Baptism By Fire: The Battle of Kasserine

Baptism By Fire: The Battle of Kasserine, February 1943 chronicles the first real ground operations by the US Army in the ETO in WW2. Every wargamer knows this battle was a severe Allied setback. What is not obvious, however, is that Allied troops on the ground gave a good account of themselves against the remnants of Rommel's vaunted Afrika Korps, despite the ineffective and confused leadership that existed at Corps level.

In the end, while GIs and Tommies fought their guts out to make up for the mistakes of their leadership, the advantages achieved by initial Axis successes were allowed to blow away in the wind by an equally detached and confused Axis High Command. In its case, how to best exploit the results of their initial attack depended on an argument raging within the Italian Commando Supremo and the persuasive abilities of Albert Kesselring and Erwin Rommel. After much discussion and the loss of several crucial days, the Axis decided on the less ambitious plan, which was itself no longer even possible.

Baptism By Fire is the second game in the Series: Battalion Combat Series (MMP), which took players by storm with its block buster initial release Last Blitzkrieg: Wacht am Rhein, The Battle of the Bulge. The game is designed as a more accessible entry to the system for those who want something smaller and faster than the earlier monster game. Here the wide open desert, limited number of Formations, and short scenario length provide players with a rapid and fun introduction to the series, the chance to develop their play skills to become a more effective BCS player overall, and to take a good look at this poorly understood battle.