Sicily II

About this board game

Sicily II is an operational World War II game for 1–2 players, covering the Allied amphibious invasion of Sicily in summer 1943. The publisher lists playing times from 2 to 20 hours, while the available game data lists 3000 minutes.

This revised edition updates the original game with a new map, revised order of battle, and modified rules. Its larger 3.5-mile hexes and two turns per week create a smaller, faster campaign that matches the scale used by Beyond the Rhine and other Western Europe games.

The complete campaign lasts just 16 turns, with six scenarios in total. Three use the full map, while three focus on a portion of the island, giving players several ways to explore the invasion and its shifting operational challenges.

• Airborne operations use simple scatter rules to recreate the Allied airborne fiasco.
• Amphibious landings can use standard OCS naval rules or be largely skipped to begin with most Allied forces ashore.
• Italian unit wavering and surrender rules help make every game different.
• The Luftwaffe’s Do.217K appears with the exotic Fritz-X missile.
• Optional rules include revised Axis deployment and variable entry for the 29th Panzergrenadier Division.

Units range from companies to brigades, with turns representing three to four days. Sicily II has medium complexity and medium solitaire suitability, making it an approachable introduction to the Operational Combat Series while still offering a substantial campaign for experienced players.

The game includes a 22 x 34-inch full-color map, 560 double-sided half-inch counters, and a 16-page rules booklet. Players also need the OCS v4.2 rulebook, charts, and tables from another OCS game or the publisher’s online archive.