Golan (game): Difference between revisions
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'''Golan''' is a [[board game]] simulating [[operational level]] ground combat between [[Israel]] and [[Syria]] on the [[Golan Heights]] during the [[1973 Arab-Israeli War]]. The game is an introductory level product with an emphasis on playability over [[simulation]] value. |
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[[File:Cover_of_Golan_wargame_1975.png|thumb|right|Cover of "Collector's Edition" box, 1975]] |
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'''''Golan''''' subtitled "Syrian-Israeli Combat in the '73 War", is a [[board wargame]] published by [[Simulations Publications, Inc.]] (SPI) in [[1975 in games|1975]] that simulates [[operational level]] ground combat between [[Egypt]] and [[Israel]] on the [[Golan Heights#Yom Kippur War|Golan Heights]] during the just completed [[Yom Kippur War]] of October 1973. ''Golan'' was originally published as part of the "quadrigame" ''[[Modern Battles: Four Contemporary Conflicts]]''. |
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==Description== |
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[[Simulations Publications, Inc.]] (SPI) in [[1975]] issued Golan as one of four games included in the Modern Battles Quad box and individually in a folio format as part of its Modern Battles Series. SPI also issued a Collector's Edition in a 2" accordion box with a mounted mapboard. |
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During the Arab-Israeli War of October 1973, Syrian forces attempted to retake territory on the Golan Heights that had been lost to Israel during the [[Six-Day War]] in 1967, but were repulsed. ''Golan'', a simulation of that battle, is one of four games in the series ''Modern Warfare'' published by SPI that acts as an introduction to wargaming. |
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The folio edition of the game includes:<ref name="moves55" /> |
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* folio to hold game components |
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* 17" x 22" paper [[hex grid]] map scaled at 1 mile (1.6 km) per hex |
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* 100 counters |
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* rulebook |
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* player aids |
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* random number chits |
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In the "Collector's Edition", the numbered chits were replaced by a six-sided die, and the maps were mounted. |
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== Game Play == |
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===Scenarios=== |
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== Simulation Value == |
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The game includes three scenarios:<ref name="moves24" /> |
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Golan offers rather limited value in simulating Syria's attack on the Golan Heights and Israeli counter efforts. The map and scenarios are sufficient to develop a general operational understanding of the simulated events. Order of battle data is problematic, however, and most brigade and lower units have generic unit designations and some counters include unexplained letter designators. Unit designators are irrelevant to unit positioning, and the accompanying materials do not describe how the opposing forces were arrayed historically. The order of battle also excludes the Syrian 5th Mechanized Division, the unit responsible for breaking through Israeli defenses in the southern Golan Heights. Information on Syrian and Israeli doctrine, tactics, and equipment also is largely absent. The Designer's Notes and Player's Notes are sparse in adding context and do not include references or recommended further reading. |
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# The historical scenario: Syria tries to overwhelm Israeli defenses before reinforcements can arrive. |
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# A theoretical and not historically accurate scenario that examines what happens if Israeli forces mobilize sooner that actually happened. |
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# Another theoretical and not historically accurate scenario that gives the Syrians better command and control and logistics. |
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Each scenario lasts 30 turns, each of which represents 12 hours per turn. |
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===Victory conditions=== |
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The game overstates the role of airpower in Israel's defense of the Golan Heights. Although close air support and battlefield interdiction did contribute to halting the Syrian ground offensive, Israeli armored units were primarily responsible for this. By contrast, air power in Golan is often the key to winning a given engagement. Moreover, Israel's ability to counter Syrian air defenses, in particular the then new SA-6, improved rapidly with combat experience, a trend not reflected in Golan. |
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Victory points are awarded for geographical gains and units destroyed. In addition, the Syrian player is awarded victory points for [[SAM missile]] hits on Israeli aircraft.<ref name="moves24" /> |
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==Publication history== |
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The defensive value of the Israeli anti-tank ditch along the demilitarized zone is underrepresented, acting as little more than speedbump during the first two turns (24 hours in game time) and ignored thereafter. Historically, however, the Israelis defended the northern portion of the anti-tank ditch for three days, excacting enormous Syrian casualties before the line was breached. |
