Armor Assault (1982) is a Cold War-era turn-based strategy game published by Automated Simulations for the Atari 8-bit computers. Designed by John Weber, it simulates small-scale armored warfare between NATO and Soviet forces across twelve distinct battle scenarios. Rather than grand military campaigns, the game focuses on tactical skirmishes where each side controls just six tanks—making each unit critical to success. Gameplay unfolds on varied terrain types including jungles, deserts, rivers, cities, and mountains. Each round begins with both players secretly assigning orders to their tanks—such as movement, mine deployment, direct fire, or opportunity fire. Once all commands are set, they’re executed simultaneously, heightening the tension and requiring careful planning. Opportunity fire allows tanks to react during the enemy’s movement phase, rewarding strategic positioning. Players can choose from six tank types, each with unique strengths and weaknesses. Terrain impacts both mobility and cover, encouraging creative use of environmental features for ambushes or defense. Victory conditions differ between scenarios, ranging from area control to target destruction, and a built-in editor lets players create custom maps and units for extended replayability. While the interface is minimalist by modern standards, Armor Assault was praised at the time for its emphasis on realism, strategic depth, and flexibility. Reviewers noted its balanced gameplay, satisfying challenge, and the innovative use of simultaneous turns—uncommon in early 1980s games. It remains a strong example of Epyx’s more cerebral offerings, distinct from their action-oriented titles of the same era.

NATO versus the Soviet Union…In the 2000s we would have laughed at such an idea.  Now, we’re not so sure.  Consider swapping out tanks for drones and the USSR for Russia and you’ve got an extremely relevant game… With the limited graphics of the early 1980s, Epyx focused a lot of time and energy on the strategy component and making a game for thinkers…  Check out the 40-page manual here.