Fast Attack Boats

Last updated

Fast Attack Boats is a two-player combat board game published by Yaquinto Publications in 1980. The game simulates naval combat between Arab and Israeli missile boats during the 1973 Arab-Israeli War. The game is an introductory level product with an emphasis on playability over historical accuracy.

Contents

Publication

Yaquinto Games issued Fast Attack Boats as one in their series of "Album Games", which used the same-sized jacket as a double vinyl record album, with the mapboard printed inside the jacket and game components stored in the two sleeves. Other games in the Album Games series included Swashbuckler .

The game components are:

The game requires but does not include two six-sided dice. Yaquinto Publications did not issue errata for Fast Attack Boats.

Game Play

Fast Attack Boats may be played to represent a single engagement under the "Battle Game" rules, or a series of up to ten engagements under the "Strategic Game" rules. The mechanics of both are identical with the exception of fleet selection and deployment.

In the Battle Game, players agree upon a common total number of points for each fleet and select naval units of varying point values until each fleet has reached its limit. All units are immediately deployed, Arab units forming a line on one side of the mapboard and Israeli units on the other. The rectangular shape of the mapboard, long missile ranges, and the requirement for boats to use their full movement value often lead the two opposing sides into simple head-on charges. The range, large quantity and high degree of destructiveness of the cruise missiles also typically leaves the much shorter range guns and torpedoes to play a minimal role near the end of an engagement, and the confines of the mapboard limit boats trying to maneuver. Most battle games, therefore, are completed in 15–30 minutes or less and involve a significant degree of luck over skill. The winning player is the one with the last surviving boat on the mapboard.

The Strategic Game requires the use of all naval units, and divides the forces into three sides (Egyptian, Syrian and Israeli). The Arab player divides up the Egyptian and Syrian fleets for five rounds of combat each, while the Israeli player must fight all ten engagements (5 rounds against each Arab power). There is provision for players to shift forces from one round to the next, but the Egyptian and Syrian fleets operate independently and may not combine, a restriction the Israeli player does not face. The movement and combat sequence of play is identical to the Battle Game. The Strategic Game is slightly more complex than the Battle Game and may require three or more hours to resolve, but is still predominantly a game of chance. The winner is the first player to reach six victories, or in the event of an even number of victories, the side that lost the fewest total points in the values of the eliminated boats.

The Arab fleet is composed of Komar and Osa boats armed with Styx missiles and P4 torpedo boats. The Israeli fleet is made up of assorted Saar boats equipped with a mix of Gabriel Mk1 and Mk2 missiles and torpedoes.

Alternative rules include allowing two persons to play the Arab fleets in the Strategic Game, thus creating a three-player game; permitting the Israeli player to move less than the full movement factor to reflect Israel's better trained crews; and making ramming more difficult.

Simulation Value

Fast Attack Boats admittedly does not attempt to replicate the lopsided naval engagements that took place during the 1973 Arab-Israeli War, but instead is designed as a game that "captures the flavor of the actual events." Consequently, it does not simulate any particular naval exchange or geographic area, instead opting for generic open seas engagements with player-selected fleets.

The rulebook's "Brief Historical Summary" incorrectly characterizes the 1973 Arab-Israel War's naval encounters as "one of the most decisive and stunning victories by a weaker power in the history of sea warfare," and that if "the Arab powers had been able to gain control of the sea, they could have disrupted the flow of supplies to Israel, which could have meant disaster for the hard-pressed Israeli Army." While the Israeli Navy's performance was impressive, it was not one of naval history's stunning victories and had no effect on the ground campaigns in the Golan or the Sinai where the conflict was decided. Moreover, while the United States did begin resupplying Israel at the end of the first week of the war, these military supplies were sent via air, and even then arrived too late and in too few quantities to influence the outcome of the war. The legacy of the conflict instead lies in the debut of electronic countermeasures in naval combat and the widespread use of cruise missiles.

The designer also takes liberties with the actual equipment and tactics both sides employed during the conflict. For example, Fast Attack Boats does not factor in Israel's highly effective electronic countermeasures that rendered the Arab Styx missiles largely useless, or the Syrian fleet's use of unwitting merchant ships to hide behind from incoming Israeli Gabriel missiles. The rules do devote significant attention to ramming an opponent's boat, although this tactic was not used in the 1973 Arab-Israeli War and is generally not a feature of 20th century naval combat, but probably reflects the narrow confines of the mapboard and the near inevitability of the two fleets crossing one another's path during game play.

