Inchon: MacArthur’s Gambit simulates the daring attack by the United Nations’ 10th Corps against the port of Inchon and the subsequent advance on Seoul in September 1950. This operation resulted in the liberation of that capital city and the severing of the lines of communication to the North Korean units fighting around the Pusan Perimeter. As a result, virtually the entire North Korean People’s Army (NKPA) in the south was destroyed, allowing UN forces to occupy all of North Korea but for a few mountainous enclaves.

Unfortunately, one of the indirect results of this dramatic victory was Red Chinese intervention, once more throwing the UN into full retreat

Optional rules cover airdrops, weather, inter-service rivalries in the US forces, minefields, and extra fog-of-war rules.

From a Review by Seth Owen:

Inchon: MacArthur's Gambit is a wargame depicting the bold invasion behind North Korean lines that changed the course of the Korean War. Widely considered one of the most brilliant strokes in General Douglas MacArthur's long and brilliant career, the game covers the initial days of fighting from the landing at Inchon on Sept. 15, 1950 to the recapture of the South Korean capital of Seoul.

The one scenario covers the 16-day battle with each turn representing a single day and each hex is one mile. The Mark Simonitch map depicts the city of Seoul, its port of Inchon and the sea and land approaches. Units are generally battalions with some company-sized units. The 12-page rulebook describes a game of moderate complexity by wargame standards with fairly standard mechanics for such games including zones of control, combat and movement factors, and movement and combat phases. Units are rated for "proficiency" with the more proficient unit having a combat edge. The 180 counters, including information markers, are functional and use standard NATO-style unit symbols.

The game revolves accumulating victory points for capturing terrain, with the lion's share coming from capturing Seoul as soon as possible.

The United Nations starts the game coming ashore at Inchon with the 1st Marine Division, 7th US Army Infantry Division and supporting units.

While there are North Korean People's Army units defending the port and the rail line to Seoul, they will usually be quickly overwhelmed by the naval-gunfire-supported invaders. Any NKPA stand within 15 hexes of the sea is ill-advised and the real contest will take place along the Han River as the Americans try to force a crossing into Seoul against the 18th NK Infantry Division and its supports while fending off arriving NKPA reinforcements, including the potentially powerful 105th Tank Division.

Both sides get to attack and defend, and there is some minor variability in approach possible in what is essentially a stereotyped game situation caused by the strategic situation. There are optional and variant rules that explore some possible changes, including a "nightmare" scenario for the UN with a prepared North Korean defense instead of the historical surprise.

Game Components:

• Rules (14pp originally bound into the magazine)
• 180 12mm die cut counters
• One 22” X 34” full color map
• Optional Rules
• Variant Rules
• Designer’s Notes
• Counter manifest

• Each Hex is 1 mile across
• Game Turns represent 1 day of real time
• Units Represent Ground Combat or Naval Units
• Designed by: James P. Werbaneth
• Developed by: Paul Dangel

Also Includes:

• 9 12mm die cut counters for Krim (Command #6)
• 3 12mm die cut counters for Black Gold (Folio)
• 3 12mm die cut counters for NATO, Nukes & Nazis (Folio)
• 1 12mm die cut counter for Tomorrow the World (Boxed 3W, 1989)
• 4 12mm die cut counters for Mississippi Banzai (Folio)

Magazine Contents

MacArthur’s Gambit: Inchon to Seoul, September 1950 (Extensive Historical Article by James P. Werbaneth. Includes: The War Begins; Bluehearts; Plans, Targets, Obstacles, Objections; D-Day: Inchon; Chesty Puller and Blue Beach; The Korean Response; The Road to Seoul; Kimpo Airfield and Beyond; The NKPA Makes Its Stand; Yongdungpo; The Hammer Finally Falls; Conclusions
  Maps:  Strategic map; Map 1: The Approaches to Inchon; Map 2: Seizure of Wolmi Do; The Battles for Seoul (map 7: The Assault on Yongdungpo ; Map 8: Attacking the Western Defenses – Sept 22-24 1950; Map 9: The Capture of Seoul – Sept 19-28 1950; Map 3: Red Beach Assault; Map 4: Blue Beach Assault; Map 5: 10^th Corps Scheme of Maneuver; Map 6: Puller’s Advance; Map 10: The Link-up
  Sub Articles:  The Marines’ Other War; Black Soldiers in Korea; Naval Actions at Inchon (includes: Mines and Hydrography; The Japanese at Inchon; The Clarke Expedition; Other Preliminaries; The Landings)
  Organization Charts: Initial TO&E: 10^th Corps)

