Sitting astride the Mediterranean sea lanes, Malta stood in the way of Axis dreams of world dominion. To conquer North Africa, Italian and German troops would have to take the island. To hold on in Africa and turn back the rising tide of evil, the British-Maltese garrison would have to hold out against overwhelming odds.

Island of Death is a game based on German and Italian plans to capture the strategic island, a battle that never actually took place. Now Fortress Malta extends the game to look at other alternative plans and defenses, using the same format as the many books we've published for the Panzer Grenadier or Great War at Sea series. It is not playable by itself; Island of Death is required to enjoy the scenarios presented in Fortress Malta. New variations include:

The 1940 Italian plan to invade Malta. With a single division and a handful of Libyan paratroopers, Air Marshal Italo Balbo proposed a radical strike at the outbreak of war. While the invading force was slender, so was the defense. Mercury over Malta. The German plan to strike Malta instead of Crete in May 1941, with 7th Flieger Division and 22nd Air-Landing Division.

Taking Back Malta. Had Malta fallen to the Axis, Winston Churchill's oft-proclaimed "special relationship" with the island would have assured an Allied assault to take it back. Instead of wasting itself on the beaches of Dieppe, the Canadian 2nd Infantry Division storms Malta. Sea Battle for Malta. To invade Malta, the Italian landing force would first have to get past the Royal Navy. We make use of Second World War at Sea: Bomb Alley to simulate the invasion's nautical component. The Axis player can choose to assign more or fewer warships to bombardment support at a price, of course.

Air War over Malta. Malta's toughest defenders were its pilots; Island of Death presumes total Axis air superiority over the island. Use the air system from Alamein to see what happens to an invasion facing Allied fighters.

Plus the book includes looks at Italian and German planning for the Malta invasion, the British garrison and Malta's place in World War II history as well as game strategy and design notes. With a full sheet of new playing pieces, this turns a small game into a major study of the invasion of Malta, with vast re-play opportunities.