My new wargaming friend popped over to play Cobra yesterday. We did not finish, but had a good time anyway. We were really just familiarising ourselves with the rules and how the game plays.

Cobra simulates Operation Cobra, the breakout from the Normandy beaches in 1944. It was sold in Strategy and Tactics magazine in 1977. As well as the game, the magazine describes the campaign in a lot of detail. John Prados wrote these historical notes and they are very readable and fascinating.

Target Arnhem was a good introduction to Cobra. Both are traditional hex and counter wargames with CRTs. Both have extra moves for mechanised units and both have column shifts for different terrain types.

Unfortunately, Cobra is a big step up in complexity, both in terms of rules and strategy. My friend was struggling with both. He will definitely get there, but right now it is an unequal battle. Next time I think I will ask him to play the Allies as the Germans seem to have a harder task in trying to slow down the massive force of the Allied reinforcements. Interestingly, combat seems to be fairly non-lethal, resulting in many retreats. Initially all the units are located at the top of the board and I can see the German forces gradually withdrawing and thinning out in the face of Allied advances, which was pretty much what happened in 1944.

Unfortunately, the promise of three hours playing time seems unlikely. There are 200 counters, 14 turns and a large board to navigate. This is a big black mark against Cobra, as I am so busy with family commitments. I hope I can get a whole weekend afternoon to try it out properly, but it is difficult to see when I can make it happen.