Last year Fantasy Flight Games licensed its Tide of Iron World War II board game to 1A Games (see "Fantasy Flight Licenses 'Tide of Iron' Line to 1A Games").  After releasing a long-awaited Stalingrad expansion (see "Board Game Expansions"), 1A Games has decided that rather than create a second edition of the game, 1A will create a new wave of Tide of Iron releases that enhance the experience without changing game play.  The first product in this next wave of releases is the Tide of Iron: Next Wave Core Set (MSRP $89.98), which includes a reorganized rulebook, updated scenarios, and an enhanced mix of components.
 
The TOI: Next Wave Core Set includes 48 plastic vehicles, 168 infantry figures, 40 squad bases, 12 double-sided maps, 24 map overlay pieces, 110 cards, and all the dice, markers and tokens necessary for play. 1A Games has reduced the size of the box by half, which allowed them to lower the cost of the game by $10.
 
The TOI rulebook has been completely reorganized to make it easier to learn how to play the game.  New introductory scenarios allow players to begin playing after reading just one page of rules.  All the previously known errata have been corrected and the FAQs expanded, but the basic gameplay remains the same. 
 
In addition all of the game’s original scenarios have been playtested and revised for balance--and recent research has led to more accurate orders of battle for some the engagements that are simulated in the game.  The American M-10 Tank Destroyer and the German StuG III Assault Gun have been added to the unit mix (previously they were only in the Normandy Expansion), and nine different specialization tokens from the rest of the TOI line have been added to help players customize their forces.