From: Roberto Chiavini Subject: More Game Reviews RAPHIA (GDW) Year: 1977 Designer: Marc Miller Games played: 5 (5 victory of Ptolomeus) Review: this is a simulation of one of the bigger and most important battle of the Seleucid period, fought on the plain of Raphia between the Egyptian army of Ptolomeus and the Seleucid one, led by Anthiocus. The game was part of the "120" serie by GDW, a system thought to be played in two hours or less, with a map and about 120 playing pieces. And these strict design limits have important effects in the game, which is for most part really boring. The components are bland for today standard, but are almost good for 1977 for a game of this kind. The rule are, in my opinion, a mess: the stacking rules and the combat resolution made for static clashes of huge pile of counters, and the player with more luck in a couple of dice roll could easily win the battle. The two armies are almost identical in composition (with a bigger army for Ptolomeus), so it's easy for the Egyptian player (barring a real bad luck) to win the game only o n force of stacks bigger than the adversary. The funniest element of the game are the elephants, the only units which may add a touch of uncertainty to the game, when they go berserk. The rules for cavalry are not so effective and colourful. With better stacking and combat rules the battle could be more interesting (but I'ven't found the time to think of an effective variant for the system), as it has good facing rules, an interesting and various army array, it uses DRM differential for the different kinds of weapons, good morale rules and a few fun options. Another lacune (but I think for a coherent choice by the designer) is the absence of fire units, like archers, slingers and the like. All in all, a game good for a few solitaire plays, far away from a good simulation of an ancient battle.