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If you've always thought you'd make a good World War II General, here's your chance to find out! This wargame puts you in charge of a reinforced infantry battalion, whose task is to smash through enemy lines and secure a town 15 kilometres away.

The game comes in a smart box, with a 24 page instruction booklet. If this suggests that it is extremely complicated, don't worry - it is written so that beginners can enjoy it, though experienced wargamers will obviously have a much greater chance of success. There are four different levels of difficulty; as a rank amateur, I stuck to the easiest, in which the counterattack from the enemy forces is negligible.

Each turn comprises five different phases. The first is the command phase, in which you order your units to dig in or become combat ready. Then comes a movement phase, followed by a combat phase when you order the units to fire. In the assault order phase you order assaults, overruns and bridge reconstruction; these orders are carried out in the final assault phase. At the end of a turn you can save the game on disk, if you wish, or go straight on to the next turn.

The joystick controls are simple to operate if you follow the instructions carefully. The graphics are very clear, since the units are marked on a scrolling map of the battlefield. Altogether this represents a good introduction to wargaming, giving you plenty of opportunity to exercise your strategic talents while the computer does all the hard work.

M.N.