Credits

Design and Research: Neil Zimmerer
Development and Rules: S. Craig Taylor, Jr.
Production Coordination: J. Stephen Peek
Box Art: Charles Micah
Graphics: Yaquinto Printing Co.
Playtesters: Mayfair Wargamers, Bob Armstrong, Nolan Bond, Joel Breger, Chris Cornaghie, William Cutrer, Kevin Duke, John Ford, Dave Furguson, William Glankler, Frank Hernandez, Wayne Lanham, James McDonnel, Steve Peek, Mike Pellam, Cliff Pellam, George Petronis, Ed Safley, John Paul Snellen, and John White

Reception

In the March 1981 edition of Dragon (Issue 47), Roberto Camino found the graphics a bit drab compared to other games on the market, but considered the rules "quite complete". Camino criticized the single map, which he found to be quite confining for combat based on boats that historically used hit and run tactics. He also questioned the premise of the basic game, in which historical accuracy was sacrificed for ease of play. Camino concluded, "While Fast Attack Boats is undeniably fun and fulfills its intent of being a good game, those looking for extensive insight into small craft tactics had better look in another direction." [1]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Torpedo boat</span> Small, fast naval ship designed to carry torpedoes into battle

A torpedo boat is a relatively small and fast naval ship designed to carry torpedoes into battle. The first designs were steam-powered craft dedicated to ramming enemy ships with explosive spar torpedoes. Later evolutions launched variants of self-propelled Whitehead torpedoes.

USS <i>Liberty</i> incident 1967 Israeli attack on United States Navy ship

The USS Liberty incident was an attack on a United States Navy technical research ship, USS Liberty, by Israeli Air Force jet fighter aircraft and Israeli Navy motor torpedo boats, on 8 June 1967, during the Six-Day War. The combined air and sea attack killed 34 crew members, wounded 171 crew members, and severely damaged the ship. At the time, the ship was in international waters north of the Sinai Peninsula, about 25.5 nautical miles northwest from the Egyptian city of Arish.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yom Kippur War</span> 1973 war between Israel and a coalition of Arab states

The Yom Kippur War, also known as the Ramadan War, the October War, the 1973 Arab–Israeli War, or the Fourth Arab–Israeli War, was an armed conflict fought from 6 to 25 October 1973, between Israel and a coalition of Arab states led by Egypt and Syria. The majority of combat between the two sides took place in the Sinai Peninsula and the Golan Heights—both of which had been occupied by Israel in 1967—with some fighting in African Egypt and northern Israel. Egypt's initial objective in the war was to seize a foothold on the eastern bank of the Suez Canal and subsequently leverage these gains to negotiate the return of the rest of the Israeli-occupied Sinai Peninsula.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">War of Attrition</span> 1967–70 war between Israel and Egypt

The War of Attrition involved fighting between Israel and Egypt, Jordan, the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) and their allies from 1967 to 1970.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Latakia</span> 1973 naval battle of the Yom Kippur War

The Battle of Latakia was a small but revolutionary naval action of the Yom Kippur War, fought on 7 October 1973 between Israel and Syria. It was the first naval battle in history to see combat between surface-to-surface missile-equipped missile boats and the use of electronic deception.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Air supremacy</span> Complete control in air warfare

Aerial supremacy is the degree to which a side in a conflict holds control of air power over opposing forces. There are levels of control of the air in aerial warfare. Control of the air is the aerial equivalent of command of the sea.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Israeli Navy</span> Maritime service branch of the Israel Defense Forces

The Israeli Navy is the naval warfare service arm of the Israel Defense Forces, operating primarily in the Mediterranean Sea theater as well as the Gulf of Eilat and the Red Sea theater. The current commander in chief of the Israeli Navy is Aluf David Saar Salama. The Israeli Navy is believed to be responsible for maintaining Israel's offshore nuclear second strike capability.

Yaquinto Publications was the wargame publishing arm of the Robert Yaquinto Printing Company of Dallas, Texas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Missile boat</span> Small warship armed with anti-ship missiles

A missile boat or missile cutter is a small, fast warship armed with anti-ship missiles. Being smaller than other warships such as destroyers and frigates, missile boats are popular with nations interested in forming a navy at lower cost. They are similar in concept to the torpedo boats of World War II; in fact, the first missile boats were modified torpedo boats with the torpedo tubes replaced by missile tubes.

