Overview

Golan: Syrian-Israeli Combat in the ‘73 War is a two-player operational-level wargame published by Simulations Publications, Inc. (SPI) in 1975. It simulates the ground combat on the Golan Heights during the Yom Kippur War of October 1973. Originally published as part of the “quadrigame” Modern Battles: Four Contemporary Conflicts, it was also released individually as a folio game and as a Collector’s Edition with a mounted map. The game uses the standard SPI combat system with hex-based movement.

Components

• Hex map of the Golan Heights
• Cardboard unit counters (Israeli and Syrian forces)
• Combat results table
• Terrain effects chart
• Die (six-sided)
• Rules folder/booklet

Setup

1. Place the hex map of the Golan Heights between both players.
2. One player takes the Israeli forces, the other takes the Syrian forces.
3. Place units on the map according to the scenario setup instructions.
4. Set up the combat results table and terrain charts for reference.
5. Determine the first player according to the scenario.

Turn Structure

Each turn represents a period of the Golan Heights campaign and follows this sequence:

First Player Turn

1. Movement Phase: Move units up to their movement allowance.
2. Combat Phase: Resolve attacks against adjacent enemy units.

Second Player Turn

1. Movement Phase: Move units up to their movement allowance.
2. Combat Phase: Resolve attacks against adjacent enemy units.

End of Turn

• Advance the turn marker and check victory conditions.

Actions

Movement

• Units move from hex to hex, spending movement points based on terrain.
• Different terrain types (clear, rough, hills, fortifications) have different movement costs.
• Zones of control may restrict enemy movement through adjacent hexes.

Combat

• Combat occurs between adjacent opposing units.
• Attacking player totals attack strength; defending player totals defense strength.
• Calculate the attack-to-defense ratio (odds).
• Roll a die and cross-reference with the combat results table.
• Results include: Attacker Eliminated, Exchange, Defender Retreat, Defender Eliminated, and other outcomes.

Zones of Control

• Units project zones of control into adjacent hexes.
• Enemy units entering a zone of control must stop.
• Units may need to attack enemies whose zone of control they are in.

Scoring / Victory Conditions

Victory conditions are scenario-dependent:

• Syrian player: Break through Israeli defenses, capture key positions on the Golan Heights.
• Israeli player: Hold defensive positions, prevent Syrian breakthrough, counterattack to push Syrians back.
• Victory may be determined by territorial control at the end of the scenario or by achieving specific military objectives.

Special Rules & Edge Cases

• Quadrigame origin: Golan was one of four games in the Modern Battles quadrigame, sharing a common rules system with the other three games (Chinese Farm, Golan, Mukden, Wurzburg).
• Folio format: The individual release came in a cardstock folder packaged in a plastic bag, which was SPI’s standard folio format.
• Historical context: The game covers the critical 1973 fighting on the Golan Heights where outnumbered Israeli forces held against a massive Syrian armored assault.
• Standard SPI system: Uses SPI’s well-known combat results table system, familiar to wargamers of the era.
• Operational scale: Units represent battalions and brigades at the operational level, covering the campaign over multiple days.
• Multiple editions: Released as part of the quadrigame, as a folio game, and as a Collector’s Edition with a mounted map in a box.

Player Reference

Scale: Operational level (battalions/brigades)

Combat system: Attack/defense ratio + die roll + CRT

Turn sequence: Player 1 (Move + Combat) > Player 2 (Move + Combat)

Sides: Israeli Defense Forces vs. Syrian Army

Setting: Golan Heights, October 1973 (Yom Kippur War)

Publisher: SPI, 1975