{{EngvarB|date=July 2022}} {{Short description|Tabletop military role-playing game}} {{italic title}} thumb|upright|right|Cover art by David Wenzel '''''Commando''''' is a role-playing game published by Simulations Publications, Inc. (SPI) in 1979.
==Description== ''Commando'' is a man-to-man tactical combat game that simulates commando operations from World War II to the present.<ref name="HW">{{cite book|last=Schick |first=Lawrence|authorlink=Lawrence Schick|title=Heroic Worlds: A History and Guide to Role-Playing Games|publisher=Prometheus Books |year=1991|isbn=0-87975-653-5 |page=253}}</ref> Although it was marketed as a role-playing game, reviewers called it primarily a board wargame with a set of role-playing rules grafted onto it.<ref name="HW"/><ref name="sim6" /> The role-playing rules include character creation, skills, cooperative fire teams, and hero characters.
===Components=== The game box contains:<ref name=sim6 /> * twelve geomorphic 11" x 17" double-sided paper maps with a square grid scaled at 3 m per square *47-page wargame rulebook * 23-page role-playing rulebook *two copies of 8-page booklet of charts *addenda sheet dated September 1979 *two 20-sided dice *four small six-sided dice
===Gameplay=== If using the role-playing rules, a group of players create commando characters to be sent out on missions presented by a gamemaster. The players can increase the hero rating of their character at the end of each successful mission. These can be used to gain special abilities.<ref name="sim6" />
==Publication history== ''Commando'' was designed by Eric Goldberg<ref name="designers">{{Cite book|author=Shannon Appelcline|title=Designers & Dragons|publisher=Mongoose Publishing|year=2011| isbn= 978-1-907702-58-7}}</ref>{{rp|99}} as the first commercial role-playing game with a modern military theme.<ref name=sim6 /> It was published by SPI in 1979 as a boxed set with cover art by David Wenzel and graphic design by Redmond A. Simonsen.<ref name="HW"/> After publication, the game appeared on SPI's Top Ten Bestseller list for four months, rising as high as #4.<ref>{{cite web | url =https://spigames.net/spi_bestsellers_1979.htm | title =SPI Best Selling Games – 1979 | website =spigames.net | access-date =2020-02-20}}</ref>
==Reception== In ''Moves'' #57, Ian Chadwick liked the game, saying, "It's a good game, a remarkably smooth system which has accepted the compromise of a lightweight framework in exchange for a well designed, complete tactical system."<ref name="moves57">{{cite magazine|last=Chadwick|first=Ian|date=June–July 1981 |title=Commando|magazine=Moves|issue=57}}</ref>
In Issue 65 of ''Fire & Movement'', Jeff Petraska wrote, "''Commando'' uses no counters and has square grid maps and at first glance looks a bit unwieldy. With some play experience however, the game shows itself to be a lot of fun and a good simulation of commando operations."<ref name="fm65">{{cite magazine|last=Petraska|first=Jeff|date=April–May 1990 |title=Commando|magazine=Fire & Movement|issue=65}}</ref>
Joe Scolari, writing a retrospective review in ''Simulacrum'' #6, recalled that the game could be played as both a straight two-player wargame, or as a role-playing game, but noted unlike many modern games, ''Commando'' had a plethora of optional rules and charts. He concluded, "''Commando'' furnishes all the details, charts, and rules you'd expect from a wargame from back then, which makes it the kind of game that tends to send today's gamers running in terror!"<ref name="sim6">{{cite magazine|last=Scolari|first=Joe|date=Spring 2000 |title=Commando|magazine=Simulacrum|issue=6}}</ref>
==Other reviews and commentary== * ''Phoenix'' #24 * ''Campaign'' #97 * ''The American Wargamer'' Vol.7 #6 *''Fantastic Science Fiction'' v27 n10<ref>{{cite web | url=https://archive.org/details/fantastic-v-27n-10-1980-07-daisy-chainsaw/page/16/mode/2up | title=Fantastic v27n10 [1980-07] (Daisy Chainsaw) | date=July 1980 }}</ref>
==Awards== At the 1980 Origins Awards, ''Commando'' won the H.G. Wells Award for "Best Roleplaying Rules of 1979."<ref name="HW"/><ref>{{cite web |url=http://gama.org/OriginsAwards/OriginsAwardsWinnersThe1970s/The1979OriginsAwards/tabid/3217/Default.aspx |title=1979 Origins Awards Winners |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20121216052350/http://www.gama.org/OriginsAwards/OriginsAwardsWinnersThe1970s/The1979OriginsAwards/tabid/3217/Default.aspx |archivedate=December 16, 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="award79">{{cite web|url=http://www.originsgames.com/awards/1979 |title=Origins Award Winners (1979) |accessdate=2007-09-14 |publisher=Academy of Adventure Gaming Arts & Design |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070830114234/http://www.originsgames.com/awards/1979 |archivedate=2007-08-30 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
Category:Eric Goldberg games Category:Military role-playing games Category:Origins Award winners Category:Role-playing games introduced in 1979 Category:Simulations Publications games