Against the Odds Annual 2017: Six Days of War

Edición en inglés.

Over 50 years ago, Israel made pre-emptive attacks against the neighboring Arab countries that had vowed to destroy her… and won. It changed everything. And yet, it also established a kind of stasis in which little seems to have changed in those subsequent 50 years. How can that be?

First comes the amazement that a war fought with a mixture of weapon types that ranged from the very latest jets to leftover WW2 equipment… yet reached a decisive conclusion in less than one week. With today’s “little wars” that drag on year after year, the idea of a real conclusion in just a week—with a declared winner and losers—staggers the imagination.

Second comes the unfathomable idea that, in spite of this decisive victory, Israel remains the center focus of world politics and few supporters, many detractors, and a few dire enemies.

Six Days of War begins with a Strategic Segment of card play and counter-play as each side adjusts its diplomatic standing and “war footing” and shifts unit positions on the map. This is a tense and fascinating game-within-a-game, where cards are played, rescinded, or “trumped” (at a cost) and Random Events can vary from nothing important to forced actions which perhaps neither player will like. Will the UN peacekeepers be kicked out? Will Jordan give up its neutrality? This stage of the game feels like newspaper headlines, but players can influence the “news.”

The game also includes a historically based scenario that makes for a faster beginning (with no preliminary card play) and serves as an excellent solo game. Also included is a scenario showing “Ben Gurion’s Nightmare,” with a more subtle Arab diplomacy and a less attentive Israel meaning the starting positions are different in key ways. This represents an extreme challenge for the Israeli player. There are also optional rules which explore “what if?” events or can be used to balance play.

Bonus Items Inside!: All copies of this Annual also feature an expansion kit for our solitaire game, Strange Victory (published in our 2015 Annual) that will spice up play every time, plus additional cards for Die Atombombe game published in ATO #50.

Maps - One full color 22" x 34" mapsheet
Counters - 288 full color die-cut counters
Cards - 66 cards
Rules length - 20 pages
Charts and tables - 2 pages
Complexity - Medium