by Hethwill, 12 October 2025
Israel 1948 is a wargame, classic hex’n’counter, designed by Dave Kershaw and published through White Dog Games. It focuses on the armed conflict in the region right after the establishment of the State of Israel, and sees the nascent State against the Arab League.
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Onslaught – 1948, 15th May to 11th June
The scenario covers the hostilities from the moment of the British withdrawal to the first truce. Runs for 3 turns and features Reinforcements and Air power. The main objectives for the scenario are to focus on the main cities, as controlling them may decide the shift of power in the region.
Quick Rules overview
Combat is resolved with a mix of different coloured dice representing quality of combatants, with red for best quality. Black dice are the regular. There’s also White dice, equivalent to Black, so the same can be rolled, with the particularity that forces that roll White cannot engage in Attack, and may only defend.
Hits will force attacks to break off and casualties, but as a counter balance, any attack repelled by a hit may be turned into a more robust “All-In” at the expense of extra casualties.
Air Power points affect one die re-roll. Supply lines are in effect and out-of-supply units have extremely reduced movement – 1 hex – and reduced combat overall – minus 1 die.
Each turn is split between Arab League play and State of Israel play. For this scenario the initial play for all turns is the Arab League.
Supply checks happen twice in the player sequence, at start and at end, so the ability to move and take ground may provide future supply lines and re-establish lost ones and cut opposing forces supplies.
Movement as a whole happens before combat. Combat is one hex versus one hex. Any hex can be attacked multiple times but only once from any one unit/hex.
Turn 1 – Arab League
High Command – Arab League
There is no High Command for the Arab League.
This is the latest episode in a running playthrough of Israel 1948 from White Dog Games; you can find the links to all published episodes at the end of article, with new installments each Sunday
Considering the assortment of different forces and enmity between the states – Egypt, Syria, Jordan, Iraq and Lebanon, the overall operational decisions are taken separate and illustrated as such.
The game rules enforce this enmity quite well and no stacking is allowed if different nations with the exception of the irregulars from the Arab Palestine territory (Army of Salvation, Liberation Army, Futuwa and Faza’a militias).
Jordan will focus on the conquest of Jerusalem. It is one of the main objectives and maximum effort should be made. The Mufti loyalists, the AoS irregulars, are already in place covering the North approach to the city and occupy Jericho, providing in advance, and despite the League sidelining the Mufti entirely as a power player, the crossing of the River Jordan.
Egypt has the racing gallery in the South. Gaza is already aligned to Egypt control and Beersheba and Khan Younis have raised their Faza’a militias. The main push is planned towards Jaffa, Tel-Aviv, between the mountains and the sea.
In the North the main objective is the full control of Lake Tiberias, with an envelope offensive aiming to cut the Israelis from supply and destroy the brigades and militias, or push them back, thus ensuring the Arab control of the major water source in the region.
The attacks are met with fierce resistance and the North sector reports heavy casualties for both sides.
In the Center, the fighting for Jerusalem saw early stiff defense pushing back the attacks with the local Jordanian commanders timidly not forcing a breakthrough in exchange for the extra casualties.
Turn 1 – State of Israel
High Command – State of Israel
Survival is the key, so there must be flexibility, aggression and economy of manpower.
There’s a lot of different quality forces at disposal, the Brigades can be exceptional but some are also fairly poorly equipped, but the Kibbutz defense units, as weak as they show on paper, can prove their worth.
The lack of armour during the initial phase may delay some operations but the position is strong. Lack of Air power, while the Egyptian Air Force is ever present, can also hinder some attacks or defenses in the South sectors.
Immediately it becomes clear that supplying the brigades will prove problematic. To consolidate the resistance, orders go out to the brigades in the north to fall back to the Haifa road. Operations are planned against the Futuwa youth brigades and the foreign fighters under Kaukji, the Arab Liberation Army.
A push from the Tel-Aviv area is also ordered, to control Ramle and provide security to the supply convoys en route to Jerusalem.
(note: I made a small mistake with the Supplies rule, but in hindsight it felt “right.” )
The turn ends and there’s a little measure of control in the center region by the State of Israel, which then consolidates most of the supply routes to the Jerusalem sector.
Both sides deploy part of the strategic reserves for the next turn. More Arab League, Iraqi, Syrians and Egyptian forces enter the theatre. Israel activates the armour brigade.
Turn 2 – Arab League
With the Egyptian contingent, by far the most powerful at the Arab League disposal, closing in to Jaffa Tel Aviv, the pressure on Jerusalem must be ramped up.
Lake Tiberias sector becomes secondary and the local militias must hold out until relieved by any possible breakthrough by the Iraq division. The Syrian support feels too weak to push around the north shore.
Despite the higher combat power of the Arab League units, in aggregate, the inability to have different nations stack together does confine major operations a lot.
Combined pressure in the coastline by the Egyptians, despite some high rate casualties, did result in impeding any support to the Jerusalem sector, the crown jewel, and extreme violent combats see the Jordanians supported by the Arab militia (AOS) take control of the big city.
Israel 1948 AAR – Israel 1948, Onslaught
PART 1 ~ PART 2
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