Inside the Box: Atlantic Wall (SPI 1978)

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[michaelbaker]

I started playing SPI games in the Army (1971-74). I played a lot of the smaller games as for the "campaign" sized games with a large number of maps and playing pieces which we generally set up and discussed rather than played. That explains why these games are punched and never played. I still have all of those games in storage with no one to play them with. Also, Simonson and Dunnigan were my heroes then.

[charleslatora]

Saw this 30-40 (?) years ago, box size intimidated me. Glad you got a copy. It's in good hands for many years to come. (Almost) all the "Olde" games deserve a loving home where they will be well looked after, for decades .ore to come. (That's the collector me. Lol). Be safe n stay warm!

[thegrogshed]

I've wanted to buy this for years....

[donnovicki]

I believe that my BIL has his original game still in box, unpunched. He was a huge war gamer back in the 70's and had a lot of Avavlon Hill, SPI and others. Some he played and others he collected. His collection of naval miniatures is quite impressive. I'm talking thousands of vessels.

[jonclark]

Thanks for the review, interesting old game review. 70's has to be the golden age of gaming.

[rogerparkhurst]

I am jealous, it is the one of the early SPI games I am looking for too. Thanks for sharing.

[Phalanx]

I was stationed at NSA in '78 and went to Avalon Hill HQ in Baltimore. Bought some counter trays and Squad Leader games. Didn't realize I was in rarified air till years later.

[robdgaming]

I owned Atlantic Wall for several years and started it about 3 times. I hope you've had time to play it some. The initial invasion, with the Allied units broken down into companies, is a highlight. And the frustrating bocage is a major factor throughout. One erratum I remember is that the counters for the German 30th Mobile Brigade (bicycle troops) are included, but they're not on any reinforcement schedules. I think they appeared opposite Gold Beach on D+1 but it's been a while since I looked that up. My copy was in two of the large flat plastic-tray "boxes". I also owned The Longest Day for several years, read through the developer's notes but never punched out the counters. The pro-German tone of the notes and the statement that they'd excluded over 30 batteries of Allied heavy artillery because they "didn't fit in" with the firepower model turned me off. I could understand the exclusion of Allied AA units, though. I was kind of interested in the counter design, which was based on the historical German symbology, but it took some getting used to.

[carrickrichards]

Played many of these SPI monsters at university. Needed a large team from our wargame club. My copies are well used (except for CfNA which remains unpunched).

[rhlm]

Atlantic Wall was only released in the big box version you have. On an aside I really love this game. I have actually played it through several times.

[SagaciousHamster]

I got this back in the day and played the campaign game, solitaire. Sadly it was interrupted when a wet ceiling tile crashed down on the map. Still have the game but the maps got wet and dried "bubbly" so I'm not likely to play it again. Really enjoyed this system, which was fairly elaborate for 1978.

[rogerparkhurst]

The "LONGEST DAY" game is a distraction, especially compared to the Atlantic Wall version you have...obviously my bias.

[johnlongshore]

well you would hope wargaming would advance.. 43 years .. that is effectively the difference between telegraph and radio.. Would not bode well for todays designers and developers if it were still the Gold Standard