Attactix (no designer credited) This game came out in 1982 just as SPI(UK) exploded leaving lots of debts (or so I am told). Attactix was the label chosen by some of the SPI(UK) crew (or so I am informed). The games were very well presented with good rules and multi-complexity layers. I played the Battle of Britain game but it was only a few weeks ago that I spotted a copy of this Western Desert game for all of £8.59! The physical quality of the game is very impressive. In some ways the hobby has been busily working back towards the standard this company produced. Fully mounted maps using the jigsaw system to lock them together. There is some very nice artwork on the boards. The replacement and reinforcement boxes having illustrations of the relevant units rather than just blank boxes. The map has a simple appearance (mostly desert) but also a very nice inset strategic display that is both clear and atmospheric. The counters themselves do not use crappy NATO symbols but what I call shadow views - a proper drawing of a counter with the white dropped out and the shadow accentuated. It is easy to tell which unit is which with evocative illos of Italian British and German tanks and equipment. There are four varieties of rules. The introductory set gives you supply, movement and combat for the opening O'Connor's Offensive. The basic rules give more supply rules and replacements. The intermediate game brings in fortifications, withdrawals, reinforcements, leaders, air units and supply replenishment and has five scenarios. Finally, the advanced game has an excellent strategic subsystem to manage Malta and Axis convoys. The game has very clear and complete Play-Aids with all the necessary charts. It is a delight to play, and even with four sets of rules we found it pretty free of worries. Its only problem is that with 26 monthly turns it takes some time to play. We went to Turn 13 in about four hours. The game is sequence driven with the Allies first, then the Axis, then the Strategic Interphase. The supply system has two types each with two sub-sections. You must be supplied to move. Firstly you pay for your supply net (depending on your furthest unit), this is called maintenance supply, and then for each unit (depending on distance from supply base). Supply bases are Alexandria or El Agheila, with each side being able to switch to Tobruk. Combat supply works on much the same principle. In each case you supply stacks which encourages keeping your men together though the width of the front is usually only about five hexes. Once you pass beyond your immediate close supply range the costs of maintaining combat and movement become savage. Three stacks operating at maximum range will cost 8 maintenance supply and 12 combat supply. The most supply you can receive in a turn is 6. Clearly this level of offensive is not sustainable. In both cases therefore the first stage of any offensive is to capture Tobruk and move forward one's Supply base. Pushing on Alexandria would then cost 12 supply in total (instead of 20) which is quite bad enough. One will therefore find in certain circumstances it better to retire to one's base zone to reform and resupply rather than fighting in the non-man's land. This makes the game very effective at giving the feel of the Benghazi Handicap. Fortifications cost supply but very usefully absorb the first series of losses. The habit of building boxes or using minefields comes through here. This is especially true because the combat system very cleverly favours the attacker. 1:1 combat (the system uses a differential system) has five attacker step losses (and 2 retreats) versus eight defender step losses (and four retreats). Stacking is tough and there is no soak-off required. So two German Panzer units with an eight value are going to defeat two mech brigades in fortifications every time (although the fortifications will cover most of the losses). If they can follow up they'll take out two more! Without this the two sides would cower behind lines, but here there are real opportunities only if you attack. Though of course you'll need to supply such attacks before you can do them. There is a very nice Combined Arms Table to encourage you to keep your forces balanced that can mean a lot with the final result. The armour superiority of the winner determines retreats. After big enough victories you can have a second attack for free (O'Connor really can shatter the Italians). Most Axis units are Italian foot infantry which is strong in value (2) and good on defence in fortifications. The Italian mechanised and armoured forces are fast but weak as units (1) and with the stacking limit set at two cannot hope to hold a line. The German tanks and mechanised can rise to 4 per counter, but can take time to rebuild. There are also parachute and mountain-troops with which to attack Malta. The Allies have mechanised brigades (2) and armoured units (2) but the latter can move to 3 and then 4 as the game continues. We saw these as the arrival of Grants and then Shermans. The Axis units can rebuild in the field but the Allies must be back at Alex, this really gives a good feel to the Axis flexibility Replacements are ingeniously handled. You record your losses on a chart which then tells you how many you can get back (and how many of these can be armour). The greater the losses are the higher the rate of return (as panic sets in). But as the replacement number reduces so does the rate. Nine losses would be returned as follows 3-2-2-1-1. So though you recover your losses nearly half a year has passed. One pays some regard to losses therefore. Periodically one gets some free replacement points to you to build up armoured units to new levels. The rhythm of the game therefore consists of one side cowering in their base area. The other attacks into at a considerable cost in supply while the cowering player tries to recover his units and build up his own supplies. As attacking is the way to do damage even the weakened side will want to launch counter-attacks. Unless the attacker can shred the defenders quickly his supply position will soon decline until he can maintain only one or two attacks (if that) at which point he must retire to avoid being attacked at very low supply costs by a strengthening enemy. The back-and-forth nature of combat is thus built into the system and the key is ensuring the Axis supply position in Africa is attacked/maintained. The strategic display shows two convoy routes to Malta (from Alex and from Gib). Over these sail escorts and merchantmen bringing supplies to Malta to maintain air units that, in turn, attack the Axis supply columns. Escorts serve as anti-aircraft units (as well as occasionally taking a bomb for merchantmen). If one is coming from Gib one faces attacks by Italian light forces and air unit from Sicily. Convoys from Alex (which reduce supply for the campaign) can face attacks from Crete and from the Italian Navy if fuel allows. Merchantmen arriving in Malta are converted into supply points (for each two of which an air-attack can be made). Axis air units can attack Malta itself (though they do not hit as well they do not face AA fire either). The remaining Malta air points then attack supply convoys, supported by Axis escorts if there is enough fuel. One gets a real feeling of the two sides trying to battle it out and throttle each other. But I think anyone defeated must contribute to his own defeat in some way. Attacks that destroy supply, followed by a fast counter-attack are the only way to reach your opponent's lines, as his forces try to recover while you drive forward as efficiently as supply allows. It remains a hard task for the Axis, but not impossible if they can use their powerful panzer units to smash up as many as 8 enemy units by attacks, with secondary attacks. I do wonder if the game will not head towards stalemate though. The Axis formations can attack a sufficiently damaged Malta with paratroopers. Such a defeat would give them a strong supply base, but it also requires a lot of luck and attention with massed air power. Is the game ultimately successful as a simulation? We did not play it to completion but had enough rounds of the Benghazi Handicap to know its value. The use of powerful tank forces to breach the defensive lines and then exploit gave us a good feeling of the combat, though at some stages more experienced players might have stopped and refused to attack. This concept arises because the amount of supply is limited to a maximum so that if your force cannot attack successfully it may be best not to bother at all. Ultimately whoever holds Tobruk can sit back and wait for the other. But of course with the three or four turn scenarios this equilibrium can be avoided. Simple to play, full of exciting passages of play and encouraging attacking, and this handsome game really is most impressive. If you see a copy purchase it. Back to Perfidious Albion #103 Table of Contents Back to Perfidious Albion List of Issues Back to MagWeb Master Magazine List © Copyright 2004 by Charles and Teresa Vasey. 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