From: Roberto Chiavini Subject: Two reviews PUNIC WARS Year: 1975 Publisher: SPI (in S&T 53) Designer: Ira B. Hardy Games played: 3 (different scenarios: 2 carthaginian, 1 roman victories) Comment: This is a simulation of all the three wars that opposed the growing Roman Empire (that was, de facto, a Republic at that time, but it was certain an empire as a political and war machine) to the declining Carthaginian Empire for the Mediterran domain. The game has a 11"x17" hexagonal map of the western part of the Mediterrean Sea, with 100 counters. The graphics are not very flashy, but are functional and, in my opinion, very good for a magazine game so old. The center of the game system is a fluid, continous movement/combat impulse, which uses only the leaders to move the troops (ir's peculiar that a similar system has been used in at least two other board simulations of the second punic wars in more recent years). Thwe combat system use a CRT with percentual losses and strenght ratios, with a minimum of die roll modifiers (too less for my tastes). There aren't rules for ZoCs, stacking and morale. I don't like the supply system, based on units' payment, not on the region where the units are (much more realistic for a game on the ancient period). So, it's possible to "buy" supplies for several units in an area not very rich, if you have enough money in your treasure. However, there several very interesting rules on consular elections (for the Romans), random events (which disadvantage the roman player), and neutral Syracusa, which may enter war for both sides. The game has several aces in its hand for a design more than 20 years old, but the scale is inadequate (too small for so big a war) and the scenarios are, sometimes, nearly ridiculous (as it's the case of the Third punic War). The second Punic war was too vast to be simulated with such a small game (it needs more units, more map space, more specific rules), while the first Punic war scenario it's almost historical in this little, but fun gam e. Anyway, as there aren't many games on this subject (especially on the first Punic war), this S&T game is almost a gem, a rough gem that could be ameliorated with a little tinkering and a few house rules (which it's possible that in the future I put on Grognard).