Beneath the Med Box opening and first thoughts

About Beneath the Med: Regia Marina at Sea 1940-1943, from BoardGameGeek:

Beneath the Med is a solitaire tactical-level game placing you in command of an Italian submarine during WWII. This is the fourth game in the The Hunters series, and covers one of the largest fleets of submarines in the world at the time. You command one of many submarine models available starting in 1940, and look to successfully complete patrols until the armistice in September 1943. While your mission is to destroy as much Allied shipping and as many Capital ships as possible, players will find it extremely challenging to survive until the Armistice. Beneath the Med is purposely designed to deliver a brisk yet intensive gaming experience that forces many decisions upon you as you take command of the major Italian submarine classes. All the major classes are accounted for, with every level of detail, including period of service, armaments, crew make-up, damage capacity, and more. Fans of The Hunters will enjoy the same nail-biting game system, but will be challenged by the thick Allied air cover and the problematic fire control systems of the Italian boats. Ten Italian submarine classes are profiled and available for you to choose from. Patrol zones reflect the period during the war at sea and will shift as the war progresses. All stages of the U-Boat campaign are represented; difficult missions include mine-laying, commando delivery, and the extremely dangerous harbor penetration missions. The major Italian classes are are represented and accurately profiled for the patrols you will undertake during the war: - Acciaio Class - Adua Class - Cagni Class - Calvi Class - Foca Class - Glauco Class - Liuzzi Class - Marcello Class - Marconi Class - Perla Class Patrol Assignments include: - Atlantic - Brazilian Coast - Caribbean - Eastern, Central and Western Mediterranean - Singapore - Spanish Coast - West African Coast The game delivers an historical narrative as 480 ship targets are uniquely identified (including tonnage) with their historical counterparts that were sunk during the war, including freighters, tankers, and American ships. Game System Highlights: - 10 Italian submarine classes represented - 9 different Patrol Assignments, including supply delivery to Japan - 480 named shipping targets, including 20 Capital ships - Special Missions for Commando Team Delivery, Supply Delivery, Human Torpedo attack, and Minelaying - Combat encounters with individual ships, ships with escort, convoys, enemy submarines, and aircraft - Daytime and Night Engagements - Submarine damage includes flooding, hull, torpedo doors, periscope, fuel tanks, crew injury (by crew type), engines, hydrophones, AA gun(s), deck gun, batteries, radio - Crew Advancement, Commander Promotion including decorations such as the "Medaglia d'oro al Valor Militare," the "Medaglia d'argento al Valor Militare," and the "Medaglia d'bronzo al Valor Militare," along with other Italian awards. The Knight's Cross is also available from Germany in certain situations. - Multi-player and Tournament Rule options - Evasive Maneuvers, Patrol Abort, Variable Escort Quality, Gibraltar Passage, Reassignment to Newer Submarine, Torpedo Duds, Random Historical Events, Human Torpedo (“SLC”) delivery, and much, much more! Components: One ½” full-color counter sheet One ¾” wide full-color counter sheet for Targets Rules booklet with designer's notes Six player aid cards, 2-sided Five Submarine Display Mats, 2-sided One Submarine Patrol Map, 2-sided Submarine Combat Mat Submarine patrol logsheet Three 6-sided, two 10-sided dice, and one 20-sided die Boxed Average Playing Time: Two-Three Hours Players: One (with options for more players) Replayability: Very High