What If? – German Plans to Invade Sweden in World War II (Historical Article by Carl O. Schuster. Includes:
  Maps: Potential German Operations against Sweden - 1943
  Sub Articles: the Swedish Army
  Charts: The Situation at Sea
  Organization Charts: Army of Norway: June 1942; Combat Elements of 25th Panzer Division: March 1943; Combat Elements of 25th Panzer Division: June 1943; Swedish Army: June 1943)

Game Variants: Krim, Black Gold, NNN, TTW, and Mississippi Banzai – (Game Variants on Krim (Command #6); Black Gold (Folio); NNN -NATO, Nukes & Nazis (Folio); TTW - Tomorrow the World (Boxed 3W, 1989); Mississippi Banzai (Folio) by Ty Bomba & Dan Hazuda.
Includes:  
  Krim: (The Short Game. Includes 9 12mm die cut counters)
  Black Gold: (Japanese Mountain Howitzer Divisions. Includes 3 12mm die cut counters)
  NNN -NATO, Nukes & Nazis: (“Bring Up the Death Ray!” (and More TAC Air!). Includes 3 12mm die cut counters)
  TTW - Tomorrow the World: (Substitute FHH Counter/ No More Tie Games. Includes 1 12mm die cut counter)
  Mississippi Banzai: (Tournament Scenario – Save Sixth Army! Includes 4 12mm die cut counters))

Errata (Errata, clarifications and additions. Includes:
  Black Gold (Texas Tea) (Folio)

Commander’s Call (News and views of what is happening with Command Magazine Games by Ty Bomba.
  Includes: What “XTR” stands for (“Cross (“X”) The Rubicon”. (better than “Squirming Naked on Crosses, Inc.” (Comes from” “… If we go on from here it’s either victory or we’ll be squirmin’ naked on crosses on Keith’s (Poulter) front lawn” - you had to be there)); Magazine Game Schedule Change; Ziploc games; Progress Reports; The Recession; Time to Play; This issue’s Game; Feedback Loop Results, New Game Proposals; Era preference

Issue Game: MacArthur’s Gambit: Inchon (by James P. Werbaneth)

D-Elim - Player’s Notes for MacArthur’s Gambit: (Includes UN Player and NKPA Player)

Past-Tense D-Elim – The Japanese and Tiger of Ethiopia (From Variant in Command Issue #6. Includes Players Notes; Japanese Setup; Japanese Player Notes; Italian Player Notes)

Past-Tense D-Elim – Lion of Ethiopia (Ethiopian Player & Italian Player Notes for First Phase, Middle Phase and Late/End Phases)

Short Rounds (Short Articles on Interesting Stuff.  Includes:
  Rearview Mirror:  The Meiji Restoration and the Confederate Navy (The story behind the USN scoring its first victory over the Imperial Japanese Navy); The Toledo War (1832 – Michigan vs. Ohio)
  I Remember:  (A Vietnam memory by Allen Watts as told to Bob Safin 
  Weapons Backdate: Naval Helicopters of World War II (includes stats on Flettner 282, chart of German and Allied Helicopter Programs in WWII  )

Departments:

--- Classified Ads and Conventions

The Earlier Command Magazines was produced like Strategy and Tactics with the game as part of the magazine.  Later numbers had two separate units, one a news-stand History, Strategy & Analysis Magazine, the other, combined as a “Hobby” edition with the Magazine and Game combination