Anzio Beachhead (Steven Bucey, November 2003)

Sunday I solitaired about half of a game of Anzio Beachhead from S&T
134. 

This is a redesign of an earlier SPI game, according to the designer. 

It's fairly decent. Units are regiments and battalions, and turns are 1
day. The allies basically walk ashore with a few scattered Germans in
the far interior. The allies need to be quick to get to where they want
to be before the German reinforcements start to pile up. The Allies can
do some damage, but the terrain works against them (armor is almost
immobile off roads). About mid-game the German heavy hitters arrive and
by then the Allies had better be ready for them. The designer points out
that the pre-printed 'Final Defensive Line' that the Allies can build is
not there for the Allies to attack from. 

The sequence of play is rather odd and takes some getting used to. 

Turn 1 the allies can move and fight normally. 

Turn 2 the Germans have some restricted movement and can't fight. 

Turn 3 the Allies can move and fight except units that start in enemy
zoc can't fight. 

Turn 4 the Germans can move and fight. 

Turn 5 the Allies have some restricted movement and can't fight. 

Turn 6 the Germans can move and fight except units that start in enemy
zoc can't fight. 

Otherwise it's a fairly simple game, with a little bit of chrome. The
Germans get a special unit to represent the Goliath tank (a small self
self propelled bomb, basically), the allies get some naval support and
air power, there is an optional rule for paratroop drops, and artillery
has some special rules. It probably takes about 6 hours to play, once
you 'get' the sequence of play.