>>or is it based upon some other strategy game?

>It's based on an older game. I wonder if it was so obscure that no one 
>will recognize it.

I think, it's based on an old board game called "Full Metal Planet."  I
remember that the specialty of this game was that both ore pieces and units
(tanks etc) where real "tin toys" and not just paper counters.  This made
the game quite expensive.

I browsed the internet to find the publisher of the game (Ludodelire,
sounds Frensh for me) and found this link, which shows the detailed rules
of the original game:

http://www.gamecabinet.com/rules/FullMetalPlanete.html


Have fun,
bye
--
Stefan Matthias Aust  //  Bevor wir fallen, fallen wir lieber auf.