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October War: Doctrine and Tactics in the Yom Kippur Conflict, 1973
- 2 players
- 120–600 min
- Complexity 2.9/5
- 1977
- BGG rank
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Golan: The Last Syrian Offensive
2010
Rules assistance for Golan: The Last Syrian Offensive
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2 players
- 60 min
- 12+
- Complexity 2.4/5
For 2 players
Rules assistant for Golan: The Last Syrian Offensive
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Golan: The Last Syrian Offensive is a board game released in 2010 for 2 players, 60 minutes per game, and ages 12 and up. It was designed by Irad B. Hardy and Eric R. Harvey and its main mechanics are Dice Rolling, Hexagon Grid, and Simulation.
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About the game
Golan: The Syrian Offensive is a two-player Operational level board-wargame of the Golan Front of the October 1973 Yom Kippur War. At the start of that 1973 Arab-Israeli War, the Israelis could only spare two brigades to defend the strategic Golan Heights. On 6 October the Syrians attacked with five divisions, three of them mechanized, supported by mortars, artillery, mobile SAMs, and a heliborne commando brigade. The Israelis were therefore badly outnumbered, but were quickly reinforced by reservists (much sooner than the Syrians had anticipated). More significantly, the Israeli Air Force appeared overhead to impede the Syrian assault. However, the Syrians' surface-to-air missile batteries proved at least partially effective against those aircraft. Thus, among other things, the battle for the Golan would test the preeminence of air support against the ascendancy of the SAM. Golan utilizes the new Fire & Movement combat system that's designed so players can augment their units with "support fire" during the course of the turn. From artillery to air strikes, units can receive support to engage enemy positions and formations, allowing combat to develop at all levels. But Golan also introduces a new element to the battlefield: surface to air missiles. The Syrians fielded numerous SAM batteries during their advance, downing many Israeli jets and compelling that air force to implement new tactics. A single armor battalion, for example — perhaps supported by air support — could be tasked to assault a lone enemy commando brigade defending a fort. As that attack gets underway, though, the air support may find itself under fire from a mobile SAM battery. More support will be necessary to take the fort, but assets are limited. In Golan the attritional design of the new Combat Results Table simulates the true nature of modern warfare. Units are typically two-sided formations that can incur casualties, accurately replicating the realities of combat and the high losses sustained by both sides during the Yom Kippur War. Winning is thus a matter of maneuver, firepower and asset management.
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Designers
Publishers
- Decision Games (I)
Questions and answers
Golan: The Last Syrian Offensive supports 2 players according to the catalogue. This is the publisher’s listed player count, so the game is designed for exactly that number of participants. Variants for other group sizes, if any, are described in the rulebook of your edition, so check it before setting up a different configuration.
The listed playing time for Golan: The Last Syrian Offensive is 60 minutes. This is the publisher’s estimate for a full game. The actual duration depends on the group, the player count and familiarity with the rules: first sessions usually run longer, while experienced groups often finish faster. Setup and teaching time are not included in this estimate.
The catalogue lists Golan: The Last Syrian Offensive for ages 12 and up. This is the publisher’s recommendation and reflects reading demands, rule complexity and small components rather than theme alone. Younger players can often join with help from an adult, so check the age guidance on your edition and consider your group’s experience with board games.
Golan: The Last Syrian Offensive has a complexity rating of 2.4 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-light game. The rating reflects how much rules knowledge, planning and decision-making a typical game demands. Expect a longer first teach for heavier games, and use a preparation guide before game night.
Golan: The Last Syrian Offensive belongs to these categories: Wargame and Modern Warfare. Its main mechanics are Dice Rolling, Hexagon Grid, and Simulation. Categories describe the theme and setting of a game, while mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you want something comparable.
The credited designers of Golan: The Last Syrian Offensive are: Irad B. Hardy and Eric R. Harvey. These credits come from the published game data and name the people responsible for the game’s design, not its illustrators or publishers. Designer pages on MeepleRules collect other titles by the same designers, which helps when you enjoy a game and want to find similar ones.
The catalogue lists Golan: The Last Syrian Offensive as a base game. It can be played on its own with the components in the box and does not require any other title. Expansions, if any exist, add new content or rules on top of it and are listed separately in the catalogue with a link back to this base game.