Septeûber,19i8

Palcstine
Àllies & Arabs vs. Tuks & Germans
LAWRENCE
Plâye{ Slatus:
Unit S.ale:
Army comnalders
Brigad e/ Ba ttalion / Regiments OF ARABIA
Time Scale: 1-2Days/Tun
by Chris Pcrlcbug
Mâp Scale: 2.3 Miles/Hex
L€aming Time:
Complete Gaûe;
SoLitaire: Average

Lawrence of Arabia is â reissue of th€ 1983 game SAME PLACE, SAME THING
from lvd,.!rr?rr #21. lt overs the finalAllied offen
h fâct, not orrlv are ihe rulcs cxâ.tli' the sane as thc
si\.e in Palesiinc nr Septcmber,19lil, $'hichknocked
carlicr release bui the_v also colnc conplete witlr
Turkey out of tlre rvar. Afkr câ.cful planning ancl
sonrc of ùe original iypos. Ii also inirodùces some
elaborâte secrec]', Allenby's forces,lcd by ihc Dcscri
nerv ti pos. N,ly fâvorlte nerv one is ihe follolvnrg
N4ounted Corps, s\,vept ihe Tllrks from thc licld, thc
gem: "To escort plisorlcrs, a guarcl unlt must star\r in
lâst greât ùse of cà\'alrv b,v a rvesienr aÙù). The
goâd [sic]orderàtàlliimcs." Prod those POIVS rrith
Dupui' brothers (in theî Ercltdapedii tf14ilitirv Hir
nrnl) câ1] this offensive "one of the most brilliant
operâtiorls in the historv of the BriiishArnI" East 3W slrould also have taken the opportunity to.lcar
of thc Jorclan, Aràb guerrlllâ iorces,led by ihe leg B,' . r' ir' Ic r"J h\ P-e\ r..'
rlF- ,
cndàr), "El^urcns" hhselt hârried the Turksh rear reviewers. Whât hâppcns âlter â su.ccssftrl àircraft
and raised thc vârioùs hibes in revolt. intercepti(rn? 11 thc Frcnch câvâlry rnlit cân't do re
^râb
'lhe "L:wrence" counter plays â major part in the conmovcmcni,why does ii haye a recon morùncnt
alloù,a.ce? Does the ZOC of British ca1'alry aftect
game. lt is worth big victory poinis, and enables
Tùrkish ca\.alry? Does the ZOC of Turklsh Be.touin
Arâb ùnits to stâck s,ith eâch other an.l attack rcli
uniLs aifect British câ\'âlrv? Docs thc ZOC of Bdtish
àbl). Losing Là!\,rcn.c loses the war in the clcsert.
inlantry units âffcctTurkish cavalry? C.rla unitbe
Turkish plâyers ûrây objcct to the absence of à letnâ1
botlr disrupted ând pânickcd?
r\tâturk.ounte!.bui thcr1, the gàn1e is "Là\\'renceof
Arâbiâ," noi "^tattrrk." \.r'1,' ,.rr.r.,f ,eJir-4i?.r, -.l JF"r, n
corpora Led. Among (rther thnrgs, this crrâtâ .hanges
Th€ 22'x3.1 standard slze map is the same as the
map in the 1983 gâme and nicely done (although I
Iurkish panic Turkish ùnits do not pânic if
^râb
uniLs occupy rcâr ârca lrcxcs. Thjs has a lri{ nnpâct
sish thc_\, hâdput thc ri!ers ânct wa.lis onhe\sidcs
onthetârnc. In fact, ihe entire character oithetuer-
whcrc ihcy bclong). Thc 2:10 courlicrs hâvc b(l(Ù
rilla r\, àr changes depending on whether this rule is
redo|e (,jth silhoùettes jnsteâd of NATO-siylc synr-
bols, and are good qualit). H ve!'er the Lrnit size
.tesignators havebeen left off, so it's hard to tellbat None of this shllf is â show-sbpper nor is tlre mlc
talions from brigades. Foririnatel)', ihis has n.r el book u -eâciâblc bccausc of it. But the problcms
fect on the game, but I find it annoyinil noi to be should hâ\'e bccn iixed while .lW h.d ihe chancc.
able to identit the unit I'm pusling around. Even Thai ihis $,asn't donc nrclicaics lazifess, if noi. ccr-
norc ânnovirlg is thc fàct thât the rLlles stil list the tâin contempt for the customer.
size desisna tors, a hold-o!el fron1 the ol.l gâme thât BLITZKRIEG, I9I8
wâs not.orre.ied
This is Blitzkrieg, l9lS stlle. the ilame slrstemeven
uscs the same baslc sequence of plav asSPI's old

