Salerno: The 1943 Allied Invasion of Italy

The first game in the Variable Combat System series

Players take their choice of the Western Allies or the German forces and recreate the operations that took the war to the Italian mainland.
Two medium sized mapsheets containing three areas connected by movement tracks join three operations designed to push the German armies out of Italy.
System uses a chit pull combat method that enhances the challenge of combat. Limited knowledge of exact enemy strength make planning combat an undetermined affair, as it always is, and the job of commander more demanding than ever.

Three alternate history scenarios accompany the overall historical campaign and an invasion only short game.
The game length is 18, 1/2 day turns.

Support point driven system with 6 levels of terrain. Rules include naval gunfire, radio controlled guided missiles, bridge, road and port demolition, rubble, port assault, entrenchments, strategic movement, variable reinforcement, beach assault, commandos, paratroops, ranged artillery, air power, combined arms, divisional integrity, elevation shifts, sea movement and replacements.

Game Scale:
Game Turn: 12 hours
Hex: Map A & B = 1 mile / 1.6 Km, Map C = 3 miles / 4.8 km
Units: Company to Regiment

Game Inventory:
Two 22 24" mapsheets
Two dual-side printed counter sheets (1 of 280 & 1 of 140 1/2" counters)
One 12-page VCS Standard rulebook
One 24-page Salerno Exclusive rulebook
One player aid chart (2-sided)
Two 6-sided dice
One stowage tray