From: Doug Murphy Subject: Review: Across Suez (DG) This is a simple, introductory game of the battle of the Chinese Farm during the '73 Arab-Israeli War. It's a "2nd edition" from the original SPI design published in '80. The Decision Games re-make covers the pivotal battle around a Japanese experimental agricultural facility along the Suez canal. Three counterattacking Israeli divisions and a convoy of bulky bridge sections on their way to a crossing point near the northern tip of the Great Bitter Lake ran smack into the Egyptian 16th Infantry and 21st Tank divisions, thus initiating one of the wildest and most important battles of the October War. One 17x22 colorful map, only 62 counters, 6 pages of rules, and a D6...you can literally go from opening the box to starting the first turn in 10 minutes. Units are brigades w. some smaller units. They use simple NATO iconography or armor silhouettes. The seven turns are move / fight with Israelis going first. Three of 7 turns are night w/ reduced movement and no arty. The CRT is standard SPI with column shifts from terrain, combined arms, and one shift for Isr. arty per turn. Egyptian arty by comparison gets two separately rolled attacks with a "one" eliminating the targeted Isr. unit. There are a reinforcements for both sides and a first turn "surprise" rule -- units are locked in EZOC with mandatory combat. Six Isr. units must cross the canal and exit the map for victory. Units successfully across the canal also give the Isr. player extra chances for their arty column shift. Isr. units can cross w/ out the bridge unit but it takes much longer, and victory requires not only six units across but the bridge unit to be in the crossing hex w. a clear LOC across the map. Thus, the Isr. player must really clear the map and protect the bridge unit in only 7 turns. -- no air power represented at all. Counter density is very low -- indeed ten units are variants -- 2 para bdes. to a side, 1 AT unit each, 2 extra Egyptian Marine units, and 2 Isr. and an Egyptian commando units...these add simple rules for airdrops, amphib landings and commando "effectiveness" -- move doubled at night and ignore EZOCs. There are about 10 American and Sov. units in the countermix too (82nd a/b and Gds. but no rules for them -- I'll post "official" variants for them separately.) This is a fun game for both sides and the Egyptian player can gum up everything by holding the "Chinese farm" hex astride the LOC to the canal or go for the bridge unit. And the Isr. must attack aggressively to clear the map and vault units over the canal while protecting the bridge in only 7 turns. Our games have come out pretty evenly -- with the Isr. running out of time or winning, though we're still tinkering whether there's a "perfect" Isr. plan of attack. The SPI version had only NATO icon units, a blander map and if anything, simpler rules. I can think of at least 2 other games that cover Chinese farm at a much deeper level -- but this is a classic beer & pretzel design and a pretty decent reissue by Decision Games. Doug Murphy