Jerusalem Tony Jones I am going to set this review out under the following sub sections: a) Historical Background b) Physical Description of Game c) Rules of Game d) Run through of game played to show how it works e) Final Summary A. Historical Background This game deals with the 1948 Arab-lsraeli war centred around the city of Jerusalem. The Jewish player has to defend the city and keep open supply routes to enable his convoys to get through to the city which is cut off by Arab units. The game follows the historical period very closely and if one can get hold of one book called 'O Jerusalem' by Lappierre and Collins, Pan Books, you will see this. I recommend this book as being the best one dealing with this war - around 500 pages long and fully detailed. The game covers the period where the city is surrounded and the three road routes from the coast are swarming with Arab tribesmen - in the villages and hills - the Jewish player starts in April 1948 with the first organised convoy to attempt to batter its way through to the city - earlier attempts had failed miserably . During the game strong Arab units of the Egyptian expeditionary force and the Arab legions under Glubb Pashai come into play and one finds the game swinging back to the Arabs to culminate in a close finish. B. Physical Description of the Game This must rank as the most colourful game around - the board is excellent, 19"x30", with superb graphics depicting the villages, huts, streams and the city of Jerusalem on it. The city is 12 hexes in size and with all the multi colours used on the map and large size hexes a really excellent clear map is produced with no obvious errors. The counters, again, are superb, being large sized with rounded corners, thick and very easy to handle. Again multi coloured and although at first sight one thinks these are too garish, in play they fit in well and all go in with the tone of this game which is tough and fun. It is a game in every sense of the word. On the counters are a mixture of symbols and standard signs - examples are silhouettes of tanks, buses, trucks, armoured cars, cannon, bulldozers, etc - Bomb picture for the infamous Kutub Terrorist Unit - skull and crossbones in black and white for the notorious Irgun and Stern Gang units. Counters for half-tracks, leaders, infantry, garrisons, Jewish Convoy, artillery, flame thrower, roads, etc, all go to make a wide range of units with plenty of colour and dash . The order of battle sheets, etc, are all of the highest standard and free of error. C. Rules of the Game The rules of the game come in an attractive booklet which includes historical notes at the end. On the whole I found the rules reasonably clear, they do repeat themselves a few times but this is not always a disadvantage owing to the unusual play of the game. Fortunately a lot of exarnples are included in the rules to explain points and this undoubtedly helps to clear up some of the unusual aspects of the game. Basically play comprises of two phases for each player. He can move his units by road which includes transportation in the case of leaders, infantry and artillery, or he can move them in his non-road phase. Certain units can only rnove in one phase and it is an important decision to decide which to do first since one has a choice. Combat is most interesting, basically units can move - have combat. If all defenders are eliminated they can move again if movement factors remain, attack again up until all movement factors have been used. When attacking a group of enemy units in the same hex the defender, who gets first fire can attack any or all of your attacking units, any which are eliminated are removed from your attack strength. You only need attack one if desired in each attack and provided this is successful, after the defender again gets first fire, you may continue to attack units in that hex until they are either all eliminated or until you fail to get a result, in which case you cease movement and combat for those units used in that attack. No more attacks may be made on the defender's units during that turn. It sounds complicated but in fact it is quite easy and though one would think one would walk over defending units this is not the case due to their first fire option against each attack made by all their defensive strength. Special rules for leaders, terrorists, leaky flame-thrower, bulldozers, special Jewish mortar which blows up on the roll of a 6, convoys, transport, artillery, etc, all go to add flavour to this game. John Hill's writing of the rules though not always clear, after a couple of readings fit into place and they are fun to read. One bit of advice - put down notes of points you want to remember in the rules as it is not always easy to find the point again quickly. D. Jerusalem Game Turn 1 In the Jews phase they played the non road Phase first and tried to get as far along the Central Road to Gaza/Tel Aviv. To clear away a route for the convoy they bashed their way to the village of Saris where an attack on a 4-6 garrison failed, other minor actions around Jerusalem's nearby villages cost the Jewish player 2 infantry and one armoured car unit for 1 garrison and 1 Mufti - not a good return. The Road Phase was most interesting - the Nachshon group from Tel Aviv split into two sections, the first 3 powerful 8-6 infantry units plus a truck thrashed their way through 2 Mufti 2-8 and 2 garrison units and get very close to linking up with the Jewish attack from Jerusalem on the same road. These 3 units operating together are very powerful and hold the key to the early play if used welI. The other half of this battle group went north and with 3 infantry 4-6's and one 4-3 armoured car hit through two villages eventually running out of steam in the village of El Tahta. The incompetent El Kakji unit abandoned one Mufti unit he was with to its fate and ran away! What a character. So the convoy unit knocked its way through one garrison unit and moved up behind the three 8-6 infantry on the central road. However, the convoy did not get through so one 4-6 