Afrika, the second game in the Standard Combat Series, presents even the veteran grognard with a rich depth of strategic, operational, and even tactical problems to solve. It is in a unique class of wargames. It forces each player to plan and react to the opponent as well as outside events which players can influence, but not control.

In the Player's Notes section of the Afrika rule book, Dean Essig presents, briefly, the keys to understanding the game system. The purpose of this article will be to expound upon those three brief, concise paragraphs. I will offer examples from the many playtests Mike Haggett and I conducted during the Winter and Spring of 1993. Afrika proudly carries forward the banner of the Standard Combat Series. Much like its older brother, Stalingrad Pocket, it will see considerable action on your gaming table. It is perfect for a gaming diversion when you need a break from pushing hundreds of counters. Although not a short game (the full campaign can last a whole day), 'the few counters and several lulls in the campaign allow for the game to progress rapidly. If you liked Stalingrad Pocket, you will enjoy Afrika, and, like me, will look forward to The Ardennes in 1994.

Marshall Graziani's Pasta Rations or the care and feeding of Axis soldiers

One of the first important lessons an Afrika player must learn is the supply mechanics of the game. You've laid out the map sheet and punched out the at-start units. Before long, the novice Italian player starts licking his chops staring out into the Egyptian frontier at the weak sisters the British empire has placed between his healthy legions and the Nile delta. Visions of glory and the rebirth of the Roman Empire dull the senses. There is only one problem. You have to feed these guys! It is sometimes more difficult than it sounds.

Strategically, supply for the Axis player is a twofold dilemma. First, you have to get it across the Mediterranean Sea. Then, you must ship it, truck it, or throw it from your only true port, Tripoli. That is a long, long way to your rear. You will never quite get enough and never where you need it unless you plan carefully. To play Afrika well, you must plan and solve both sides of the equation. There are obstacles you must overcome with each portion of this process.

In the middle of the Mediterranean rests a small, rocky island named Malta. The British managed to hold it throughout the war. They based various elements of the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force on its rocky shores. Those forces represented a dagger aimed directly at the heart of the Axis supply lifeline from Italy to Tripoli. Kesselring, Rommel's superior, made a deal with "The Desert Fox" during the Gazala battles. After storming Tobruk, Panzerarmee Afrika would mark time on the Egyptian frontier while the Luftwaffe detachment returned to Sicily to assist in an airborne invasion of Malta. Rommel reneged on the deal because chaos gripped the British 8th Army after the wild Gazala battles and the specter of the Pyramids was too large a prize. He argued a quick strike to the Nile was too great an opportunity to pass up. The Luftwaffe units never returned to Sicily, and Malta survived to strangle the Afrika Korps on the vine outside Alamein. Historians have argued that the Axis lost the campaign in North Afrika with this decision.

Afrika allows the Axis commander to balance the needs for tactical air power with the pressing need to neutralize Malta and keep the supply line flowing. The table forces the Axis player to make tough strategic and operational decisions. Do I blast away with a major offensive, mix things up in a running battle, or pause, rest a while, and rebuild my supplies? Without a continued effort to hammer Malta by the Luftwaffe, the supply situation will quickly worsen. With due respect for Murphy's Law, it will do so at the worst possible opportunity for the Axis player. In our first major playtest, there were enormous running battles around Gazala and Mersa Matruh. My Panzerarmee disintegrated before my eyes when a combination of fragile battle-scarred units, perilously low supply arrivals and abysmal coastal shipping rolls ripped me apart. I had Mike on the ropes (or so I thought!) and in an instant, it was over. My remnants were limping back to El Agheila and he was on me like a wet blanket. Aargh!!! The lessons of history are sometimes painful.

The need for aggressive Axis action, the supply mechanics and the Malta Suppression Table all force the Axis player to walk a tightrope between offensive actions and the need to rest so he can continue fighting. The game's inherent replay value and fluid situations offer the gamer many opportunities to experiment with varied courses of action. There is no such thing as a "perfect plan" in Afrika, and even good plans can go awry. A skillful Axis player must be able to improvise when the Gods of War cast their favors elsewhere. Plan ahead where possible, and improvise when needed.

The initial Axis actions in Afrika must lean toward keeping those Italian hordes alive, especially considering the Italian Surrender Rule in effect through February 1941. Every Italian unit the British kill now is one less unit for Rommel to maneuver when the Germans arrive. Always remember that the vast majority of killed Italian units will never make it back. If your Axis Dead Units box has taken on a decidedly greenish hue from all the dead Italians inside, you have problems! If the British player gives you an opportunity to inflict some pain, do SO. However, remember your supply line can easily serve as a noose around your neck by British armored forces sniping at your heels. Try to concentrate your forces for supply efficiency although you must make some exceptions when the British player starts to make threatening moves during the winter. Garrison everything that matters. If you leave Bardia, Tobruk, or Benghazi open for some British armored unit to stroll in uncontested, don't come crying to me. You will have learned an important lesson for Guderian, Afrika, or any other game!

