Excalibre Games brought out five new games this summer and this one is the biggest. It has a 21 1/2" x 28", paper, full color map and two 6" x 11 1/2" sheets of 1/2" unit counters, and numerous 8 1/2" x 11" sheets of charts and things. It is a two player game of the conflict between Japan and British forces in Malaya during December 1941 to February 1942. The map, showing all of Malaya, has the conventional hexagonal grid, with each hex representing four miles on the main map. In one corner of the mapsheet there is an inset map of Singapore and vicinity in a larger scale, where each hex represents about a mile and a third.

The unit counters represent battalions and regiments plus higher headquarters and a few companies plus individual ships and aircraft squadrons. Grounds unit do have zones of control, but an attacker adjacent to defenders on more than one hex only has to attack one hex, and if two attackers are next to one defender, only one has to attack. Most ground units use a step reduction system. Artillery units have a two-hex range on the main map and three on the inset map. Anti-tank units have a one-hex range on the main map, but two on the inset.

There are rules covering such things as armor, flak, engineers, naval vs. air combat, landing craft, submarines, transports, air vs. air combat, scorched earth, the Singapore Causeway many others. The game is 25 turns long and each side has three possible levels of victory - total, decisive and marginal - with the possession of Singapore being vital to all three. Malaya comes in a 12 1/2"x 15" zip-lock bag and sells for $14.95. It's available from Lowry Enterprises.

More Thumbnail Analysis

Total War
Iliad
Norad
Spellmaker