Beda Fomm

About this board game

Beda Fomm is a fast-playing operational-level wargame for 1–2 players, with an average playing time of 2–3 hours, depicting the Battle of Beda Fomm in February 1941.

Set during the British Western Desert Force’s first offensive of World War Two, the game places the remnants of the Italian 10th Army in a desperate race toward Tripolitania. The British player must use superior armored vehicles and supporting units to block the escape route, while the Italian player relies on overall numerical strength to break through near the village of Beda Fomm.

Simple mechanics capture the character of desert warfare and the contrasting qualities of both forces. British formations are outnumbered but more maneuverable and better equipped, while Italian formations are stronger in numbers yet brittle and less able to maneuver. This creates a tense contest in which positioning, timing, and the struggle to escape or encircle shape every game.

• Scale: one mile per hex, with one hour per daylight turn and six hours per night turn
• Units: battalions, companies, platoons, and tank groups representing 6–8 vehicles
• Play: suitable for competitive or solitaire play, with high solitaire suitability
• Complexity: low to moderate

This Consim Press edition re-masters Frank Chadwick’s classic 1979 Game Designers Workshop design while remaining true to the original. It includes a full-color 22 x 34-inch map, 216 newly designed counters and additional markers, an updated 12-page rulebook with historical background, and two six-sided dice.

Whether commanding the blocking force or leading the retreat, Beda Fomm delivers a focused and accessible simulation of a pivotal desert battle, combining straightforward rules with the pressure of a rapidly closing escape route.