A very interesting and quite playable wargame on the Iran-Iraq war in the 80s.

Easy to learn and play and lots of chrome but hard to master.

Lots of flavour and atmosphere(I ended up hamming up Saddam Hussein when playing the Iraqis).

PROS:

1. Easy to play and learn. Can be played fast and in an evening with experienced players.

2. Lot of interesting chrome which adds to the atmosphere. Especially liked the Random events, the Saddam and Khomeni counters(which the players can use once a year to change a die roll when played)(insert Saddam and Khomeni joke here...).

3. Very nice production values.

4. Easy to learn but hard to master. Both sides have to play carefully. The strategy and play rules the game and not the game rules ruling the game.

CONS:

1. Not balanced and tilted for the Iranians. The Iranians get hordes or replacements when compared to the Iraqis(just the Basij replacements are killer) and the Iranians also have the easiest victory conditions(going into Kuwait for once).

The only way the Iraqis can survive are the Iraqis getting the Republican guard early and doing offensives very carefully. The Iraqis have the hardest time. It is also not recomended for the Iraqis to do too much offensives and killing units via putting them out of supply may be the way to go rather than brutal offesnives because the Iraqis simply do not have the manpower(Rps) to replace them.

I'd rate it higher with a few modifications:

1. Take out Kuwait as a instant VP condition for the Iranians. I think that it would actually be a defeat for the Iranians to go into Kuwait. THe USA would be on their ass just like that. The Iraqis would probably welcome a US military intervention.

2. Have the Republican guard come in not as a special event but have the Iraqis get the option of calling the Iraqi extraordinary congress at the start of any turn after turn 2 thus bringing in the Republican guard but the Iraqis instantly loose 2 VPs.

Conclusion excellent game marred by play balance issues.