Overview
At a glance
Is this game right for my group?
ABG editorial scores on a 1–5 scale.
Harder to teach
High replayability
Highly interactive
Scales well
Deep strategy
How it plays
How does it play?
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.
Core mechanisms
Key systems that shape the decisions players make.
Dice Rolling
Roll dice to introduce uncertainty into actions, production, movement, or resolution.
Chit-Pull System
Draw tokens to determine which units, factions, or events activate next.
Hexagon Grid
Use a hexagonal map where each space connects evenly in six directions.
Simulation
Model a real or imagined system through detailed cause-and-effect rules.
Read the full game description
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