leatherneck I new nothing of all these other expansions. I like the Sgt Rock like image of the sgt standing tall with arm fully extended to throw a grenade in the turret hatch! Also the Shell Shock image is pretty cool also. Is it any easy game to learn as stated on the box?

[Whiterook]

May 14, 2023 14:23:03 GMT -5 mikeh said:

Except for Leatherneck I new nothing of all these other expansions. I like the Sgt Rock like image of the sgt standing tall with arm fully extended to throw a grenade in the turret hatch! Also the Shell Shock image is pretty cool also. Is it any easy game to learn as stated on the box?

Yes, it’s easy to learn and challenging to play, which attests to it still maintaining a huge following of not only players, but collectors, too. The new cards definitely elevated the game! …the original cards were just so ugly, by today’s standards. It also remains one of I’d say, the Top 5 Solitaire Games, based on its continued and ravenous popularity. I haven’t dug it out in a very long time, and it certainly is due!