infantry unit in Jerusalern is demobilised getting hungry as no supplies have come in. So the Arab player has a job now to stop the convoy getting in on turn 2. The Arabs concentrated the leaders and units on the central road to try and stop the convoy - also trying to block the other routes as well as possible. The terrorist kutub sneaks into the city to bomb a hex with several Jewish units in it - result a huge explosion and several units immobilised for the next turn including the comrnander Shal who has a huge headache. Being the master of disguise he creeps out and beds down in a far away village out of harms way. So after turn one a large hole is knocked in the central road--combat factor losses are Jews 16, Arabs36. I have detailed turn one to give some flavour of the game. Turn 2 In this turn the Irgun/Stern Gang terrorists go to the Arab village of Sheikh Jarrah just north of Jerusalem and blow up a garrison unit including a Brothel --so terrorists are doing well at the rnoment. Otherwise the Jerusalem area is quiet--one infantry 4-6 is lost in attacking local villages for no result. On the Jerusalem road the attack loses an 8-6 infantry unit to a garrison unit hidden by Kamal Irekat and halts the progress dead at the village of Saris . Very little progress made this turn so once again the convoy is stuck fast. The attack along the North Road loses one 4-6 infantry, destroys two 2-8 Mufti units but gets halted by a garrison unit in the turn. More starvation in Jerusalem and another 4-6 is demobilised. The Arabs can do little on the central road and Irekat must try and hold on though he will be lucky to survive another turn. Ben-Jazzi and Ghory with two separate groups of Mufti attack a 6-0 garrison in Hizmeh and after losing one Mufti unit manage to eliminate it. The Bomb-thrower Kutub has a go at the university village again with success so he is in fine form. With luck the convoy ought to get through next turn and relieve the starving people in Jerusalem. The units blown up by the first attack recover and are in use next turn. Losses in turn 2 - Jews 22 Arabs 16. Losses to date - Jews 38 factors, Arabs 52. I will not continue to detail the entire game. Only unusual or interesting points will now be rnentioned with an outline of what is happening. Turn 3 Failure again as Irekat and the garrison stop the attack on the central road. In the north the road is cleared to Nebi Samuel near Jerusalem. Otherwise, huge explosion as Kutub's bomb goes off - on himself - as the rules say, he goes to Allah! Basically, the Arabs with the first Iraqi volunteers strengthen the approaches to the 3 roads so the Jews have a problem now. One 4-6 infantry eliminated, starved to death. Losses this turn - Jews 20 factors, Arabs 16 factors plus Kutab terrorist unit. Turn 4 The convoy arrives to enormous celebrations - Irekat is blasted out of the way this time by units of the convoy plus units which come out of the city including the old David cannon which did not blow itself up so one of the city 4-6 units is revived now and the convoy unit goes back to re-appear next go to try and get through again, all the escorting forces stay in Jerusalem so raids can now be conducted from the city to keep the route open, obviously the Arabs will try to close it as much as they can, the loss of Irekat is a blow but he had to sacrifice himself to try and stop the convoy once more. The road movernent was used first in the Jewish turn and in the non road phase infantry units occupy the villages along the central road to help future convoys through, now the Arabs have a difficult time. In the Arab phase the Syrians go along the North Road and take the village of Bab El Wad defeating a 4-6 infantry to do so, at least the Jews will have to fight for the route to Jerusalem next go but should get through though, both the North and South routes are well protected, it will take the Arabs a couple of goes to get any strength near the central road at least. Anyway losses for turn 4 are Jews 8, Arabs 14 plus 3 Iraq and leader Irekat. Arab morale has fallen sadly. Turn 5 to end I will not detail the next few turns but basically you can see the flavour of this most interesting and amusing game. The result of this encounter was a win for the Jews, just. They fought through two more convoys despite strong attacks by the Arab Legion and expeditionary force which at one stage looked like winning but the Jewish reinforcements in mid to late June just held them off. Losses are heavy in the game with the simple CR Table but to my mind this helps to make this game, as it is action all the way. Basically it is a game that flows all over the board and with all the different units and characters I can say that, for me, this is one of the most enjoyable games I have seen - full marks for John Hill & Company. May we see more of these enjoyable fun games. E. Final Summary This, to me, is a good game. Tactics-wise it is essential for the Jews to get that convoy regularly into Jerusalern and to secure the two cross-roads areas of the central road, Also to move out and occupy the villages on the western half of the board which lie on or adjacent to all three roads particularly the northern route as it is down here that the Arab Legion forces come and these being strong units it is essential to stop them easily getting to the central route. If the Arab player leaves the southern route free, try and open a route here as well, it is a useful hedge against the blocking of the central road. Also watch for Arab units taking the Police buildings as these lie adjacent to the central road and if, when vacated by the British, the Arabs control these they are difficult to shift due to the defensive strength of this hex. Around Jerusalem one must a) Protect the city and b) Try and eliminate Arab units nearby as these will attack the city later in the game. Don't worry about a few losses - plenty of reinforcements come into play to keep one's forces up to strength. Anyway try and get this game into your collection, I don't think you will be disappointed.