Sitting astride the highway to Rome, the historic abbey of Monte Cassino — founded in 524 AD by St. Benedict himself — dominated the surrounding landscape from its strategic hilltop. German paratroopers did not initially occupy the venerable site, but after American bombers destroyed the buildings they turned the rubble into a nearly impregnable fortress. Between January and May 1944, American, Polish, Indian, New Zealand and British troops launched four major attacks on the position, and many minor ones. Three times the Germans drove them back, until finally on 18 May 1944 a troop of Polish Lancers raised their red-and-white pennant over the ruins. Over 50,000 Allied soldiers and more than 20,000 Germans fell in the struggle for Monte Cassino.

The battles took place in the flat, muddy plains of Liri Valley and the steep mountain slopes of Monte Cassino, often in unpredictable winter weather. The Rapido River running around the base of Monte Cassino was only about 16 meters wide, but was up to 4 meters deep and flowed very fast, presenting a major obstacle. Cassino '44 is a complete boxed game in the Panzer Grenadier series by David Murray, covering all four of the battles. From the initial American assaults through the final Polish conquest, every stage of the battle is depicted in scenario form with two lengthy campaign games covering the entire affair.

Third Reich is one of the best-known board wargames ever published. It came to Avalanche Press in 2001, followed by Great Pacific War in 2003, and a Player's Guide in 2005.

Rumors of War is a new expansion for either or both games, with a map stretching from the eastern edge of the Third Reich Deluxe Map to the Ural Mountains, and adding Iran, Iraq and the Persian Gulf on its southern edge. It's at the same size and scale as the Deluxe map, with new objectives and countries to conquer.

There are also 80 die-cut-and-mounted playing pieces, with the Iraqi and Iranian armed forces, Russian nationalists, Irish, Latvians, British, Italian and Soviet marines, German cavalry and mountain troops, Indonesian nationalists, atomic bomb markers and much, much more!

David Meyler brings us variants for Iran, for Romania as a major power, and of course for more things Dutch. Jeff Adams gives us strategy tips for Operation Sea Lion, Tim McBeth makes the dismal science of economics exciting, and William Sariego looks at island-hopping strategies and the French war effort.

Rumors of War is not playable by itself, but instead brings more fun to your gaming table with either or both of Third Reich and Great Pacific War.