Rommel in the Desert

WWII

Reviewed by James Baker

Designed by Craig Besinque
Columbia Games Inc.
PO. Box 8006, Blaine, WA 98230
Released: May, 1984
Catalog Na: Price: $25.00
Complexity: Beginner/Intermediate
Solitaire Suitability: None

Rommel in the Desert (RITD) is a strategic level simulation of the campaigns in the North African Western Desert from 1940 to 1942. Game pieces represent units of varying strengths, from German regiments to Italian divisions. Unit positions can be seen by the opponent, but unit strengths are kept hidden except during combat.

RITD is simple to play and presents interesting problems to both sides. However, the rules are not well organized or complete. It is necessary to make many assumptions about how the game should be played before you start. This is unfortunate because the basic ideas of the game are excellent. It has the potential of being a very good game, if somewhat highly priced.

For $25 you get a very pretty map- sheet, a rulesbook, a large number of small wooden blocks, and a sheet of stick-on counter faces, Your first job is to create the counters by putting the faces onto the blocks. Be very careful because there are no extra blocks and they are easy to mess up.

After this is done you will have a very nice set of counters. However, the components provided are not all that is needed to play. It is necessary to create your own markers to simplify several game functions, such as units out of supply There isn't even a game turn marker. For the price of the game, these should have been provided.

The weakest part of the game is the rulesbook. The rules are simply incomplete. Although the principal ideas are explained, there are many special conditions and situations which are not covered and are left to the players to figure out. The game is simple enough so that this is not hard to do. But it should not be necessary For example, one of the most critical ideas is the "supply network." The only definition provided is that the network is "the grid of friendly supply lines." in most cases, this is sufficient.

Unfortunately, it is unclear in many situations whether or not a hex is in the supply network. It is even possible for the supply networks of the two players to cross in an empty hex! Since this concept is critical to the game, it is unfortunate that it is not more thoroughly explained. I also found that the rules were not well organized. I was constantly searching through the rulesbook to find minor rules that should have been grouped together.

Play in RITD consists of "monthly turns", each of which consists of a variable number of alternating "player turns" followed by a bookkeeping "buildup interlude." During his turn, a player has the option of passing, withdrawing, or initiating a move by spending one or more supply cards. When both players pass, the month is over and the buildup interlude is done.

Each player receives a number of supply cards at the beginning of the game ana during the buildup interlude. One third of the supply cards are dummies. If the player initiates a move, there are several options which can be chosen, each requiring a different number of supply cards. The more cards used, the more a player can do. The maintenance of proper supply levels is essential to allow the players to react to their opponent's moves.

A move either consists of moving all of the units in one hex, or concentrating adjacent units into one destination hex. Spending one supply card allows one move, but several of the more costly supply options allow two moves. After moves are complete, a battle turn occurs. In the battle turn, the phasing player can choose to initiate combat in any hex where there are units of both sides.

Combat in RITD is fairly simple. Each unit has a combat strength, which is the number of six-sided dice it gets to roll when attacking the opponent. Depending on unit types involved, each die rolled will inflict a hit on a roll of "4" or greater. Armor and infantry units are constrained to fire at like units. This makes combined arms tactics essential. If you do not send in a proper mix of forces, the opponent will be able to choose to fire at units which improve the chances of inflicting damage. Damage is taken in step losses, indicated by rotating the counter block so that a different unit strength is uppermost. Damage can be distributed among like units by the owning player.

When a battle is initiated, the defender gets to fire first, after which the attacker fires his remaining units. In certain situations, the defender can elect to retreat from a battle, but then enemy units which are as fast or faster than the defenders get to attack with high effectiveness. Also, retreating units are subject to "disruption," making them very easy to damage.

Supply considerations are critical. In addition to the restrictions due to the supply cards, units must be able to trace a supply line or they become disrupted. If units without supplies are involved in a battle, this can be fatal. Frontal attacks tend to be bloody and indecisive, but if supply lines can be cut, the enemy can be completely destroyed. in one game, I managed to pull off Wavell's maneuver in the Italian scenario and completely destroyed the Italian forces by a flanking move that cut their supplies. It is just as essential for both players to protect their supply lines as it was in the actual campaign.

During the buildup phase, players can bring in reinforcements, rebuild lost steps, build minefields, and engage in limited redeployment. They also receive new supply cards. These operations are performed by the expenditure of "buildup points," received randomly at the beginning of the phase (4D6 for both players). These may be spent immediately or accumulated for future use. A photocopiable form of the simple bookkeeping required is provided at the end of the rulesbook.

Several scenarios are provided, covering different campaigns from the British/ Italian battles of 1940 to the entire Western Desert Campaign of Rommel vs. the British. The playing times listed in the rulesbook are realistic, ranging from one to eight hours. Play in the game tends to mirror what happened in the campaign, moving up and down the coast road. Flanking movements are possible and necessary, but difficult to sustain because of supply restrictions. Both players must maintain proper reserves to counter flanking moves and watch their supplies carefully

It is too bad the rules are weak in RITD. it has the potential for being a challenging simulation that is easy to play. However, the players must be willing to read the rules carefully and then work out all the problems beforehand in order to make the game playable.

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© Copyright 1999 by Dana Lombardy.
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