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Leningrad
- 2 players
- 90 min
- Complexity 1.9/5
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Sicily: The Race for Messina
1981
Rules assistance for Sicily: The Race for Messina
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2 players
- 120–1200 min
- 12+
- Complexity 3.1/5
For 2 players
Rules assistant for Sicily: The Race for Messina
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Sicily: The Race for Messina is a board game released in 1981 for 2 players, 120–1200 minutes per game, and ages 12 and up. It was designed by Dick Rustin and its main mechanics are Dice Rolling, Hexagon Grid, and Simulation.
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About the game
Sicily: The Race for Messina, 10 July - 17 August 1943, is a game about the Allied invasion of Sicily in mid May, 1943. The attempted lightning capture of the southernmost bastion of an increasingly embattled Festung Europa. Where the Allied forces undertook the first amphibious assault against Nazi-dominated Europe, and where the greatly outnumbered Axis forces conducted one of the most brilliant rearguard actions of modern times. There is the regular campaign game, a variable campaign game and a short scenario on just the U.S. landings to get a feel for the gameplay. Units are generally battalion and regiment size. Published in S&T No. 89 (Nov/Dec 1981). Game Scale: Turn: 2 days Hex: 3 miles Unit: Battalion to Brigade Game Inventory: One 22" X 34" mapsheet Two countersheets (300 1/2" counters) One 8 page game specific rule booklet One 8 page game series standard rules booklet
Categories
Designers
Publishers
- Hobby Japan
- SPI (Simulations Publications, Inc.)
Questions and answers
Sicily: The Race for Messina 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 Sicily: The Race for Messina is 120–1200 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 Sicily: The Race for Messina 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.
Sicily: The Race for Messina has a complexity rating of 3.1 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-weight 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.
Sicily: The Race for Messina belongs to these categories: Wargame and World War II. 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 Sicily: The Race for Messina are: Dick Rustin. 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 Sicily: The Race for Messina 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.