THE INVASION OF SICILY, designed by widely published Harold Totten and put out by Guidon Games, is a regimental level game covering that 1943 Allied campaign. This obviously well researched game pits a considerably superior Allied landing force against a mixed and variable number of German and Italian units. The Axis goal is to harass and delay the Allies while evacuating units off-board to the Italian mainland. Powerful U. S. and British forces attempt to win as quickly and economically as possible. Six OB and set-up variations give the game balance as well as variety and historical speculation value.

The mapboard comes in four sections and is of high quality. Printing is done in two colors and two tints on white makine a pleasing four color playing surface. The island of Sicily is laid out upon a blue sea background with beaches, roads, cities, mountains, marshes, and rivers shown. Spaced around the playing area are the appropriate charts and tables crucial to the game. German and Allied OB setup, combat results, terrain effect, and time record charts are all fitted onto a semi-compact 19 x 26 1/2 inch board.

Counters came unmounted in the magazine version but are available mounted in the retail issue. Of the three games, these are the best quality as they are mounted on both sides. Gradual losses are reflected by flipping counters over to show half strength: one of the easiest to use step systems yet developed. The 61 Axis and 40 Allied pieces are mostly regimental sized with some smaller support units. Regiments are numbered and organized into the divisions that were involved in the original campaign.

This divisional organization helps give the game an additional facet. Losses of whole divisions weigh more heavily on the victory point scale than do losses of separate regiments. As a matter of fact, when playing SICILY it is best to lose as little as possible. The entire game is one delicate balance between time and casualties for both sides.

Historical commentary, designers notes, bibliography, and rules are all contained in a handy eight-page booklet. The rules themselves are short, clear and concise, making THE INVASION OF SICILY a very easy game to learn and play. Well laid out for rapid referral, headings for strategic movement, invasions, Italian desertion, naval support, logistics, airborne units and evacuations make up the heart of the rules. The victory conditions are among the best worked-out of any I've seen. A very comprehensive point system evaluates play in twenty-five different categories. Suffice it to say that they occupy an entire page by themselves.

THE INVASION OF SICILY does a very good job of turning a basically one-sided situation into a realistic, playable, and challenging game. It is a game Players game as well as being a fairly accurate simulation of history. A game that both novice and veteran players can appreciate, SICILY combines the advantages of a smaller game with a depth usually found only in larger ones.

The first two games of this trilogy are not traditional full scale games. ANZIO BEACHHEAD has a small 363 hex board and just 95 units. THE INVASION OF SICILY is larger but still not full sized with a 645 hex board and 101 units. If ANZIO BEACHHEAD can be considered a mini-game, then it is probably accurate to call SICILY a midi-game. Of the three, SALERNO is the only one that comes closest to the traditional definition of a full scale game with a 21 inch x 27 1/2 inch, 1053 hex board and 150 pieces. Still, there are quite a few other games with larger boards and many more units involved. ANZIO, for example, is 13 1/2 x 43 1/2 inches, with 1725 hexes and 358 units.

Anzio's Heirs Three New WarGames

Introduction
Anzio Beachhead
The Invasion of Sicily
Salerno
Unique Features
Conclusions
Unit Organizations and CRTs