Iiirc & 14ov.nient+95

Irlv 199.1
Kursk gâme Air Phase, Movemeni, Combai, bat. Sorne of the Arâb units are dummies. Becâuse
"Mcchanized" Movement. Herc, thc British cavalry dùmmies are aLrtom.ticalty replaced if dcshoyed,
'Jl'rilrr,. o-lherdrl- rre tA ..ro*-ture ror the ihey can be sent to blow rail lhes in the middle of
Siukas, and the Turks (like the French in 1940) itet slrong Tlukish forccs (at leâst the ru les d on't say ihelr
no second molcncnt phase. Unlike the venerâblc cân't). Arâb urits i$ore ZOCS when reireating, and
old SPI system, hor.ever, British câ\'àhv c.n only get a berlcficiâl die roll modifier H'hen defencling.
mo!É onccin a tun/ in either phâse, ànd may attack As befits a blitzkrieg, the gâme inclùdes air units.
â i th e end of ihe second mo\'.rner1t p hase. The game
The RAF hâs 5 Ùnits, the lurks 2. The Turks can
even has partisâns (the Aràbs). l1e addition of the usuâllyonlyattâckArab rmitson the firstt .oiurns,
Arab units mâkes for h|o differentgames the con whne the British car operâte from hrm is,o io the
ventional wârfârc sest of the Jordan, ând the guer end of the gâmc. Air attâcks c.r1 panic or disrupt
rillâ r'âr eâst of it. ground uDits ând interclici râilroad androad hexes.
The game itscll lâlls into the "Skedaddle h'ith Since the Turkish LOC 4ùs through severâl choke
Honor" gcl1re. Ibe Turks (like the Germans in Co- points, interdicijng a key hex cânbe criticâl dudng
brâ) âre going io æt 'iped off most of thc mâp. a retreât. TheTurkish playerhas â smâll capâ.itv to
Their toalisio get$'ipedoutâs làte as possibleard stopRAFâttâcks, fora while ann'àI Afterâ couplc
to get as many unlts off the mâp âs ihey cân. Tbis of tums of a8grcssi\.e jnterceptiorl, thc Turks lvill
requires the Turkish player to ignore his combat no longcr hal,c an air force.
losses and focrls on the lictory condi lions, somethint
There âre a lew othcr special units. Leâders (Trrk
ihai is hard for sorne plâyers iodo. ATurkishplayer ish, German, and^r.b, includint Lâwrence hinrselq
might/€ci like he's loshg âs his forces siream north ad.t to combatstrengih alldpro\-ide comûând con-
wald in retreât ând surrender in droves, bLrt that's trol (which the Turks need in order to aitack). HQs
slrp|osrd to hâppen ând is 401 ho . victory is deter. pro!idc Iong rÂnge comnlând control, and help
Turkish uniis rally Bdtish engineers canextend the
MOVEMENT British rail line northward. POWS (surrendcrcd
Movemeni is standard, with sonlc intcrcsting twists. furkish and Germân units)mustbe escorted ofI the
Turkish units mây panic if the British get inio iheir map and can be liberate.t. Turkish artillerv .bnr-
dons their guns ând becomes weâk infântrv if ihev
reâr arcas. Panicked units run north âs fast as thev
càn, ùntil rallied. British câvâlry can nrove up to 11 Panic.
MI's il they don't àttack. Câvâ lry fora ges instead of PLAYING ÏHE GAME
using normal movement supply. It can therefore Tl,. 8J,r( hà- co rplc. .huft., Frârio.,,., cr i.g
m ove âro und decp in thc cnemy rear. Of course, if â "
"lvhât ifs" and smâltcr portions of thc cânrpaign),
cavalqr Lnit cân't trâcc supplyit attâcks a]1d defcnds l-ul fl ,\ Lre trn ê i. t,-r Fro-8. .h rt l , .., nf gr,
at half strength.
game is easilv completed. Plâying the Turkish side
Conrbat also has its tra'ists. Turkish uniis mây at in ihe câmpaign is 1] ot easv arld I have foun.t it nearlv
tempt to break oLrt if âttacked r4rile surroLrnded (a impossible to fâll back to the t]\.o successlve lincs
kind of retreat before combât), suffer panic when suggested. ln gcneral, the Turks reach a turn in
âttàcked by cavalry ("pânzcr ûight" with horses), $4rich their line collapses, and then must rurl like
ànd ten d to surrender in lârge n umbers $'hen things heck for thc north edge. Easier said then done, and
gct iouilh. Th€y don't sùrrender to Arâb rmits, s,hich that's the châllenge.
take no prlsoners (remember the movie?).
TheAràbs eâst of the Jordan are small, brt so are ihe
There ârc two combat iables, one for standard i'l forces opposing them, ând thev have the âdvanrage
fantry attacks and one for câvalry aitacks. The in- of mobiliti. The areâ is dominâted by ihe Heiaz
fântri' table is iaùly bloody and positional uniis desert, a Sreat big hùnk of sând ihât the Arabs cân
nl2ybe forced to reheât up to 4hexes, but they don't move throught 'ice âs fast astheTurks. Alabs never
suffer panic or disrup tion, all d onlv surrenc]er i f thcy hâvcb check for suppl]', so they can Bo all over the
can'i retreat. fhc câvâ|ry iable, on the other hand, rnâP. They start teâring up the Hcjâz raihvay on
is fu]l of pânic and surender results. tum1. Thev'll run out.]frail cut mârkcrs by turn 3.
THE ARAB REVOLT RUI.ES B\ tur- | r\p r, t .h urte-i.r li-' . J , ;,,ne
Althouth small, Arab units cân move iwice as fast The resi of the Arâb forces move north, where rhey
in the deselt às the Tùrks. They move tur.rfeii (i.e.: are able to take Mâssib and Derââ from the scantv
anonymoÙsly), ard are only exposed cll1ling co - or, e- ollPosrnl: l\' r.. ftF) , Jf r\ (f Lrle \.rm. r.
^

