Combat! Board Games

Two Combat! board games were produced in the '60s: "At Anzio Beach" and "Combat! the Fighting Infantry Game." Information about the infantry game is below. If anyone knows anything about the Anzio game, please let us know - I'd love to see photos!.

The Fighting Infantry Game

Photo provided by: Donald Papp of Detroit
The Ideal Company produced "The Fighting Infantry Game COMBAT!" This board game features beautiful color cover art of Rick Jason and Vic Morrow. One price guide lists the price of a near-mint condition game as $50. List members have seen the game advertised from $20 up to $72 dollars. As with any game purchase, you should inventory the pieces before buying — a list of pieces appears on the inside of the boxtop. Missing pieces drastically reduce the value of a game.

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The Rules

The following are the playing rules from the boxtop of the Combat! game. The game is for two players age 7 to 14 years.

Materials

Photo provided by: Donald Papp of Detroit

Decision cards (24)

Soldiers (12)

Plastic Stands (12)

Colorful Spinner (1)

Game Board

Object of the Game

To be the first player to have two of his soldiers occupy the enemy headquarters, or to capture all of the enemy soldiers.

Getting Ready to Play

Separate all the soldiers from the platform. Each player selects a squad of six (6) soldiers and six (6) plastic bases (of the same color). Fold the soldiers in half along the scored line and insert them into the plastic bases. Place five (5) soldiers of the blue squad in the blue headquarters and five (5) soldiers of the red squad in the red headquarters on the gameboard. Place the remaining soldier from each squad in the section marked "PLACE SOLDIER HERE" in front of the Prisoner of War Camp.

Break apart the red deck of decision cards from the platform, shuffle and stack them face down in their section on the game board. Do the same with the blue decision cards. Pop out the spinner and place it alongside the game board.

Playing the Game

Players decide by the highest spin who goes first.

First player spins the spinner and moves his man the number of spaces he has spun. A soldier can only leave the headquarters by the "EXITS".

After a man has left headquarters he may move in any one of four directions during any one move, forward, backward, right or left. (diagonal moved are not allowed).

example:

Blue squad spins a 4. He can move any one of his men 4 spaces. If only one man is free to move 4 spaces, he must move him even though it may mean landing on a mine.

Splitting moves between two soldiers is not allowed during any one move.

Bridges

Soldiers may only cross the river by means of the two bridges, separating the red and blue territories.

Jumping and Blocking Men

A player is not allowed to jump his own man or a man of an opposing army. If a player is blocked in all directions so that he is unable to complete his move, the player must remain where he is, pick a DECISION card and follow directions.

Combat

A player landing on a space occupied by any opponent must yell COMBAT and is allowed to spin the spinner to find out if he has captured the enemy. If the pointer of the spinner points to "captured" the enemy soldier is placed in your Prisoner of War Camp. If the spinner points to "escape" the enemy soldier can move the number of spaces indicated directly underneath the word "Escape".

Decision Cards

Each time a player lands on a space marked "DECISION" he must select a "DECISION" card from his deck. The Blue squad picks from the Blue deck, the Red squad from the Red deck. Players must follow the instructions written on the card. The instructions can be good or bad. If the instructions direct the player to one of the object spaces on the Board (example: Radio Shack "B", Ammunition Dump "A") your man must go there immediately. If there is another soldier already occupying the position, whether it be yours or an enemy soldier, that soldier is automatically returned to his release area. All DECISION cards must be returned to the bottom of the deck after they are used.

Mine Spaces

Any player landing on or passing over a "mine space" must go directly to his opponents Prisoner of War Camp. He must remain there until he is freed by one of his men.

Guarding Prisoners

The soldier that has been placed in front of the Prisoner of War Camp is a guard. His main duty is to prevent a prison break. He moves like the other men in the squad and if need be, can be taken off guard duty in order to attack the enemy.

Freeing Prisoners

To free one or more soldiers from your squad, one of your men must land inside the enemy "Prisoner of War Camp" where your men are being held. A soldier freeing prisoners may enter the Prisoner of War Camp through the solid line surrounding it. Once the prisoners have been released they must go directly to their own release area along with the soldier that has freed them.

Release Area

Men can move from the release area out into the battlefield, when it is their turn, in either of the two directions indicated by the arrows. Soldiers of the opposing squad cannot enter an enemy's release area.

Capturing Enemy Headquarters

A soldier may enter enemy headquarters through the black line surrounding it in order to capture it. All enemy soldiers in the headquarters at that time are considered capture and must be placed in the Prisoner of War Camp.

Winning the Game

The first squad that is able to get two soldiers into the enemy headquarters or to capture all of the enemy soldiers, is declared the winner.