Chinese Farm

 

INTRO:
Chinese Farm is a simulation on the operational level combat between Israel and Egyptian forces around the Suez Canal, during the latter half of the Yom Kippur War, October 15 to 21, 1973.

 

CREDITS:
Publisher: SPI - 1975
Designer: Howard Barasch
Developer: Howard Barasch, Irad B. Hardy, Edward Curran, Jay Nelson
Graphics: Redmond A. Simonsen

 

GAME SCALE:
Each turn is 12 hours of real time, each hex is 1 mile, Israeli units are Battalion, Eygptian units are Recon Battalions, Artillery Regiments, fixed and mobile SAM sites and Infantry, Mechanized and Armor Brigades.

 

MINI-REVIEW:
Chinese Farm is a slugfest with the Israeli forces pushing for a crossing site on the Suez Canal. There are no exciting sweeps or flanking maneuvers. The Israeli Player must push through, set the bridge then wreak havoc on the West side of the Suez.You must play the nuances of the game system to eliminate the necessary enemy units. Surrounded units die easily for lack of retreat. Pushing won't win Victory Points.The attacker must retreat one enemy unit to get at the back of an adjacent unit so the adjacent unit can't retreat. The attacker must be daring in the advance in this game system. Defense is easy to pick up.
Mark Saha comments:

The above is possibly a description of the 1st (Beginner's) Scenario (with no SAMs
or air), or 3rd Scenario (Hypothetical) which assumes Egyptians had a better quality
army.

The MAIN scenario is Scenario Two: HISTORICAL. 

Far from being a slugfest, this opens with Egyptian 2nd Army's right flank dangling
in the Sinai desert.

Israeli army + elements of Sharon's Brigade surround and devestate this flank on the
opening turn.  Sharon's brigade has a bridge across the canal and crosses into Egypt
in short order.  

Meanwhile, Israeli Sinai army pretty much crushes Egyptian 2nd Army, which never
recovers from the turned flank; after Turn 4 it is finally allowed to withdraw from
Sinai into Ismalia in Egypt.

Meanwhile, Sharon's brigade in Egypt wipes up immobile SAM sites, then exits the
south map edge in Egypt to surround Egyptian 3rd army which is off-map in the Sinai
below the Bitter Lakes.

This is a wild fluid battle from the opening turn, and never slows down.

Your reviewer picked the wrong scenario to describe this game. The Historical
scenario essentially is the game, and the only one anyone plays.

For a map of the historical game, seach Yom Kippur War on WINIPEDIA, then scroll
down to second set of maps and enlarge.  It shows what really happened, which is
well depicted in the game.

 

SEQUENCE OF PLAY:
 
1. Special Weapons Interphase (SAM Suppresion)
2. Israeli-Player Turn
	1. Movement Phase
	2. Combat Phase
3. Egyptian Player-Turn
	1. Movement Phase
	2. Combat Phase
4. Game-Turn Indication Inter-Phase

 

COUNTER LIST:
In case you need to replace a counter.
 

ISRAEL:

4-3-12 Armor Battalion
1/Arm, 2/Arm, 3/Arm, 1/Ha, 2/Ha, 3/Ha, 1/Nt, 2/Nt, 1/Tu, 2/Tu, 3/Tu, 1/10, 2/10, 1/13, 2/13
2-3-12 Mechanized Battalion
1/Ma, 2/Ma, 3/Ma, 3/Nt, 1/Nv, 2/Nv, 3/Nv, 3/10, 3//13, 1/20, 2/20, 3/20
1-2-12 Recon Company (Jeeps with Recoiless Rifles)
1/Sh
1-1-8 Bridge Battalion
2/Sh
1-2-5/3-12 Artillery Battalion
2 units
2-1-7/2-12 Artillery Battalion
2 units
2-1-13//1-12 Artillery Battalion
1 units

 

EGYPT:

6-4-12 Armor Brigade
7/3, 9/4, 10/4, 11/4, 7/23
5-3-12 Armor
15/21, 16/21, 17/21
3-2-12 Armor Battalion
1/Ind, 2/Ind
1-2-12 Mechanized Battalion
1/3, 2/3, 3/3, 4/3, 5/3, 6/3, 1/4, 2/4, 3/4, 1/21, 2/21, 3/21, 1/23, 2/23, 3/23, 4/23, 5/23, 6/23
5-5-8 Infantry Battalion
1/2, 2/2, 3/2, 1/16, 2/16, 3/16, 4/16, 5/16, 6/16, 7/16, 8/16, 9/16
1-1-6 Infantry Regiment
Ain, PLA
3-1-4/1-8 Artillery Regiment (Rocket)
4 units
4-1-8/1-8 Artillery Battalion (Rocket)
2 units
3-1-7/1-8 Artillery Regiment
4 units
3-1-11/1-8 Artillery Brigade
1unit
5-1-7/1-8 Artillery Battalion
1 unit
1-25/0-0 Fixed SAM Site
4 units
2-15/0-0 Fixed SAM Site
4 units
3-15/0-12 Mobile SAM Launchers
3 units

Game introductions in italics are directly from the game rules or game box.

Back to Web-Grognards