Cobra
The Game of the
Normandy Breakout

Game Review

reviewed by David Pope


Designed by B.E. Hessel
Expansion Module Designed for TSR Inc, by David J. Ritchie
TSR (SPI) Inc, P.O. Box 756, Lake Geneva WI 53147
Released: April 1985
Catalog No. 3010 Price: $20.00
Complexity: Intermediate
Solitaire Suitability: Moderate
****

When first greeted with the news that TSR Inc. had re-released Cobra, I got the feeling that it was leftovers again. Those in the audience who subscribed to the old Strategy and Tactics (S&T) magazine probably remember its debut in S&T 65. It was a good game, but somehow it never caught on as did its ancestor, Panzergruppe Guderian by The Avalon Hill Game Company. Basically Cobra was a good game back then; it had its errors (all mechanical), but it worked and worked well.

I felt some reservations about the reprinting of Cobra because in the last few years I've seen several games go from one company to another with all the original errors intact. It is not certain whether this is done out of reverance for the original game, or because of sloth. Whatever the reason, it is rather unpleasant to be faced with old mistakes. Apparently the new Cobra game is above all that.

First of all, the new version allows players to begin the game on June 6, 1944, instead of July 16 as in the old version. This requires use of the new map depicting the Cherbourg Peninsula and Normandy coast. In addition, the new map has several new charts and tables, as well as starting reinforcement areas for the invasion force. Four new terrain types have been included (new map only): Marsh, Beach, Defense Zone, and Fortress. The new counters are among the nicest I've seen in a long time. The rules have been reorganized in a radically different format from the old game, an apparent attempt to put entire sections of rules on each page.

Speaking of new rules, the Normandy landings and airdrops are handled competently; the landings look hopelessly small to the player first faced with the immensity of the map, but they grow into a line of reasonably even strength. The trick is to take ground without exposing Allied troops to a counterattack. Our experience taught that the Allied player takes more ground than taken historically while suffering higher losses, so it was determined that play balance through the invasion period is pretty close. An ohserver might remark that the Allies have unlimited replacements and should be able to keep all units up to strength. But there aren't enough units to hold the line, so damaged units must serve also, and this prevents units from taking on replacements.

In the meantime, the Germans suffer from clear weather, and the resulting hordes of Allied airpower, and must creep around to get anywhere. But woe betide the lone, vulnerable Allied unit sitting out when the Typhoons go away because of bad weather; the SS Panzers will come to call. That may not be the worst of your problems; the Axis line will have a chance to shuffle around and reorganize. The result is damaged or destroyed Allied units and a stronger German defense.

Well, nothing has changed so far as the movement and combat systems are concerned, hut the real spectacle is the rather amazing way in which the Allied line falls into place. It just happens; the airborne units, if placed correctly, will inhibit German reinforcements to the beachheads, and the landings will be successful in any case.

Except for the Landing Phase, the turn sequence of Cobra is unchanged from that of its predecessor:

1 . German Player Turn

    a. Weather
    b. Replacements
    c. Initial Move
    d. Combat
    e. Mechanized Move

Allied Player Turn

    a. Weather
    b. Supply Adjustment
    c. Replacements
    d. Initial Move
    e. Combat
    f. Mechanized Move

The dual-impulse turn sequence is an old standby and serves its purpose well in Cobra, though it is not as flexible as some newer systems in other games.

Set-up hexes, and areas and turns of entry are printed on the new counters as well as on the old. Two sets of counters are included: One for the original Cobra game, and one for the expanded version. A lower-case x and/or a white line across the lower part of the counter designate use in the expanded game.

Stacking is one division: For U.S., this means one infantry division or three armor regiments. The British infantry is the same, but British brigade units may stack only two to a hex.

TSR, Inc.'s version is a much better game than its predecessor and should be given a onceover by gamers who enjoyed the original Cobra, or Panzergruppe Guderian or Kharkov. For the old Cobra veterans the addition of the Normandy landings will provide a new challenge, and for those who have played the other games just mentioned, the old version of Cobra is in itself a tough fight.

David Pope is a free-lance writer and designer living in Springfield, MO.

More War Game Reviews

Back to Table of Contents -- Game News #11
To Game News List of Issues
To MagWeb Master Magazine List
© Copyright 1986 by Dana Lombardy.
This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web.
Other military history articles and gaming articles are available at http://www.magweb.com