Tide of Iron – Days of the Fox
From: Fantasy Flight Games
Reviewed by: Ron McClung
Tide of Iron – Days of the Fox is a new Board Game Expansion from Fantasy Flight Games (FFG).
Tide of Iron (ToI) is by far one of my top 5 favorite games of all time. Of course, as with other games that focus on specific areas of World War II, there is room for expansion. Days of the Fox, the North Africa expansion for ToI, brings in new elements as well as expands the game. It introduces British army units as well as material for North African campaigns, including new terrain tiles, new rules, new units, and new scenarios.
From the page # 1: “Dark days have fallen upon the West.”
First, of course, Days of the Fox supplies nine new double-sided map boards; along with these are the 14 map overlay tiles. These are all desert terrain. These all introduce some new terrain types and features – Dunes, Dirt Roads, Wooden Bride, and Crevasse. All have new rules related to them. It also adds familiar overlay components like entrenchments, pill boxes, tank trap and barbed wire, as well as familiar terrain types like clear and rough with the desert colored backgrounds.
Days of the Fox also adds all new tan-colored British army, including new soldiers and vehicles. The infantry units include regular infantry, elite infantry, officers, mortar crews, and machine guns. The vehicle units include Bren Gun Troop Carrier, the Bedford OY Transport, and two types of tanks – the Crusader Mk. II as well as the Matilda Mk. II. Additionally, the expansion adds two new tanks for the Germans – the Panzer III and the Panther. The Panzer III and the Crusader MK II are lighter tanks with lighter armor, while the Panther and the Matilda are heavier tanks with heavier armor and more punch.
FFG also added a new type of unit (and supplies the minis for all factions). These are the anti-tank gun. For the US it is the M1 57mm AT gun, for the British it is the QF 6-Pounder AT Gun, and for the Germans it is the FLAK 36 AT Gun. These can be devastating to vehicles and things in buildings, especially when placed on Op fire. Another powerful use of these weapons is in concentrated fire. Unlike mortars, these can be used in concentrated fire. Also in this expansion anti-tank guns have a new trait, equipment, which basically means another squad must be in the same hex to operate for advance, concentrate fire and Op fire actions. They can not perform fire and move and assault actions. Additionally, units with the equipment keyword can be stolen and used by enemy units.
From the page # 1: “After the German invasion of Poland on September 1st, 1939 sparked all-out war in Europe, Germany’s rebuilt war machine redeployed to assault the rest of Europe.”
Other additional components are more Strategy and Operation cards, primarily used in desert scenarios of the North African Campaign, new specializations and new rules. New rules added include the rules surrounding the new anti-tank guns, the new specializations, and something called Specialization Experience. There are three new specializations added to the game – Recon, Alpha Unit and Bravo Unit. Recon units specialize in scouting out enemy positions and remaining hidden. The Alpha and Bravo Unit markers are part of the new rules of Specialization Experience.
Specialization Experience allows certain units to gain experience while in play and improve under certain conditions. Each unit designated with an Alpha or Bravo token start out with one star. There are Alpha and Bravo tokens with one, two and three stars. Each type gains more stars (representing experience) if the unit engages and succeeds at a certain number of actions. For instance, the Alpha gain experience when they perform a concentrated fire or fire and move action and have at least 2 successes. The stars gain the unit benefits, like +1 per star to firepower for Alpha units.
There are 6 new scenarios included in the box, all part of the African Campaign. These include Hellfire Pass (a battle during Operation Battleaxe), Operation Crusader (a battle of tanks in the desert), and Fall of Tobruk (Rommel’s attempt to retake Tobruk). All seem very interesting and challenging.
In conclusion, Tide of Iron continues to storm ahead as one of the great World War II games with this expansion. I feel this is a great expansion, adding just enough to make the game feel new while at the same time not adding too much.
For more details on Fantasy Flight Games and their new Board Game Expansion “Tide of Iron – Days of the Fox” check them out at their website http://www.fantasyflightgames.com and at all of your local game stores.
Tide of Iron – Days of the Fox
From: Fantasy Flight Games
Type of Game: Board Game Expansion
Game Design by: Corey Konieczka, Bill Jaffe, Dana Lombardy
Editing by: Michael Hurley, Jeff Tidball
Cover Art by: Michael Komark
Additional Art by: Tim Arney-O’Neil, Rick Drennan, Zoë Robinson
Executive Developer: Christian T. Petersen
Publisher: Christian T. Petersen
Number of Pages: 3 page of addtional rules, 7 pages of scenarios
Game Components Included:
- 1 rules and scenario book
76 British figures 16 British squad bases 12 German figures 4 American figures 9 desert map boards 14 map overlay tiles 50 strategy cards 4 operation cards 1 British initiative cards 2 unit reference sheets 8 British control markers 4 British concealed squad markers 8 British transport markers 8 British off-board indicators 8 British command objectives 1 British VP token 6 entrenchment / pillbox desert tokens 6 tank trap / barbed wire desert tokens 20 specialization tokens
Game Components Not Included:Tide of Iron base set
Retail Price: $ 49.95 (US)
Number of Players: 1-4
Player Ages: 12 and up
Play Time: 60 – 240 minutes
Website: www.fantasyflightgames.com
Reviewed by: Ron McClung