ANGOLA

Original by Game Shop, 1979
ADC2 set by Joseph D. Oliver (Jaydeeo@aol.com), 1999
ADC2 version 2.07b; P200mmx/64mb


INTRODUCTION

ANGOLA is a somewhat rare two or three player game of the beginning of the civil war in Angola 
that still continues today, almost a quarter of a century later.  To my knowledge, it was the only 
historical game produced by the short-lived Game Shop, who also did a couple of science fiction or 
fantasy simulations.  Further, it remains one of only a handful of games concerning post-WW II 
sub-Saharan Africa, an unfortunate part of the modern world NOT exactly lacking in military 
adventure.

ANGOLA is a semi-professional game, with a rather crude 29 x 22map and 120 thin die-cut 
cardboard counters, similar to early to mid-70s SPI and other magazine games, albeit done with 
more colors.  The rules, while a bit disorganized, are reasonably complete.   

While ANGOLA is at its best and is most interesting with three players, it can be played reasonably 
well with only two.  The historical situation itself, the supply rules, and the victory conditions are 
what make the game.  

In raw combat factors, MPLA is by far the strongest side.  It has the very strong Cubans units, 
including air strike units, as allies, although he receives all of them as reinforcements stretched out 
over the first ten game turns.  Finally, it holds the central position on the map.  However, it never 
has enough supply to use all its units and the Cubans at full strength and movement, and it is 
subject to attack from two directions.  Also, the relatively bloodless CRT and non-mandatory 
combat ZOC rules negate some of its combat factor superiority.

FNLA, in the north, is weaker, but it controls the Chipenda Brigade, the single most powerful unit 
in the game, and its Zaire ally and supplier is very close.  Also, it operates initially from the most 
compact region.

UNITA, in the south, is the weakest of the three in raw combat factors, but it has the most 
flexibility in the number of directions that it can move.  Also, it has as an ally the South Africans, 
with two air strike units and two speedy armored battalions with their own supply units.

Neither FNLA nor UNITA can sit back and allow MPLA to reduce the other, because the twenty 
turns game length assures that it will be next.  In short, MPLA must be forced to fight a two-front 
war.  Also, remember the special rule that permits the Chipenda Brigade to be supplied by FNLA, 
UNITA, or South African units.

Finally, there is the wild card possibility of any of three sides declaring at any time that it is 
switching to a guerilla war, at the immediate cost of losing all allied support and incurring 
reductions in combat and movement ability.  This changes completely the victory points and 
conditions ONLY for that side, and can upset an opponents previous plan.


THIS VERSION  

MAP

The map has been rendered exactly as the original with regard to feature and landmark names and 
locations.  More than a few towns, roads, and watercourses are omitted on the original, and all of its 
spelling has been retained.  

The map has been enhanced in several ways.  First, the rough terrain, originally a stippled pattern 
of brown so dark that it obscured town names, has been changed to a solid pastel shade for greater 
clarity.  

Both the dark blue thick lines used on rivers/shores/lakes and the heavy black lines indicating 
national borders have been omitted.  

The original red color of railways has been changed to orange, so as to clarify rail hexes with 
parallel roads or trails.  

The solid red front line (region) hex-sides have been changed to a dotted type.  

The separate dark blue squares enclosing the letter P have been eliminated, and Port status of 
the relevant towns is indicated by their place names    

The original combined Turn/Reinforcement Track has been simplified into a Turn Record only and 
has been relocated, and the original small and somewhat obscure Terrain Key has been expanded.

Hex numbers are accurate with the obvious exceptions of the special off-map AAAA and 
BBBB for Grootfontein and Lusaka.  However, these are present as terrain bitmaps and are 
visible at zoom levels 2 and 3.  

Finally, an additional color has been used for Zambian territory.

COUNTERS

The counters are essentially duplicates of the originals, with the following minor changes.

The identification name (FNLA, Zaire, FLEC, etc.) has been simplified to a single letter.

Solid lines replace the large dots used to indicate either 0 or not applicable.

Modern style contrasting colors have been added to the fields of the unit type icon.

For greater clarity, minor color adjustments to counter fields or numbers/letters have been made.

Control counters, not in the original game, have been created for optional use in indicating 
control of towns and other victory condition targets.

HOW TO PLAY

The following OPS files are available.

Angola.OPS = the standard three-player game, with all necessary force pools created and filled
Angola2.OPS = two-player game (identical to above, excepting that FNLA & UNITA are allies)
AngolaBASIC.OPS = a starter file for experimenters, with only the exact original counter-mix 
in a limited number of force pools
AngolaSAMPLE.OPS = a special artwork display file

NOTE: Since the rules require that in a two-player game the FNLA and UNITA units must be 
moved and supplied separately and in the same order as in the three-player game, i. e., FNLA first, 
and then UNITA, there is no real point in redoing all of class data.

ANOTHER NOTE: In keeping with the spirit of ADC2 requiring ownership of the game, the CRT 
and Terrain Effect Chart are missing.  As the original ones are on the map itself, reference to it is 
necessary in order to play this set. 

IMPORTANT NOTE: After choosing a game, remember to login first as GAMEMASTER, so as 
to roll for ownership, if any, of the single special FLEC (Front for the Liberation of the Cabinda 
Enclave) unit, and if necessary, to edit its class/piece data for ownership.  The FLEC unit begins the 
game in the Miscellaneous force pool.

CLASS/PIECE DATA

Field#		Description		Type			Notes
1		Attack			Number				
2		Defense			Number			
3		Movement		Number/Letter		Air Strike Units = U (Unlimited)
4		Used?			Yes/No			Supply Units Only

FORCE POOLS

Excepting the special BASIC OPS, force pools with self-explanatory names exist both for all 
initially deployed units and for all reinforcements, EXCEPTING supply units.  As noted earlier, the 
special FLEC unit is in the Miscellaneous pool, and separate force pools exist for the optional 
Control marker counters.  However, reference must be made to the original game for 
reinforcement entry location hexes.  

ANOTHER IMPORTANT NOTE: Remember that while supply units are listed as reinforcements 
for each side in almost every one of the twenty game turns, these are only of a POTENTIAL nature.  
At no time, regardless of what reinforcements are indicated, may any side have more supply units 
on the board than the total number that are available in the actual counter-mix.  Therefore, separate 
force pools are provided for holding all such units, from which possible reinforcements may be 
drawn, and to which used units may be removed.  You will need to refer to the original game 
map for the quantities and location of all potential supply unit reinforcements.


CONCLUSION

FINAL (!) NOTES: While central to the game system, the very restrictive supply rules can be 
annoying to first time players.  A number of modifications suggest themselves.  

First, use the flexibility of ADC2 to increase the total number of supply units available at any one 
time, and adjust to your own taste.  

Second, consider relaxation of some of the specific restrictions, such as allowing supply units to 
move cross-country, perhaps with a movement penalty or permitting out-of-supply attacks with 
or without halved strength.

Next, invent new rules.  For example, each side could initially deploy a fixed number of supply 
units as caches.  ADC2s hidden unit feature could even be used for these in order to create 
uncertainty and to increase suspense.  

Finally, for a relatively quick (for a twenty turns game) beer & pretzels affair, get primitive and 
forget the supply rules altogether!  Pretend that youre playing GETTYSBURG or NAPOLEON 
AT WATERLOO in the African bush.  The three-way nature of the situation still makes for an 
interesting time.

Have fun.
