Battle of the Pyramids

Thumbnail Analysis Game Review

by Don Lowry


Here is an independent game designer (Wayne Wesenberg) really working on a budget. The game comes in an envelope and consists of four 8 1/2"x11" sheets of paper, printed on a Dittograph, or similar, machine (purple ink). One of these sheets is the mapboard, with roads, streams and towns colored in by hand. Another consists of the CRT, Terrain Effects Chart, etc. The other two contain the rules and the unit counters, also colored by hand. You'd be wiser to leave these paper counters alone and make your own from blank counters out of other games or bought from AH, SPI, Zocchi, etc. There are only 11 French counters, 19 Mamaluke counters and 1 turn-record counter.

The subject is, of course, the battle between Napoleon and the Mamalukes in Egypt, near the Pyramids. on 21 July 1798. Each unit represents a division or smaller unit. Each turn (there are 10) represents 1 hour, and each hex is about 400 meters across.

It is a very conventional, hex-grid, land-warfare board game except that only cavalry can voluntarily move out of an enemy zone of control (called Influential Zones) and artillery units have a 2-hex range. Victory depends on a point system. Not a bad little game at the most reasonable price you are ever likely to encounter: 50 cents. Yes, that's fifty cents.' Order from Wayne Weserberg, 553 Marigold Dr, Madison WI 53713. Tell him you read about it here.

More Thumbnail Analysis

Back to Campaign # 72 Table of Contents
Back to Campaign List of Issues
Back to MagWeb Master Magazine List
© Copyright 1976 by Donald S. Lowry
This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other military history articles and related product articles are available at http://www.magweb.com