This review first appeared in IPW, the newsletter for all discount games
club members. Contact colin@allusedgames.demon.co.uk for details.

BEDA FOMM - GDW

Board Wargame

The campaign against the Balkans in the Western desert Dec. 1940 - Jan
t941 was the British army's first real success during WWII. For the loss
of only 500 dead, they advanced 500 miles, destroyed an army of ten
divisions and look more than 130,000 prisoners plus tons of equipment. A
laundry list, captured at the time, provided conclusive proof that the
Italians were on the run!

The finale of this campaign was the battle of Beda Fomm, fought when a
small British force look a short cut across the desert and blocked the
coastal road ahead of the fleeing Italian army.

This was one of GDW's Series 120 games, which meant a small map, 120
counters and a two hour playing time. Designed by Frank Chadwick, a
gifted designer who subsequently wasted much of his talent on dreadful
NATO/Warsaw pact efforts and now on rather one sided Desert Storm
simulations.

A game turn starts with the movement phase. Nothing out of the ordinary,
except for a rule that prohibits personnel units from entering th zone
of control of enemy armoured units unless they stack with armoured units
of their own. Initially, the Italians don't have any armour, allowing
British armoured units to dominate the early stages of the battle. Some
units are able to infiltrate zones of control, but this disallows them
from taking part in that turn's combat phase.

Next up is the Barrage phase, wherein artillery may fire interdiction or
attack barrages. More dilemmas, this time for the British player. Do you
stack your artillery, the only way they may fire together, for a very
effective barrage, or parcel them out along the whole front line,
strengthening it everywhere?

During the following Anti-tank phase, really decisive results can be
obtained. The anti-tank CRT has only two results - 'No effect' or
'Target eliminated'. As you can imagine, armoured units are soon eroded.
Reinforcements of armoured units have the effect of switching the
initiative from side to side throughout the battle.

The Combat phase ends the turn with the traditional comparison of odds,
retreat only brought on by the failure of a morale check. Surprisingly,
not all the Italian formations suffer from the atrocious morale you
might expect. The object of the game is for the Italian player to exit
units off the south map edge - not easy as many Italian units are
road-bound. The British player, of course, aims to prevent this. The
Italians may try a frontal assault, an outflanking move or a combination
of the two.

Whichever strategy is decided upon, the British player will find his
hands full, as he has such scant forces available. This is not a
walkover against a weak, disorganised rabble. It's a tough fight whose
outcome will be in doubt till the final turns.

As a personal comment, I also feel it's nice to have a game where the
Italians are not just cannon fodder for the Afrika Korps.

This operational game with a strong tactical feel is highly recommended,
not just for Northh Africa enthusiasts, but for any gamer who likes a
good, well balanced scrap. Its simple rules and small physical size also
make it a good choice for beginners and solo players.

Alan Sharif