35
firc & Molcment #95
Irir I994
 inJbhnntiL'e nirl hithht eutt:rtnintnr ia alttt af Ldltrcnce's

È d. U[it T}'Iles: ûlwtLLurcs nt th€ dèsctt, hit ûutabi.8rtryhicnl S.un Pi/

c (f l'listo.n hishly trca mendùl -Et1.)
!*-l l-rr-
btrs is
:)
o E;
3.t
]n*
-
POUND 'EM, POUND 'EM, POUND 'EM
o 1.4
|
r-ro
If thc war in the east ls a fmsirating sktrmish in
E Itnr* M,"r' vollnrg smallunits, ih€ 1{ ar s,cs! of the Jorclân shoûs
o Athllùy (tù
an efiecti!c Big Push. Hcrc, Allenby's 57,U{10 infân-

N l=t
L3t
l Ç4
(r).4

--nN l
tr)t 12,000 câ\'alr\t ând 400 guns face âbout 36,00{l
Turks ând Cennans, s ith 350 BLL.rs. the Turks âre
entrenched, but the h1(: i{i1l fall It's only â qucs,
tion of rvhcn, \^.here, ind ù,hat gets â$'ay.
A. ift=l The marn Briiish effort is on thc coastal plain, the
Ârea best suiled for câ\,âlry movement. The British
I.IO
Lcr L]3.r5 hammer ât ùe line for a coupie of tums, ncutrâliz,
ing HQs and ârtillery with their alr units, until the

ml l"-I
I2 3-l I ttt+
]
line collapses ând the cavÂlr,v pours rhrough. Bc,
.âusc ihe ZOC5 of nost T[rkish ùnits do not b]ock
câvâlry mov€ùrcnt, ihe ilap does notnccessadl_vhaYe
to bc tll.ri big
- just make sure that the ritht units
are climinaicd. The dàtc thât the line collâpses de

MJ ftl dÈ'
pefds both on combàt resù1is and on TLukish pânic
rolls. If thc Brits càn knock a hole in the line ând
ad\-ancc nfter colnbât, bt'pâssed Turkish units m.y
panlc.nd flee, nâking the gap biggcr.
The Turks have somc reseNes,ln the form ofTilter's

[]
;^ ] f .* cermàns, rvhich thcv can use to block h.tes for â
while. The Tlrks rnusi be prepârcd to coLnterât
LI .**
L]
Li"t.' ,oit,^
tack, espcci.rlly if tbey get a shot ar Brirish cavalf,
$^i.hi.\o lrl-i;\',. lhrr.'.uoene .i;g r11
from ibe lâck olan extrâ map hex ro\""' on thc {,esi-
crn cdge of the mâp thâi prevenis the Britjsh ftom
rriri!l

