Introduction

Oil War is a simulation on a brigade/squadron level of a hypothetical attempt by the United States and various other nations to take over the oil-producing areas of the Middle East. The simulation is primarily of land and air conflict. The game covers an arbitrary period of conflict (sixteen days), in which the issue would be decided. A total of three scenarios are available from which the players may choose.

Oil War was published by SPI in Strategy & Tactics issue 52 in Sept./Oct. 1975.
Designer: Jim Dunnigan
Graphics: Redmond Simonsen
Development: Kip Allen
Each game turn represents two days of real time; each hex is equivalent to thirty kilometers in real distance.

Components
1 17"x22" map of the Persian Gulf with Iran, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, part of the UAE and Iraq
1 Set of 100 die-cut counters
1 Set of game rules

Counter Manifest
4 Iranian Infantry Brigades
6 Iranian Armored Brigades
3 Iranian Mechanized Brigades
6 Iranian Fighter Bomber Squadrons
4 Iraqi Infantry Brigades
4 Iraqi Mechanized Brigades
3 Iraqi Fighter Bomber Squadrons
4 Iraqi Interceptor Squadrons
2 Kuwaiti Composite Infantry Bdes
1 Kuwaiti Armored Brigade
1 Kuwaiti Interceptor Squadron
2 Saudi Infantry Brigades
1 Saudi Mechanized Brigade
1 Saudi Interceptor Squadron
1 Saudi Ground Attack Squadron
1 Saudi Fighter Bomber Squadron
1 Qatar Infantry Brigade
1 Bahrain Infantry Brigade
3 US Air Landing Brigades
2 US Infantry Brigades
3 US Marines Infantry Brigades
1 US Armored Brigade
1 US Mechanized Brigade
8 US Fighter Squadrons
4 US Navy Fighter Squadrons
1 0 US Navy Attack Squadrons
2 EEC Air Landing Brigades
2 Israeli Air Landing Brigades
1 Israeli Mechanized Brigade
4 Israeli Interceptor Squadrons
2 ATP markers
6 Randomizer chits
1 Game turn marker

Player’s Value

Oil War was designed in 1975, and has its roots in the oil crisis of 1973-74: the Arab Oil Embargo triggered in the wake of the 1973 Arab-Israeli War. Consumers and company headquarters began to draw up plans to seize some oil fields to assure a minimum supply for their national economies. Sadly, the politic crisis disappeared quickly, but the idea to begin an “oil war” was set in Dunnigan`s mind. Three scenarios are provided, each developed around a different political commitment. The first is the big feast with US, European Economic Community and Israel landing troops to seize at least one port and as many oil wells as possible for their supplies.

The second is more realistic, dealing with the neutrality of Israel, but the same objectives for the invaders. The third is very different, showing an Iranian attack against the Gulf countries helped by EEC and US.

Realistic or not today, those scenarios are fun, fast and well balanced, dealing with an air assault to seize airbases, to bring more troops and supply only by air bridges from Europe and Israel. So the first goal is to capture an airfield with the Air Landing Brigades as soon as possible, to commit large reinforcements and to quickly push forward towards the oil objectives. Four or five days later a US Marines division will land somewhere on the coast. Every two or three days, a new US carrier brings more planes to crush the enemies.

The sequence of play is rather classic with US playing first, followed by the Arabic Countries. Each turn, the US player gets a number of Air Transport Points (ATP) which are critical to supply troops and bring more reinforcements (ground and air). Then he lands the reinforcements bought with ATP, moves the ground and air units and resolves the air-air and air-ground combats. The 10 point movement rate is the same for all troops, and all terrains cost one point, but the roads are useful to trace supply. Airplanes are shown by types (Mig21, Mig23, F4, F111, F14, etc.) and can have a limited or unlimited range. They will fight first for air supremacy and second to kill ground units.

At the beginning of the game, Arabic planes seem mighty but, as the US reinforcements are numerous, US supremacy is quickly won. The US Navy and the carriers fly from off-map boxes with a maximum action range for the Navy Squadrons.

Depending on the scenario, both sides may have many options, but in the first two dealing with a western invasion, the choice of the US initial air landing is crucial to win or even survive. The Arabic side is more reactive, but must counterattack to frighten the US and establish delaying defensive lines. The third scenario is more challenging without US initial air landing and a lot of Arabic fighting.

All in all, Oil War is a quick and clever design, quite outdated today but with some interesting learning about the use of a combined air operation. It is just a pity that only a very classical warfare is shown and that many options are missing, like helicopter transport between points on the map, the guerilla terrorism against the oil well garrisons, and the political subtleties of the region.

Collector’s Value

As interesting as many other S&T games of the same period, the scenarios and the units are, of course, old fashioned, but the articles in the magazines are interesting and the game is always fun to play.

Boone quotes low, high and average prices of 3/35/8.43 at auction and 5/38/13.81 for sale.

Support Material

Moves 25 adds some more fuel with the introduction of Russian troops and two new scenarios.

Moves 26 throws the final strategies and tactics for both sides.

Campaign 79 and Battle Plan 9 have written something above.

Two issues of The Phoenix, issues 2 and 5, devote articles to the strategies of the game.

F&M 69 and Moves 63 provide a short review of Oil War inside a general anthology of Gulf War games.

Other games of this type

Fighting in and around the Persian Gulf, hypothetical or historical:

Gulf Strike; 5th Fleet (both VG); Rapid Deployment Force; Central Command; A Line in the Sand (all TSR); Persian Gulf; Battle for Basra; Phase Line Smash (all GDW); Light Division; Arabian Nightmare: the Kuwait War (both 3W); Action in the Persian Gulf (Enola); Desert Victory (Omega); Back to Iraq; Desert Storm (both XTR).

Other games by this designer

A lot...(What he said -ed)

Luc Olivier is the editor of Vieille Garde, the official newsletter of l’Academie du Wargame. A five-issue subscription is 80 French francs and the contact is: Gregory Anton 75, Boulevard de Charonne 75011 Paris France

Luc is also a wargame designer and is most recently responsible for Dien Bien Phu which just appeared in Vae Victis 33.

Luc Olivier: Winner!

No one will dispute the fact that a majority of the board wargamers in the world come from the USA, as well as a majority of the board wargames. Put another way, relatively few board wargames are published in a language other than English (and I’m not casting aspersions on Perry Moore here). The fact is that there is a significant wargaming fraternity in other countries, such as France. And even though we don’t speak the same language, this hasn’t stopped the French from playing games in English. Just an observation. Anyway, I’m pleased to announce that Luc Olivier has won the Paths of Glory contest (as announced in issue 7) for best letter this issue. The fact that he is a member of a small elite, an editor of a wargaming magazine, had a lot to do with my decision. After all, we editors can’t live on perquisites alone, and occasionally need a little more than the adulation of our peers. JK