The French Foreign Legion: A Game of Desperate Fighting in a Desert Fort
Designed by E.R. Teuber, V.J. Stribling and L.V. Brom
Published by Yaquinto Pubs., 1982

Players 2 or 3
Playing Time 2 hours
Era 19th and 20th Century
Scale Tactical
Time not specified
Space 1 square is about 5 feet per side
Unit Individuals

Components
1 Album-styled cardboard box
1 12 1/2"x25" full color gameboard with a square overlay (inside of the album jacket)
218 die-cut extra-thick colored counters
2 Game cards
1 16-page rulebook
2 small ziploc bags
1 standard 6-sided die

Counter Manifest
40 French Foreign Legion units (white on blue)
2 Officers (Captain & Lieutenant)
7 NCOs (Sgt. Major; 3 each Sargeant and Corporal)
24 ORs (Privates)
2 Heavy Weapons (Machine Gun and Cannon)
4 Markers (Legion Commanders, 1 Squad, 2 Squad & 3 Squad)
1 blank

80 Arab units (black on beige)
7 Leaders (5 Chiefs; 1 Sergeant; 1 Shiekh)
55 Arab fighters
16 Markers (3 Mounted; 4 Tunnel; 3 Dynamite; 5 Tribes [Arab; Berber; Kayble; Riff; Tuareg]; 1 Bedouin Commanders) 2 blanks

99 Markers (blue on white)
13 Mutineers
3 Breach
4 Le Cafard
22 Grappling Hooks
6 Exposed
6 Full Cover
6 Stun
2 Gates (1/4" x 3/4")
37 Closed (1/4" x 1/2")

What the publisher says:

“The French Foreign Legion is a stylized game of tactics and strategy covering classic attack on a Legion outpost (Hollywood style) by Bedouin tribesmen.”

What the reviewers say:

“This is no grand empire game for the conquest of North Africa, but a dirty little fight in a far away place. It is probably Yaquinto’s best tongue-in-cheek game to date, improving on Swashbuckler and Apache.” Roger Nord in Wargamer 24.

“Legion is a thoroughly enjoyable game. It is fine for introducing a friend to wargaming or as a diversion from the ‘serious’ gaming you may be engrossed in.” George Schandel in F&M 30.

“The simplified system gives the game an attraction that contrasts with the Squad Leader school of complexity that is found all too often in tactical games. Adding the unique method for determining the order of movement and fire transforms an average contest into an unpredictable confrontation.” James C. Gordon in The Grenadier 17.

Player’s value

With Douglas Fairbanks Jr., Christopher Plummer, Alec Guiness and Sean Connery on the Rodger MacGowan cover, there should be no doubt in your mind that the depth of this game will not surpass the depth of its beauty. And the designers have no pretentions otherwise; they set their goals, and they met them. Sometimes a game is just a fun play.

Collector’s value

Yaquinto Publishing came on the scene late and exited early, but their short life in board wargames (the company still exists as a printing firm) was typified by Rodger MacGowan covers, extra thick counters, ineffective counter trays, solid designs and a penchant for odd packaging. Boone lists low, high and average prices of 5/21/13.63 at auction and 7/35/20.33 for sale.

Other games by these designers

Mssrs Teuber and Brom have no other games to their credit that we could identify. But Mr. Stribling was associated with Third Millenia, and designed: D.E.; Operation Sea Lion; Operation Market-Garden; PBI; Salerno; the Search for the Graf Spee; Second Galactic War; and Shiloh.