Upcoming releases from Osprey!

Order by Date: July 1, 2020
Release Date: July 2020

OSPOSG2 The King is Dead 2E $35.00 SRP SDI A second edition of The King is Dead, a 2-4 player game of loyalty and politics in Medieval Britain. The King is dead. The kingdom is divided. Three factions – the Scottish, the Welsh, and the English – vie for control and, across the sea, foreign invaders prepare to take advantage of the chaos. Players must marshal their limited resources to influence this power struggle, while ensuring that the faction that rises to dominate the realm favors them above all other claimants to the throne. The King is Dead: Second Edition refreshes the accessible yet strikingly deep game with updated graphic design, gorgeous new artwork, and a brand-new asymmetric game mode for advanced play. 2-4 players Ages 14+ 30-45 minute play time Contents: 1 Double-sided playing board 53 cards 54 cubes 31 counters 1 cloth bag

Order by Date: June 20, 2020 Street Date: July 21, 2020 _______________________________________________________ OSPCAM351 Velikiye Luki 1942–43 $24.00 SRP SDI A highly illustrated study of one of the most dramatic yet overlooked episodes on the Eastern Front in World War II, the siege of Velikye Luki by Soviet forces in 1942--43. A highly illustrated study of one of the most dramatic yet overlooked episodes on the Eastern Front in World War II, the siege of Velikye Luki by Soviet forces in 1942--43. Velikiye Luki had been an important Russian fortress city since the 13th century and had become an important rail-hub by the 19th century. In August 1941, the Germans occupied the city of 30,000 during Operation Barbarossa and made it a bulwark on the boundary between Heeresgruppe Nord and Heeresgruppe Mitte. In the winter of 1942--43, while Soviet forces were encircling Stalingrad, the Stavka (High Command) conducted a simultaneous offensive to isolate and destroy the 7,500-man German garrison in Velikiye Luki. After surrounding the city on November 27, 1942, the Soviet 3rd Shock Army gradually reduced the city to rubble, while the German garrison, sustained by Luftwaffe air lifts, hunkered down in the medieval city and awaited rescue. This illustrated title reveals the full story of the tense sevenweek siege of Velikiye Luki, which saw Soviet forces striving to liberate the city in the face of a determined garrison and fierce relief efforts. Detailed analysis by renowned World War II historian Robert Forczyk is complimented by stunning and historically accurate battlescenes, maps, and bird’s-eye-views to offer a comprehensive look at this gripping campaign. Author: Robert Forcyzk Illustrator: Peter Dennis

OSPCBT050 Roman Soldier vs Parthian Horse Archer $22.00 SRP SDI This fascinating book explores the epic clash between two ancient empires in a 250- year conflict which would define the boundaries of the ancient world for more than seven centuries. This fascinating book explores the epic clash between two ancient empires in a 250-year conflict which would define the boundaries of the ancient world for more than seven centuries. In 53 BC, Roman and Parthian forces collided in a confrontation that would reshape the geopolitical map and establish a frontier between East and West that would endure for the next 700 years. From the initial clash at Carrhae through to the battle of Nisibis more than 250 years later, Roman and Parthian forces fought a series of bloody campaigns for mastery of the Fertile Crescent. As Roman forces thrust ever deeper into the East, they encountered a civilization unlike any they had crossed swords with before. Originating in the steppes of Central Asia, the Parthians ruled a federated state stretching from the Euphrates to the Indus. Although Rome’s legions were masters of the battlefield in the Mediterranean, the Parthians refused to fight by the rules as Rome understood them. Harnessing the Work Cover Title Author (SN FN) Edition Imprint Edition Copy: Keynote Copy (HTML line breaks): Description power of the composite bow and their superior maneuverability, the Parthians’ mode of warfare focused exclusively on the horse. They inflicted a bloody defeat on the legions at Carrhae and launched their own invasion of Roman territory, countered only with great difficulty by Rome’s surviving forces. The Parthians were eventually thrown out, but neither side could sustain a permanent ascendancy over the other and the conflict continued. Packed with stunning artwork, including battlescenes, maps, and photographs, this title examines the conflict through the lens of three key battles, revealing a clash between two armies alien to each other not only in culture but also in their radical approaches to warfare. Author: Si Sheppard Illustrator: Johnny Shumate

