Middle East Combat (1993)

From the insert: "Middle East Combat is a titanic battle between Iraq, the USSR, Iran, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia for control of oil resources and key neutral nations, played with basic Axis & Allies rules."

Contents:
23"x30" bright full color folded map showing region names, oil areas, factories, and capitals(Heavy stock paper)
5 unit placement cards
Ten page rulebook which covers additional rules for
- neutral nation armies
- civil insurrections
- modern weapon technologies
- USSR special rules
- game balance adjustments
- short game scenarios
- map clarifications
- 10 questions and answers from the game

The Red Pact of USSR and Iraq form one side in this war and the Triad Nations of Iran, Turkey, and Saudi-Egypt form the other side.

Victory Conditions, 1) Hold ten oil areas at the end of a full turn, 2) Hold all enemy capitals, or 3) Hold a total of three neutral or enemy capitals.

Another use for your Axis & Allies game pieces.

Middle East Combat is an Axis & Allies variant game that uses the same rules/pieces on a new map. The countries are different but it is still 2 on 3, good-vs-evil conquering type of game. There are some rule additions that also enhance game play:

-A new more interesting map:
-Capitals are closer (anyone's _could_ be taken)

-Every space has at least three people that could fight over it. Mainly because Russia has units everywhere.

-Iraq is in the center. While the three allies are capable of jointly surounding it. Russia has has factory's on the side between Iran/Turkey with reinforcements along Egypt's border, fairly effective at giving everyone two fronts.

-Plus many much much more...
-To reflect a "higher tech" war

-All planes are long-range-aircraft so they can participate in more of the "smaller" battles.

-Every country has rockets

-A new weapons chart, all new tech's, better overall balance

-Nuetrals that have economic value and a defensive force that must be overcome

-Every country has to roll on an insurrection chart each turn. Typically a unit of your choice is randomly killed/neutralized/ignored

The following information is verbatim from the Middle East Combat manual:

Middle East Combat is a product of: Magic & Tactics Unlimited 2836 27th Avenue S. Minneapolis, Mn 55406 Please Send correspondence to: 1521 S. Bavarian Pass Fridley Mn 55432

The manual also goes on to say that by writing the above(?) address you can request a catalog of all their fine products etc.. etc...(I have no affiliation with the company, I am only a happy customer) I bought the game and didn't get any such catalog, and currently believe this is the only product. I paid $20 dollars for the game at a convention in milwaukee (wintercon) january of '94. I do recall meeting the designer, Erik James Olsrud, and thinking he was a fine guy to design such a simple modification for a great game.

What I got:
-10 page rule manual (on recycled paper)

-5 pieces of colored construction paper describing the starting positions for each player

-A large aprox 2'x3' map professionaly printed in 7 colors on posterboard. It is folded in half twice to fit nicely inside the axis box.
I look forward to other people playing the game because I would like to discuss some of the
strategies.

-Chris
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