[v] aitacking iù,o hexes in their line on ihefirstturn. (A

house rule cân eâsily fix this.) One other Turksh
a.tvantâge is thàt the British gct no points àt àll for
elimillâ ting 'lurkish units. They do ger ponrb for
càpturing them and getiinij them off thc nrap ($,ith
!{hich blorks the mânr line of r€treât for the TLrkish those "itoâd order" iluârd ùnits).
armv Lr addition, thc Turks hav€ à only singl€ HQ
JOHNNY TURK ON THE RUN
in thc area, ancl because ihey necd command con-
trol io attack, thcy sometimes hâ\c  hard tinrc a! Thc TrLrkish problem is thât thcv cannot hotcl â
iâcking r{'idely scattercd guerrilla forces. Thc only north/soùth ]ille, s,hich ts ùsÙâlLv form€d âftcr rheir
r ir-o l--pir d rl, Ar b. ,,..t ut D. 'll"- -- ,-plt . right flànk .lisàppears and ihe TLrkish linc bends
tire victorv conciitions:io {,ir, the British plâver must north{,ar.t. A north/souih line e\poscs units to
conqucr DamascL6 ând win on pohts. He loses 25 pânic rolls. This is mv biggest gripr u,iih ihe gâme
points if ihe Arabs take Damâscus. The Arabs càn svstcm. It is c\cn possiblc for the Bitish io ger across
prcvcnt the Turks ûom .jmin!l, but Lhat doesn'i thc lordân mcrelv by moving âdjâccnt and b'aiting
necessarily help thc British plaver io wi11. fo. thc TLllks ro pânic (âdmittedty, nor thai tikely an
occunence). The ideâ here, I supposc, is to avoid
llt s fiJbttwtnte thnt thi\ t le nqnles tltc stt $]. ol !h(
complicâtcd rules conceming \a4rât constitutes the
Anb tibes la ui bûck thttr ain co ittn/frct1t thc yok,:
"Tlukish rcar" but ihe effect is to nrake it hâr.l fol
al th( 1\itin sitnpetiû|a d ûlotiinltu1ttitryWt)erc n
the Turks io get arvai.
slrugglc 1L)ith uhi.h T. E. Lnirr:1tct synpithizcd, ntg
dblt to t'he ponû ttfbciitg tl tiltitt, t0 lhc BritÀl:. Fot ûn Therc âre onlr three tood routes for the Turkish cs-
câpe. One (thc coast roâd) js usually occupic.l by
36
flre & i\,,lovemen t +95
lulv 199.1
Brlush câ\ àh v aficr thc brc.kihrouitlr, an.i another TIle Briush l1âve to tâk! the lrhole map to rvin, an.t
rI r.u"l ( r r. | ,I. r.. .r \ t-to, Fo h. À-.rt ., ., . tw(r kev br{îs (llcinrt nnci Reyak) âre on top of the
l l' h( l rr : LrL.- ollr. l,e,e or.e, âs"\ r, "
L màp, lâ rihcr north Lh,rn Damascus the lurkshà\c
..r,.r, t. r- rt ,\.rr\- ..t I o.pê^t rr''. â fighting chancc ofholdnrg on to thcsi: two torns.
That leaves the Sâfed road, a goocl roâd bùi ! cr)/ If they can nls.r hold to ihev can prc\'eni
sùsceptible to interclicuonbv thc lt^F r!hcrc it n nrç the British plat'er frorÎ^nrma.,
lvilrning. Nor', holding
throlr:lh the Golân Heights. succcssful âitack o. Amnan is toLLgh, bùt holdùg ii will force the Bdt
a ^ cosi lrom 1/2 NIP
road hex nlcreases its movcm!ni ish to divertslzablc forccs to takelt (€speciall)- ifthe
to 3l Germans stav ln ihc.re.) U the British send too
Tl ,B'.l,.rr ^.,.rrr'.1' b..,t., lh. . . much towârd Aûman, the,v r'\'ill be l{'€àker else
nlrv can quicklv surround àlmosianyihing. BecaLrse rihere (ât least that's the theor \, .rn) wâ)-J
cavalry doesn't nccd .on!rniional suppll to move/ All in all, Lâwrence is â preiiy tood g.xne. The sls
itdoesn'thàvc to kccf in coniactb'ith iherestofthe tem mâ\'b€ a bit clâtcd, but the gamc is ftrn nonc thc
British. Conr br t is .Lno ther nâtter. Th€ Brltish p Lr) er lcss. U 3l4' had only iakerl th€ timc io .l..rn up thc
must bc very careful tllat he cloesn't movc k!) fâst l-tll€s, th(\,.oùld h.)vehacl a I inncr rn thcirhards.l
ând c\pose his ca\'alry to countc ttà.k, bccausc
cavalry must trâc€ â conlentio.aL sÛpply paih to bc
nr supply for comb:t, and is halvcd if ùrslrppljcd lqwrence of Arobio
Two destroyed ca\'àIry units,.nd ihc British can DesigDer: Roger Nord
easilv I(rse thc gâmc. D€veloper K€ithPolrlier
VICTORY lvlâp Grâphi.si Tm Barrânc€
CoùierArl: Eeth Quenm
Despiie thelr âppàrent dlsad!âr1tâgcs, thc Tùrl<5 c.rl lublishe.: 3WPO. Bor 155 Câûbriâ,CA 93428
Pre\.ent a British liciorv ànd cvcn win on pojnts. Pri.e: S2.100

c/
t:uc & vovcmcnt 95
luly 1991