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SPI published the game ''Modern Battles: Four Contemporary Conflicts'' in 1975 using the "quadrigame" concept that SPI had pioneered earlier in the year with ''[[Blue & Gray: Four American Civil War Battles]]'': a game that contained a single set of rules, but with counters and maps for four different battles. Similarly the box for ''Modern Battles'' contained one set of rules for four different battles, including ''[[Chinese Farm (board game)|Chinese Farm]]'', ''Wurzburg'', ''Mukden'', and ''Golan'', the latter designed by Irad B. Hardy, with cartography and graphic design by [[Redmond A. Simonsen]]. SPI also released the four games individually as the ''Modern Warfare'' series of "folio games", the components contained in a cardstock folder packaged in a plastic bag. Each individual game was also released as a "Collector's Edition" with mounted maps in a 2" accordion box. In a 1976 poll by SPI to determine the most popular wargames in North American, ''Golan'' placed an impressive 33rd out of 202 games.<ref name=palmer>{{cite book | last =Palmer | first =Nicholas | author-link=Nick Palmer |title =The Comprehensive Guide to Board Wargaming | publisher =Sphere Books | date =1977 | location =London | pages =152}}</ref> |
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In 1979, [[Hobby Japan]] published a licensed Japanese-language version.<ref name="bgg">{{cite web | url =https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/8748/golan-syrian-israeli-combat-73-war | title =Golan: Syrian-Israeli Combat in the '73 War (1975) | website =boardgamegeek.com | access-date =2021-06-06}}</ref> |
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100 die-cut [[Counter_%28board_wargames%29|counters]] (7 are blank) representing Israeli and Syrian units; a 17" by 22" hexagon-patterned paper map, one six-sided die (boxed format) or two sets of random number [[Chit_%28board_wargames%29|chits]] (folio format), a plastic storage tray (boxed format only), one standard rulebook for Modern Battle Folio Series games, and one exclusive rulebook for Golan. The Collector's Edition also included a mounted map. |
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==Reception== |
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In Issue 24 of ''[[Moves (magazine)|Moves]]'' (December 1975), Jay Nelson noted that despite being designed as an introduction to wargaming, ''Golan'' "is not simple." Nelson felt the game was tilted in favor of the Israeli player, saying, "The general course of a game of ''Golan'' will follow the development of the historical event accurately. Large Syrian forces will be repulsed in the early game by their outnumbered Israeli opponents."<ref name="moves24">{{cite magazine|last=Nelson|first=Jay|date=December 1975 |title=Profile: Modern Battles: Chinese Farm|magazine=[[Moves (magazine)|Moves]]|issue=24|pages=8–9}}</ref> |
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Game Design: Irad B. Hardy<br /> |
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Physical Systems Design and Graphics: [[Redmond A. Simonsen]]<br /> |
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Systems Design and Game Development: Irad. B. Hardy, Edward Curran, Jay Nelson<br /> |
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Research: [[Trevor N. Dupuy|Col. T. N. Dupuy]]<br /> |
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Production: Manfred F. Milkuhn, Larry Catalano, Linda Mosca, Kevin Zucker<br /> |
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In Issue 55 of ''Moves'', Ian Chadwick called it "a good, tough game", but noted that the use of Israeli Air Points versus SAM units instead of simulating actual aircraft sorties "conveys no feel for that part of the battle." He concluded by giving the game an A for playability, a C for component quality, and a C for historical accuracy, saying, "Despite flaws, it's primarily a game and as such lives up to what it sets out to be. As a simulation, it's mediocre, but this can be forgiven due to the ease and enjoyment of play."<ref name="moves55">{{cite magazine|last=Kamps|first=Charles T.|date=February–March 1981 |title=A Survey of Arab-Israeli War Games|magazine=[[Moves (magazine)|Moves]]|issue=55|pages=10}}</ref> |
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In the 1977 book ''[[The Comprehensive Guide to Board Wargaming]]'', game critic Charles Vasey thought the game was "Rather unbalanced to the Israelis."<ref name=palmer /> |
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In a retrospective review in ''Warning Order'' #19, Matt Irsik recalled that "The first several turns are pretty nerve-wracking for the Israeli player." He concluded that it was "a good game that only goes wrong during the end game [...] if the Israelis held on at the beginning they go on a killing spree at the end which isn't much fun for the Syrian player!"<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Irsik|first=Matt|date=Fall 2007|title=Blast from the Past Part 5|magazine=Warning Order|issue=19|pages=9}}</ref> |
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==Other reviews== |
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''A Survey of Arab-Israeli War Games'', by Ian Chadwick, in [[Moves (magazine)|Moves]] #55, February-March 1981<br /> |
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*''American Wargamer'' Vol.3, No.7 |
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''Games of the Golan'', by John D. Burtt in [[Paper Wars]] #62, July 2006 |
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*''Simulacrum'' #20 |
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*''[[Paper Wars]]'' #62 |
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==References== |
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{{reflist}} |
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Golan (Game)}} |
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[[Category:Board games introduced in 1975]] |
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[[Category:Wargames introduced in 1975]] |
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Latest revision as of 16:35, 9 December 2023
Golan subtitled "Syrian-Israeli Combat in the '73 War", is a board wargame published by Simulations Publications, Inc. (SPI) in 1975 that simulates operational level ground combat between Egypt and Israel on the Golan Heights during the just completed Yom Kippur War of October 1973. Golan was originally published as part of the "quadrigame" Modern Battles: Four Contemporary Conflicts.
Description
[edit]During the Arab-Israeli War of October 1973, Syrian forces attempted to retake territory on the Golan Heights that had been lost to Israel during the Six-Day War in 1967, but were repulsed. Golan, a simulation of that battle, is one of four games in the series Modern Warfare published by SPI that acts as an introduction to wargaming.
