This review first appeared in IPW, the newsletter for all discount games
club members. Contact colin@allusedgames.demon.co.uk for details.

MACTA (Bearhug)

Games that depict combat between the Arabs and the French Foreign Legion
are few and very far between. Macta is just such a game.

It occurred after the French defeat at Moulay Ishmael. Arab cavalry were
in pursuit of the retreating French. The legionaires were slowed down by
wagons full of wounded troops that they needed to safeguard. French
superiority in firepower kept the Arabs at bay. However, at Macta, a
sandstorm gave the arabs the opportunity to close for hand to hand
combat. With variable visibility and a mixture of fire combat and melee,
this is a great subject for a wargame.

The game comprises of a quad sized map, one hundred counters and a rule
book. The counters bear only a silhouette and a single figure.
Silhouettes are a scimitar for arab units, Kepi, wagon or the letter W
for wounded, French units. The single figure is the unit's movement
allowance. Not all of the one hundred counters are used. A second game,
on Moulay Ishmael, is available, using the same system and the two games
can be linked into a single campaign. Players are expected to provide a
twenty sided die to complete the package. As will be revealed, this is
even more crucial to play than dice are in other wargames.

A game turn commences with the Arab player phase, a combination of both
movement and combat. A unit moves in the standard way until it moves
adjacent to a French unit. At this point the move is temporarily halted
whilst an assault is made. This comprises rolling the die, with a result
of eighteen or more displacing the French unit. The Arab unit can now
continue its move. Meanwhile the French player rolls the die with the
result determining whether his displaced unit becomes wounded. Let's
look at this in more detail.

(1) Combat involves no combat strengths, odds or, at this stage, die
modifications of any description. Terrain on the map is for decoration
only and has no bearing on combat, nor even on movement!

(2) As each Arab unit moves and melees independently, it is possible
that turn one alone could have as many as forty seperate attacks (die
rolls). Add to this total the die rolls the French player makes as a
result of combat, that the first turn is not yet over and that there are
up to another fourteen turns to go. It is about this point you feel your
enthusiasm begin to wane.

Still, the fun doesn't stop there. Visibility is now determined by
rolling a die - just what we needed. The result allows French units to
fire up to a maximum of three hexes. The French player then resolves
each units fire combat by - - - rolling a die. No CRTs. If it's over a
certain figure, it's a hit. No allowances are made for range but wounded
French units do suffer a die modification when firing. The French player
could have a maximum of twenty fire combats (die rolls).

French units now move after checking for panic. When three French units
have been wounded or eliminated (wounded twice) their entire force
panics. The units move towards exit hexes on the map as fast as
possible. Wagons have to check for breakdown by - yes, rolling a die.
Having moved, the French player melees adjacent Arab units, up to a
maximum of twenty one times by - you guessed, rolling a die!

One or two other minor rules exist that share the same great insight
into game design - die rolling.

I regret to say that this game is not only unsuitable for solo play, but
for play of any descriplion by any type of gamer. Boring in the extreme,
calling this game a military simulation is like calling Kelloggs Pop
Tarts haute cuisine. Do yourself a favour and avoid it at all costs.

Alan Sharif