Editing Up Front (game)

{{Short description|World War II card-based wargame}}
{{italics title}}
{{Refimprove|date=October 2013}}
{{Infobox game
| title         = Up Front
| subtitle      =
| image_link    =
| image_caption =
| designer      = [[Courtney F. Allen]]
| manufacturer  =
| publisher     = [[Avalon Hill]]<br/>[[Wargame Vault]]
| illustrator   =
| years         = 1983–present
| players       = 2
| ages          = <!-- age range -->
| setup_time    =
| playing_time  = 60+ minutes
| random_chance =
| web           = [http://www.wargamevault.com/product/148406/Up-Front-Complete-Game-BUNDLE Wargame Vault]
| skills        =
| footnotes     =
}}
{{Wargaming}}
'''''Up Front''''' is a [[World War II]] card-based [[wargaming|wargame]]. It was designed by [[Courtney F. Allen]] and published by [[Avalon Hill]] in 1983.  [[Hasbro]] now owns the franchise, and at one time licensed it to [[Multi-Man Publishing]], a license that has since expired without republication of the game. There was an attempt to reprint ''Up Front'' through [[Kickstarter]] in 2013. The project raised over $300,000, but no updates to status has been posted since March 21, 2014.

In 2016 Hasbro licensed Wargame Vault to sell '''''Up Front''''' as a [[print on demand]] product; and the game is now available through on-line ordering.  The official rules are currently available to order either as a printed book or as a portable document format electronic file. The components (cards) are produced on high quality card-stock with all known official errata incorporated in the reprints.

==Description==

Subtitled ''The Squad Leader Card Game'', ''Up Front'' was intended as a card version of their successful ''[[Squad Leader]]'' series of games, but it represented a radical change in approach.  Traditional wargames are based on maps representing terrain and game pieces representing units, which attack on their players' turns.  ''Up Front'' has terrain, attack opportunities, and other factors determined by cards dealt to the players.

Fans of the game claim this type of play gives the player a more realistic feel for [[Man-to-man wargame|man-to-man]] [[combat]] where most terrain will be unfamiliar.  With traditional map-based wargames, players have an overhead view of the entire battlefield.  In ''Up Front'', locations are revealed as the game is played, emulating how real soldiers might encounter and explore terrain.

The game contains two different kinds of cards, Personality and Action.  A Personality card depicts a single soldier and several statistics about him including his name, rank, and the weapon he is carrying.  These are assigned by the scenario selected (scenarios lettered A-L were included in the base game) and arranged in groups by the players. The Action Deck contains different types of cards including terrain, movement, heroes, and many other game factors. These are shuffled and dealt to the players.

The original game included [[Germany|German]], [[United States|U.S.]], and [[Russia]]n units along with their equipment.  Expansions added to the nationalities available for play. Each nationality was given different capabilities including variations in hand size and discard ability which imposes different tactics for the players by limiting the options available to them.

== Expansions ==
Two official expansions were released for ''Up Front'':
* ''Banzai'' (1984), which included [[Japan]]ese, [[United Kingdom|British]], and [[United States Marine Corps|USMC]] forces along with rules for Jungle Terrain, Random Reinforcements, and Scenarios M-X.
* ''Desert War'' (1985), which included [[France|French]], and [[Italy|Italian]] forces as well as rules for Desert Terrain.

Both expansions are now available as print to order products from Wargame Vault.

==Reception==
[[Sandy Petersen]] comments: "If you can find a copy of ''Up Front'', and you like tactical combat at all, check it out. Or even if you just like card games. In either case, you won't be disappointed. This is a game that surpasses its flaws, and turns some of them into strengths."<ref name="HG">{{Cite book | contribution=Up Front | title=[[Hobby Games: The 100 Best]] | last=Petersen | first=Sandy | authorlink=Sandy Petersen | editor-last=Lowder | editor-first=James | editor-link=James Lowder | publisher=[[Green Ronin Publishing]] | year=2007 | pages=341–344 | isbn=978-1-932442-96-0}}</ref>

== Legacy ==
Like many Avalon Hill games, ''Up Front'' continues to be popular among loyal fans.  There are active groups dedicated to the game on the [[Internet]].

There is also a [[Vassal Engine|VASSAL Engine]] module for this game.

Wargame Vault now sells licensed copies of the original game and both expansions as print to order products.

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
* {{bgg|586|''Up Front''}}
* [http://www.iufl.org/Rulebook/ ''Up Front'' Online Rulebook]
* Halisp [http://mailman.halisp.net/mailman/listinfo/upfront ''Up Front'' mailing list]
* [https://archive.today/20130209202957/http://groups.yahoo.com/group/UpFrontWW2/ ''Up Front'' Yahoo! group]
* [http://www.yxklyx.com/thecolosseum/upfront/ Robo's ''Up Front'' Card Game Page]
* [http://www.wargamevault.com/product/172681/ ''Up Front!'' Official Rulebook from Wargame Vault]

{{Avalon Hill}}

[[Category:Avalon Hill games]]
[[Category:Card games introduced in 1983]]
[[Category:Dedicated deck card games]]
[[Category:Man-to-man wargames]]
[[Category:World War II games]]