O'Connor's Offensive-The British side of the story

PSST! Hey, you! Can you keep a secret? Do you remember reading Dean saying the Italians can win on Game turn 2? Well. ...(Insert sheepish pause here) ... they can. I was the idiot British player who showed Dean (and Mike!) how to do it. Okay, confession time is over. Yes, I did it. I just told you how not to repeat my folly. Garrison everything, remember? Those two units in Cairo and Alexandia moved up into line. Babini sneaked through and boy did the shit hit the fan! Churchill was not amused. (Besides, I wasted an hour of playtest time. It was a bad day!)

British play in the early turns of Afrika must resemble a central Illinois mosquito. Dance around the Italians head, be a nuisance, and then dive in and get your dinner. Mike is a skillful player. He never let an opportunity to slap an Italian unit around go by the wayside. Form a raiding group, overrun if possible, but make sure that you can get the hell out during your exploitation. Beware of "quicksand defenses" that let you step in but then suck you in and leave you unable to extract yourself during combat. The Italian forces have some punch and if your raiders stick around too long and wear out their welcome, they will fail to come home alive.

Nuisance tactics will get you through the immediate threat in September 1940 and allow you to mass a small but potent offensive force. However, the time will come when you must cut to the chase and toss the Italians out of not only Egypt, but Cyrenaica as wen. Conservative British play now will make life for the Axis that much simpler and you will dance to his time for most of the contest. To survive and win you have to use your resources to their utmost to fling a substantial Italian force out of two fortified minor cities and across an entire mapsheet. If Rommel arrives in Libya to find the Italians have managed to hold onto Tobruk, life is just grand for the Axis. Just as Rommel found out in 1941, you cannot operate very far with Tobruk occupied in your rear by hostile forces.

Your major weapons must be speed and panic-your speed and his panic! Do not think of taking the ltalian head-on. He has many units, lots of steps and two fortified minor cities to fall back on. He will bleed you white then turn and thank you for playing right into his hands. You must rum the Italian position inside out, force him to run and then bag him against a choke point that he cannot crack. Remember that the Italian Surrender Rule can turn a fortified Italian line into a column of prisoners streaming east along the coast road in a single turn. The most promising choke point on the frontier is Halfaya Pass. A small multiple-step force occupying that pass with a single supply point trucked in to last the rum will, 99.9% of the time, turn any Italian force in Egypt into a desperate mass of future POW's. Another choke point is Gazala at the gate of Cyrenaica. Use the coastal escarpment to grab the coast road in force and watch the Italians scream bloody murder trying to escape the bag. Crack the minor garrisons left behind in Tobruk and Bardia along with whatever supply points the Italian got to the front in excess of routine subsistence. Then start setting up some defenses for that Rommel chap you know is coming in just a few moments.

The Duel in the Desert: Afrika style

The middle game is usually an ebb and flow affair with each side punching and counter-punching, turning lines with end-around movements or punching through an overextended line and trying to bag the ends of the line. These comments apply to both sides equally and should be on some use to new players.

For the Axis player, those large four-step British armor brigades can be a major menace. If possible, try to knock the shine off these brigades with a step loss or two. The majority of British offensive power is in these units. The first step loss takes quite a bit of stuffing out of them. If you can keep these units below full strength, it allows your offensive actions a little more latitude.

The British player should take advantage of his relative wealth of supply by building boxes to strengthen the defensive lines he will need to draw across the North African desert during play. With the exception of the Alamein line, do not bet the house payment on any defensive line you construct. It can and most certainly will be turned. However, a box here and there will make the German pause and consider before embarking on the typical overrun, assault, 'knock your brains in' offensive that will send you streaming back to your next defensive line.

The Afrika Korps packs a lot of punch but cannot take endless punishment. Keep your divisions intact to take advantage of divisional integrity and combined arms bonuses. When step losses start hitting the Panzer regiment, think twice about shutting things down. Axis replacements are not plentiful and it may take quite a while to piece you units back together a step at a time. You can bet the British player will not sit back and wait patiently for you to finish your regrouping in peace.

With a proper understanding of the supply system, Afrika will provide many hours of gaming pleasure for all. It is a challenging game that remains fun to play. I am sure you will enjoy setting it up and giving it a play. Let us hear from you!

Conclusion

Veteran readers of Operations have no doubt read many tales of the playtesting rites and rituals that have elevated the tiny hamlet of Homer, Illinois to prominence in the Wargaming world. Words and phrases like burrito run, change of the week club, and But Dean! are now firmly planted in the vocabularies of many a weekend warrior whose pilgrimage has taken a providential turn through the quiet streets of Homer.

Since I joined the ranks of the Gamers' weekly playtest group, my Thursday nights have never been the same. I have been fortunate to have helped in the "birthing process" for Afrika, Austerlitz, and Thunder at the Crossroads II and look forward to many new games in the playtest pipeline. It's a great experience. We need more playtesters! Mars needs women!! Homer needs Gamers!! If anyone in the Indianapolis area would like to help, let Dean or me know. I would enjoy the company on the two hour drive. Those of you within driving distance of Homer, give Dean a call and help make a great game company even greater!