ATO Black Swan # 31, Falaise Pocket

Cable TV news is full of horrific photos from “Highways of Death,” from Iraq to Libya that seem, almost literally, to be “paved” with burnt-out vehicles. Those who study WWII remember similar destruction... on the road out of the Falaise Pocket... where 25 German divisions raced for survival. But the devastation there was something unprecedented. Award-winning designer Ted Raicer explains:

"The story of the Falaise battle is that of two German armies trying to escape a trap set for them by their own high command, and of the Allied armies trying to close the trap, despite the hesitations and divisions of their own higher commanders."

Now, you have a chance to do better. The Pocket at Falaise puts each player in the difficult position of trying to overcome the obstacles, both human and mechanical, tactical and operational, that interfered with success in 1944.

The Pocket at Falaise uses a chit-pull activation system to capture some of the chaotic and uncoordinated efforts. Players are forced to juggle to make the best out of an increasingly difficult situation, and a combat scale that straddles “tactical” and “operational,” aiming to capture the best of both without adding a lot of fiddly rules. A complete set of solitaire rules for the game completes the package.

Eisenhower called it, “The Great Killing Ground.” What the Germans called it cannot be printed. What you will call it depends on how well you do... Against the Odds.

The Pocket at Falaise game (only) from ATO

Map - One full color 22" x 34" hex mapsheet
Counters - 198 full color 9/16" die-cut pieces
Rules length - 12 pages
Charts and tables - 1 page
Complexity - Medium
Playing time - Up to 4 hours
How challenging is it solitaire? - Good