Components
[edit]The folio edition of the game includes:[1]
- folio to hold game components
- 17" x 22" paper hex grid map scaled at 1 mile (1.6 km) per hex
- 100 counters
- rulebook
- player aids
- random number chits
In the "Collector's Edition", the numbered chits were replaced by a six-sided die, and the maps were mounted.
Scenarios
[edit]The game includes three scenarios:[2]
- The historical scenario: Syria tries to overwhelm Israeli defenses before reinforcements can arrive.
- A theoretical and not historically accurate scenario that examines what happens if Israeli forces mobilize sooner that actually happened.
- Another theoretical and not historically accurate scenario that gives the Syrians better command and control and logistics.
Each scenario lasts 30 turns, each of which represents 12 hours per turn.
Victory conditions
[edit]Victory points are awarded for geographical gains and units destroyed. In addition, the Syrian player is awarded victory points for SAM missile hits on Israeli aircraft.[2]
Publication history
[edit]SPI published the game Modern Battles: Four Contemporary Conflicts in 1975 using the "quadrigame" concept that SPI had pioneered earlier in the year with Blue & Gray: Four American Civil War Battles: a game that contained a single set of rules, but with counters and maps for four different battles. Similarly the box for Modern Battles contained one set of rules for four different battles, including Chinese Farm, Wurzburg, Mukden, and Golan, the latter designed by Irad B. Hardy, with cartography and graphic design by Redmond A. Simonsen. SPI also released the four games individually as the Modern Warfare series of "folio games", the components contained in a cardstock folder packaged in a plastic bag. Each individual game was also released as a "Collector's Edition" with mounted maps in a 2" accordion box. In a 1976 poll by SPI to determine the most popular wargames in North American, Golan placed an impressive 33rd out of 202 games.[3]
In 1979, Hobby Japan published a licensed Japanese-language version.[4]
Reception
[edit]In Issue 24 of Moves (December 1975), Jay Nelson noted that despite being designed as an introduction to wargaming, Golan "is not simple." Nelson felt the game was tilted in favor of the Israeli player, saying, "The general course of a game of Golan will follow the development of the historical event accurately. Large Syrian forces will be repulsed in the early game by their outnumbered Israeli opponents."[2]
In Issue 55 of Moves, Ian Chadwick called it "a good, tough game", but noted that the use of Israeli Air Points versus SAM units instead of simulating actual aircraft sorties "conveys no feel for that part of the battle." He concluded by giving the game an A for playability, a C for component quality, and a C for historical accuracy, saying, "Despite flaws, it's primarily a game and as such lives up to what it sets out to be. As a simulation, it's mediocre, but this can be forgiven due to the ease and enjoyment of play."[1]
In the 1977 book The Comprehensive Guide to Board Wargaming, game critic Charles Vasey thought the game was "Rather unbalanced to the Israelis."[3]
In a retrospective review in Warning Order #19, Matt Irsik recalled that "The first several turns are pretty nerve-wracking for the Israeli player." He concluded that it was "a good game that only goes wrong during the end game [...] if the Israelis held on at the beginning they go on a killing spree at the end which isn't much fun for the Syrian player!"[5]
Other reviews
[edit]- Close Up: SPI's Chinese Farm and Golan, by Warren G. Williams, Fire & Movement #2, 1976
- Spotlight: Games of the Arab Israeli Wars, by Keith Poulter, Wargamer Vol.1 #2, 1977
- SPI's Modern Battles, by Donald Mack, in Wargamer Vol.1 #13, date needed
- American Wargamer Vol.3, No.7
- Simulacrum #20
- Paper Wars #62
References
[edit]- ^ a b Kamps, Charles T. (February–March 1981). "A Survey of Arab-Israeli War Games". Moves. No. 55. p. 10.
- ^ a b c Nelson, Jay (December 1975). "Profile: Modern Battles: Chinese Farm". Moves. No. 24. pp. 8–9.
- ^ a b Palmer, Nicholas (1977). The Comprehensive Guide to Board Wargaming. London: Sphere Books. p. 152.
- ^ "Golan: Syrian-Israeli Combat in the '73 War (1975)". boardgamegeek.com. Retrieved 2021-06-06.
- ^ Irsik, Matt (Fall 2007). "Blast from the Past Part 5". Warning Order. No. 19. p. 9.
Sources
[edit]- Elusive Victory: The Arab-Israeli Wars, 1947-1974, by Trevor N. Dupuy, Harper and Row, New York, 1978
- Arabs at War: Military Effectiveness 1948-1991, by Kenneth M. Pollack, University of Nebraska Press, Lincoln, Nebraska, 2002
- The Yom Kippur War 1973: The Golan Heights, by Simon Dunstan, Osprey Publishing, New York, 2003
External links
[edit]- Golan at BoardGameGeek
- Golan at Web-Grognards
