Jeruselem
(Arab-Israeli War 1948)

Thumbnail Analysis Game Review

by Don Lowry


Finding it impossible be publish CONFLICT magazine at regular and reasonably frequent intervals, Simulations Design Corporation has suspended its publication indefinitely after 7 issues, and instead is publishing separate games called the "Pouch Series Games" because they come in plastic zip-lock bags. These consist so far of two games that were previously published with CONFLICT Magazine, KHALKHIN-GOL. and BATTLE FOR HUE (reviewed below) and this one that was to have appeared in CONFLICT #9. Coming soon is CROMWELL, that was to have been in CONFLICT #8.

JERUSALEM! comes in a 9" x 12 1/2" clear plastic zip-lock bag which contains: an 8 3/4" x 11 3/4" card with a "cover" picture on one side and on the other an "Important Notice" about the fate of CONFLICT Magazine (as explained above), the Game Credits and Parts List; a 16"x 30" paper mapsheet printed in 3 shades of brown, blue and black (also grey) with a little bit of white paper showing; two 8 1/4" x 9 1/2" and one 4 1/4" x 4 3/4" sheets of 5/8"-square die-cut unit counters with rounded corners; a 5 1/2" x 8 1/2" 20 page (counting covers) rules booklet; three 4" x 6 1/2" clear plastic zip-lock bags for storing the unit counters in once they're punched out; one 8" x12 3/4" sheet containing the Terrain Effects Chart, in color; and two 8 1/4" x 14" Order of Appearance cards. This game was designed by John Hill, who also designed THE BROTHEPHOOD, VERDUN, KASSERINE PASS, OVERLORD, BAR LEV, and HUE.

The situation simulated is , of course, the fight for control of Jerusalem during the 1948 (First) Arab- Israeli War, including the vital convoys into the city. Each hex represents 0.4 miles, although the map is a schematic, rather than scale representation. Unit counters represent infantry companies and specialty platoons, such as armored cars and artillery.

Combat mechanics are much like those of BAR LEV - attacks are optional, each side "fires" at the other, artillery has 2 and 3 hex ranges. Movement, however, is unique. Each players' "module" (turn) has a Road Movement Phase and a nonroad Movement Phase and the player's may decide each turn which phase to take first. When a unit enters an enemy zone of control it may attack and if the defender is eliminated the attacking unit may continue to move, if it still has unused movement factors. There are very interesting rules covering the Jerusalem convoys, leaders, terrorists and building new roads.

Each turn represents one week and there are 11 1/2 turns in the game (the Israelis move both first and last) . If, at the end of that time, the Israelis hold at least 5 of the 12 hexes of the city of Jerusalem and at least one of these has a road unblocked by Arab units or Z0Cs leading to one of the proper map-edge exits the Israelis win. If not, the Arabs win. I haven't actually played it, but I would estimate it's complexity as roughly equal to BATTLE OF THE BULGE or OVERLORD, or Jedko's RUSSIAN CAMPAIGN. It sells for $8 and is available from some hobby shops or Panzerfaust Publications, PO Box 896, Fallbrook CA 92028.

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© Copyright 1976 by Donald S. Lowry
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