Once you play this game, you will UNDERSTAND why people admire Rommel’s military ability.

Field Commander Rommel is a solitaire game that covers the major World War II campaigns of General Erwin Rommel: The “Ghost Division” Campaign of 1940, The 1941-43 North African Campaign, and the 1944 Normandy Campaign. The game allows the player to re-create Rommel’s famous campaigns by placing them literally into the boots of the Desert Fox battling against a very clever(IMO) game system. Each turn, the player must decide how to move his forces, what battles to initiate, how he will use the various battle plan markers to execute his master plan, and how to address supply issues. The player must also deal with the moves by the allied forces both movement and attacks and respond to the allies battle plans that they unleash against him. In the end, victory is measured for each game with conditions that end the campaign and victory points that are awarded to the player. Thus, the game can be constructed in a chronological order with emphasis on scoring victory points or each campaign can be played as a stand along to its specific conditions for conclusion.

Playing Time: This is quite short for each campaign maybe an hour or two. I have never had a game go longer than two hours and several that have been quite short: if you make a mistake in the system, you will pay for it! The North African campaign appears to take the longest, then the Ghost Division, then Normandy. Normandy can end very quickly if the allies get rolling and you do not organize your forces well. This is a quick set up and tear down game so the impact on playing time in that sense is minimal.

Map: The game actually comes with three maps (one for each of the campaigns) showing each of the areas covered by the campaigns. The maps are area movement based and are loaded with information. On each map one will find everything from set up of forces to reinforcements, to allied movement possibilities to battle plans available to supply information. In spite of all this information, the maps are not crowded nor are they too busy. The maps are neatly organized and there is enough of a buffer between informational items and the actual playing area so the player is not distracted. The maps are very well done from a functional stand point, but those who appreciate chrome might be disappointed.

Counters: The counters depict the combat forces of the USA, Germany, Italy, UK, France, and Belgium. Units are divided into infantry, motorized, and armored. Each counter has an attack value, defense value, movement ability, and superior attacking ability(which can be devastating in game terms). The counters are quite colorful and it is fairly easy to distinguish who is who(except maybe the Americans and British). The counters also contain a red strip along the top to denote units that have been reduced due to combat. There are also counters for the various battle plans used by both sides, upgrades for units that are now veterans due to battle and counters for supply. The counter count for this game is quite low but given the area nature of the game, this works out just fine.

Rules: The rules center around the choices the player must make in their capacity as Field Commander Rommel. As such, each turn on must decide questions of supply(Refitting units, saving to assist with battle plans, utilizing it for extra movement) movement and combat(whether to move units or not, move into combat situations) and battle itself(which plans to use and which combination of plans will be most beneficial). The movement rules are fairly straight forward: all units can move one area and extra movement requires supply. Combat decisions are simple as well: if you want to fight, move into an area with any unit(s) capable of doing so. The real heart of the system is the battle plans. Each combat, the player may choose from a list of possible battle plans which ones he would like to execute for that combat. Some can be used to counter the enemy (intel, dig in) others can be used to try to inflict more losses on the enemy(artillery, air raid, AT guns, etc....) and some can be used to take advantage of combat results(exploit, salvage). The player does get to see the allied battle plans he draws for each battle first, so he can counter their moves. Winning the game is partly based on finding the right combination of battle plans to get maximum advantage from you victory. In combat, die rolls are made and the system is one of hits scored by units against the enemy with the unique approach of superior attack which allows some units to score extra hits on the enemy with certain die rolls. Terrain is only abstractly represented in the game and is mostly regulated to fortification considerations(such as Tobruk). Once the player is finished with his half of the turn, he will execute the same type of operations for the allies as dictated by very clear and very simple tables and rules. The beauty of this game is the simplicity of allied game system does not take away from the complexity and enjoyment of the game. In other words, just because the system is clear cut and straight forward that does not mean it is easy to beat or necessarily predictable. The first time you roll for the allies in the Ghost Division campaign and scratch your head over why the devil are they all headed to Paris, just remember that in the real world, commanders have made such choices and generals like Rommel have scratched their heads and then said, “Okay, weird but is there any danger? No. Okay, then how do I take advantage of this?” To me, that is what makes the rules and the system to effective: it really makes you feel like Rommel as you plan, react to the adversary, and adjust plans as needed. As with all solitaire games, make sure you follow the sequence of play religiously so you do not forget anything!


