Beirut ‘82

On 13 June 1982, paratroopers and armor of the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) rolled to the edge of Beirut, joining forces with their Phalange Christian allies. They never got much father. The Palestine Liberation Organization’s attempt to organize a regular army had failed, but so had Israel’s drive to exterminate it. This was a classic confrontation of modern diplomacy, where political pressure allowed a tiny force to fend off a giant. Beirut ’82: Arab Stalingrad simulates the siege of Beirut, and its victory conditions recreate the diplomatic hindrances of that struggle.

Each hexagon indicates 2,000 feet and every turn equals three days. Counters represent widely varying kinds of units because of the exotic armies present (Syrian regulars, IDF regulars, IDF paratroops, private militias and PLO guerrillas in varying degrees of organization). In general, one Strength Point equals one battalion of well-equipped infantry or tanks.

Components: 17x22 map, 100 counters