OSPCOM133 Vickers Wellington Units of Bomber Command $24.00 SRP SDI This illustrated study charts the development and combat history of the Vickers Wellington units, the mainstay of the RAF heavy bomber force during the first half of World War II. This illustrated study charts the development and combat history of the Vickers Wellington units, the mainstay of the RAF heavy bomber force during the first half of World War II. The Vickers Wellington was one of very few aircraft types to have been in production and frontline service throughout World War II, and more than 10,000 Wellingtons were built in the period. They took part in the first RAF bombing mission of the conflict when, on September 4, 1939, 14 examples from Nos 9 and 149 Sqns undertook a daring daylight attack on the Kiel Canal. However, after suffering high losses on follow-up raids, Wellingtons were withdrawn from daytime missions and began to operate at night from May 1940. They subsequently took part in raids against the Italian port city of Genoa in July 1940, and against Berlin the following month, followed by key missions in the "Battle of the Barges" in September and October, as the RAF targeted Germany’s invasion fleet assembled in French Channel ports. When RAF’s strike force expanded the next year following the introduction of the improved Wellington II, the 21 squadrons equipped with the Vickers aircraft, which included Polish-, Canadian-, and Australian-manned units, formed the backbone of the Bomber Command night bombing force. Over the next two years Wellingtons participated in all the major operations by Bomber Command, including the Work Cover Title Author (SN FN) Edition Imprint Edition Copy: Keynote Copy (HTML line breaks): Description daylight raid against German battleships in Brest harbor in July 1942 and the first three "Thousand Bomber" raids in the summer of 1942. This illustrated study explores the design, development, and deployment of the VickersWellington type, charting its role in World War II from its earliest missions to its use in training after its withdrawal from frontline bomber missions in 1943. The text is supported by stunning full-color artwork. Author: Michael Napier Illustrators: Janusz Swiatlon and Mark Postlethwaite

OSPDUE103 P-47D Thunderbolt vs Ki-43-II Hayabusa

$22.00 SRP SDI An extensively researched and accurate examination of the eight-month confrontation between two key World War II fighter planes in New Guinea. An extensively researched and accurate examination of the eight-month confrontation between two key World War II fighter planes in New Guinea. Although New Guinea’s Thunderbolt pilots faced several different types of enemy aircraft in capricious tropical conditions, by far their most common adversary was the Nakajima Ki-43-II Hayabusa, codenamed "Oscar" by the Allies. These two opposing fighters were the products of two radically different design philosophies. The Thunderbolt was heavy, fast, and packed a massive punch thanks to its battery of eight 0.50-cal machine guns, while the "Oscar" was the complete opposite in respect to fighter design philosophy--lightweight, nimble, maneuverable, and lightly armed. It was, nonetheless, deadly in the hands of an experienced pilot. The Thunderbolt commenced operations in New Guinea with a series of bomber escort missions in mid-1943, and its firepower and superior speed soon saw Fifth Air Force fighter command deploying elite groups of P-47s to Wewak, on the northern coast. Flying from there, they would pick off unwary enemy aircraft during dedicated fighter patrols. The Thunderbolt pilots in New Guinea slowly wore down their Japanese counterparts by continual combat and deadly strafing attacks, but nevertheless, the Ki-43-II remained a worthy opponent deterrent up until Hollandia was abandoned by the IJAAF in April 1944. Fully illustrated throughout with artwork and rare photographs, this fascinating book examines these two vastly different fighters in the New Guinea theater, and assesses the unique geographic conditions that shaped their deployment and effectiveness. Author: Michael John Claringbould Illustrators: Jim Laurier and Gareth Hector OSPMAA533 The Normans in Italy 1017–1194 $19.00 SRP SDI This title covers the history and armies of the powerful military kingdom founded by the Normans in southern Italy and Sicily, which were contemporary to William the Conqueror’s invasion of England. This title covers the history and armies of the powerful military kingdom founded by the Normans in southern Italy and Sicily, which were contemporary to William the Conqueror’s invasion of England. Preceding and simultaneously with the conquest of England by Duke William, other ambitious and aggressive Norman noblemen (notably the Drengot, De Hauteville, and Guiscard families) found it prudent to leave Normandy. At first taking mercenary employment with Lombard rulers then fighting the Byzantine Empire in southern Italy, many of these noblemen achieved great victories, acquired rich lands of their own, and perfected a feudal military system that lasted for 200 years. As news of the rich pickings to be had in the south spread in Normandy, they were joined by many other opportunists--typically, younger sons who could not inherit lands at home. Steadily, these Norman noblemen fought their way to local power, at first in Apulia, then across the Adriatic in Albania, and finally in Muslim Sicily, defeating in the process the armies of Byzantium, the German "Holy Roman Empire," and Islamic regional rulers. Finally, in 1130, Roger II founded a unified kingdom incorporating southern Italy and Sicily, which lasted until the death of Tancred of Lecce in 1194--though its legacy long outlasted Norman political rule. This beautifully illustrated title explores not only the Norman armies, but the armies of their opponents, with full-color plates and expert analysis revealing fascinating details about the fighting men of Normandy, Byzantium, the Arab armies, and more. Authors: Raffaele D'Amato and Andrea Salimbeti Illustrator: Florent Vincent

Order by Date: July 1, 2020 Release Date: September 2020 _______________________________________________________ OSP835659 A Billion Suns: Interstellar Fleet Battle $20.00 SRP SDI A tabletop miniatures game of intense starship combat between fleets of powerful cruisers, sleek destroyers, and agile fighters. A Billion Suns is a wargame of interstellar combat that puts you in command of fleets of powerful starships, from squadrons of agile, but fragile, fighters, to hulking and powerful capital ships. Choose your vessels from pre-existing classes then customize them to create your own sub-classes, each with their own strengths, weaknesses, and armament, from accurate torpedoes to devastating macro-cannon. Using simple dice pool mechanics, you must carefully manage your resources and seize the opportunities that come your way in order to lead your fleet to victory and assert your dominance over the stars.