Things I like about the game:

• It is simple without being simplistic. The system is very challenging, but unlike some other solitaire games, the rules are only 14 pages in length.
• Multiple decision making. There is a lot to think about with each turn. Not only do you have to consider combat as with most wargames, but you are also confronted with logistical problems as well.
• Quick playing time. This is no sweat to set up, play and tear down.
• The chrome elements such as upgrading units for combat experience. This is a nice touch and makes it harder to choose which units to lose and even which to upgrade.
• The relative quantitative standing of the Axis and Allies. Even though at times it seems like the allies just have too much coming at you, I am sure the Axis commanders felt the same way!
• The system is very unforgiving! If you make a mistake, you will pay for it!

Things that can be annoying:

• The allied units ability to constantly be put back into reinforcements. While I understand the combat effectiveness concept that the game portrays, surely there has to be a limit to this. The Axis is quite restrained in this manner, but if feels like the allies have no restraint whatsoever.
• If you are not careful, the allies will load up an area and, when they advance, it will be the end of the world.
• You MUST follow the sequence of play exactly. Like most solitaire games, this is one area where you can mess yourself up in a hurry so be careful!
• Watch the supply check numbers carefully otherwise you could find yourself with a brilliant advance, but lack the supply to keep the units on the board!
• The allies get to draw battle plans for units while the Axis gets battle points. This seems to give the allies the edge in this area and, at times, it feels like an unfair advantage.
• The system is very unforgiving! If you make a mistake, or miss a detail, you will pay for it!

Overall evaluation: = I’d rather staple my tongue to the wall for a month! = wargamer heaven!

Map= The map is very functional and simple. I especially like how it is organized. In art terms it is nothing to write home about, but it does its job and does it well.
Counters= The counters are nicely done with easy visual reference of the various types of combat units as well as reduction of units.
Rules= The overall system is quite clever, but there are some times when the rules do leave some ambiguities, although this is minimal. The illustrated combat step is well done, but maybe one or two more of those with some examples mixing plans would’ve have helped illustrate the concept better. I like how the rules follow the same format as the sequence of play, making for easy learning.
Playing Time= This is the ideal situation for any wargamer: quick set up, pound out the game in 1-2 hours and put it away just as fast as you put it out. For solitaire games, this one takes the cake in playing time.
Deployment of Forces= This is very easy with the only blip being the over lap of a couple of counters in the various campaigns. Otherwise, it doesn’t get much easier than this!
Overall= This is a good solitaire game. The choices for the player here are more numerous than are found in some other solitaire games and the playing time is almost ideal. The only drawback is the frustration level one might experience in trying to beat the system. While no one wants a “flabby”(with apologies to Hans and Franz ) system no one wants one that seems impossible to beat as well. Part of that appears related to two aspects: the need to master the combination of battle plans the player utilizes and the almost constant flow of allied reinforcements. Perhaps the latter could be toned down in some of the campaigns(although it does make more sense in the North African Campaign given how long each turn simulates of time). I have found myself on at least two occasions wanting to throw this thing off the table, yet the allure of winning will draw me back given my competitive nature. If you do not have the patience to master the battle plan combos and are not a detail person (like the supply check limits) this game will frustrate you to no end. However, if you are looking for a challenging solitaire game that plays quickly with a plethora of choices, this will be just what the doctor ordered. While I do enjoy this game, I would not rank it above some of the other giants of solitaire games such as Carrier. That being said, I am glad I bought this game and I do not see myself getting rid of it in any way. I look forward to challenging myself to be just as good as Rommel for many years to come!