<i>Rise and Decline of the Third Reich</i> 1974 grand strategy wargame set during World War II

Rise and Decline of the Third Reich or more commonly Third Reich is a grand strategy wargame covering the European theater of World War II, designed by John Prados and released in 1974 by Avalon Hill. Players take on the roles of major powers—Germany, Italy, United Kingdom, France, the Soviet Union, and the United States—from 1939 to 1946.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fast attack craft</span> Naval surface vessel capable of high speed designed to attack other watercraft

A fast attack craft (FAC) is a small, fast, agile, offensive, often affordable warship armed with anti-ship missiles, gun or torpedoes. FACs are usually operated in close proximity to land as they lack both the seakeeping and all-round defensive capabilities to survive in blue water. The size of the vessel also limits the fuel, stores and water supplies. In size they are usually between 50–800 tonnes and can reach speeds of 25–50 knots (46–93 km/h).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Egyptian Navy</span> Maritime warfare branch of Egypts military

The Egyptian Navy, also known as the Egyptian Naval Force, is the maritime branch of the Egyptian Armed Forces. It is the largest navy in the Middle East as well as Africa, and is the twelfth largest navy in the world. The navy protects more than 2,000 kilometers of coastline of the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea, defense of approaches to the Suez Canal, and it also supports for army operations. The majority of the modern Egyptian Navy was created with the help of the Soviet Union in the 1960s. The navy received ships in the 1980s from China and Western sources. In 1989, the Egyptian Navy had 18,000 personnel as well as 2,000 personnel in the Coast Guard. The navy received ships from the US in 1990. US shipbuilder Swiftships has built around 30 boats for the Egyptian Navy including mine hunters, survey vessels, and both steel and aluminium patrol boats.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tactical wargame</span> Type of wargame that models military conflict at a tactical level

Tactical wargames are a type of wargame that models military conflict at a tactical level, i.e. units range from individual vehicles and squads to platoons or companies. These units are rated based on types and ranges of individual weaponry. The first tactical wargames were played as miniatures, extended to board games, and they are now also enjoyed as video games.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anti-surface warfare</span> Naval combat on the open ocean

Anti-surface warfare is the branch of naval warfare concerned with the suppression of surface combatants. More generally, it is any weapons, sensors, or operations intended to attack or limit the effectiveness of an adversary's surface ships. Before the adoption of the submarine and naval aviation, all naval warfare consisted of anti-surface warfare. The distinct concept of an anti-surface warfare capability emerged after World War II, and literature on the subject as a distinct discipline is inherently dominated by the dynamics of the Cold War.

<i>Golan</i> (game)

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.

<i>P.T.O. IV</i> 2001 video game

P.T.O. IV, released as Teitoku no Ketsudan IV (提督の決断IV) in Japan, is a World War II-themed strategy for the PlayStation 2 and PC produced by Koei. It focuses on naval combat in the maritime theaters of World War II, encompassing the Pacific Ocean, Mediterranean Sea, Atlantic Ocean, and Indian Ocean, with the option of playing as one of four major maritime powers of the time: Germany, Japan, the United Kingdom, or the United States. P.T.O. IV is the latest game in Koei's P.T.O. series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Syrian Navy</span> Maritime warfare branch of Syrias military

The Syrian Navy, officially the Syrian Arab Navy, is the navy branch of the Syrian Armed Forces. The main role of the Syrian Navy is to defend the country's coasts and ensure the security of the territorial waters of Syria. The Coastal Defense Forces and the Syrian Marines have been attached to the Navy since the late 20th century. The Syrian Navy is a relatively small navy with only 4,000 sailors, in addition to 2,500 reservists and 1,500 marines. It is under the Syrian Army's Latakia regional command with its fleet based in the ports of Baniyas, Latakia, Minet el-Beida, and Tartus. It is the smallest part of the Syrian Armed Forces.

Komar-class missile boat 1957 Soviet small missile boat class

The Soviet Project 183R class, more commonly known as the Komar class, its NATO reporting name, meaning "mosquito", is a class of missile boats, the first of its kind, built in the 1950s and 1960s. Notably, they were the first to sink another ship with anti-ship missiles in 1967.

<i>The Ironclads</i> Board game

The Ironclads, subtitled "A Tactical Level Game of Naval Combat in the American Civil War 1861–1865", is a board wargame published by Yaquinto Publications in 1979 that simulates American Civil War naval combat.

<i>Sinai: The Arab-Israeli Wars</i> 1973 Middle East board wargame

Sinai: The Arab-Israeli Wars – '56, '67 and '73 is a board wargame published by Simulations Publications Inc. (SPI) in 1973 that simulates three conflicts in the Middle East: The 1956 Suez Crisis, the 1967 Six-Day War, and the just-completed 1973 Yom Kippur War. The staff of SPI had been developing a wargame simulating a hypothetical Middle East conflict when war broke out in October 1973. Using newspaper and television reports, SPI found that their envisioned simulation was not accurate, and quickly redeveloped the game, releasing it only weeks after a ceasefire had been signed. The game proved very popular, and remained a best-seller for SPI during the 1970s.

References

  1. Camino, Roberto (March 1981). "The Dragon's Augury". Dragon (47). TSR, Inc.: 61–62.

Sources

  1. https://strategyandtacticspress.com/library-files/Moves%20Issue55.pdf