Modern Spearhead is based on the highly successful Spearhead game system Arty Conliffe published for World War II. Like Spearhead, Modern Spearhead focuses on the higher level command and control issues rather than the minutiae of individual weapons and vehicles. The basic 'element' in Spearhead is a Platoon, not individual tanks or soldiers. Modern Spearhead is an operational level game that is designed to recreate the view and challenges from a Brigade, Divisional or even Army Corps level - The player's major issues are when to attack or defend, when to issue order changes to formations, and when to commit reserves, rather than focussing on what individual elements (tanks and soldiers) are doing. Throughout MSH (Modern Spearhead) it is assumed that the lower level commanders in charge of the Battalions, Companies, and Platoons know what they are doing and they will operate to the best of their abilities, training, and doctrine. As a Divisional Commander all you are concerned with is "are they following orders?" If not why not? "Are they attacking or defending successfully?" If not, how can you help them, can you spare reserves to assist, is it time to switch to the defensive and push the attack elsewhere? "Is the battalion becoming spent and at risk of becoming hors d' combat?" Modern Spearhead gives you the chance to experience these types of challenges with the possibility of a certain amount of 'Fog of War' - Units don't always do what you want them to, changing orders may not be possible once a particular formation is engaged in combat, you won't always be certain about or able to react to every event on the table...

In the Designer's Notes we provide a more detailed summary of the some of the issues we dealt with during the development of Modern Spearhead.