The following are ideas for the SCS Afrika game. Most of these options and variants, will incorporate easily with little effect on playability. They will effect play balance and thus can serve to handicap one player or the other, or simply to explore historical alternatives.

Mechanized Delaying Actions

In my games of Afrika, I always hated to see my lone recon units get overrun by lumbering attacks of Italian infantry without being able to do something about it. To overcome this 1, at first, considered a standard retreat hex before combat rule similar to that proposed in Operations 8 for the OCS game Guderian's Blitzkrieg. This would have required clumsy rules for overrunning units pushing back units along their path of advance, etc. Players can still try this approach but I chose another way to reflect retreat before combat and delaying actions of light mechanized units.

Simply allow mechanized units (those units marked exploit capable) attacked exclusively by non-mechanized units (e.g. non-motorized infantry) during overrun combat or the combat phase to convert CRT Step-loss results to retreat results. Do this on a one step = one hex to be retreated basis. Normal retreat priority rules apply. Defending mechanized units may do this even if stacked with non-mechanized units. However, it is self-defeating, since non-retreating units left in the lurch would have to absorb any step losses. Notice this will not do the defending units much good if they are surrounded because they will take some loss anyway during a retreat.

This is a simple rule that allows players to simulate those delaying actions and screening forces mentioned in desert warfare lore. It places additional emphasis on combined arms attacks since including armored or mechanized units in an attacking force will prevent this sort of retreat (presumably by maneuvefing to pin the enemy in place). Also, it gives lone recon units a chance to survive.

Those players who do not mind the additional complication might consider the following variations of this rule.

Allow any Armored Reconnaissance units, the LRDG unit and the German Motorcycle unit to perform this sort of retreat regardless of the composition of the attacking stack.

Any one Armor or Tank unit in a stack that performs this kind of retreat must absorb at least one step-loss before retreating if the attacking stack contains an anti-tank unit.

British Naval Bombardment

When not dodging the Luftwaffe, the Regis Aeoronautica, U-Boats and Italian Frogmen, the Royal Navy did a fair job of controlling the Mediterranean. During the 1940 British offensive into Cyrenaica, Royal Navy warships served to bombard Italian coastal positions.

During turns 1-7 (inclusive) allow the Allied player the use of one naval bombardment point each turn. Treat this the same as an Allied air point (column shift or 5 barrage points) except that you can only use the naval bombardment point offensively against coastal hexes and not defensively to negate Axis Air points. During the Axis Initialization phase the Axis player may allocate one air point to negate or suppress the British fleet.

Rommel Not Invincible

Several times during the desert war Rommel and his Storch (or Mammoth) came close to falling into British hands. This variant assumes he is not invincible and subject to luck. During the game if an Allied unit or stack ever enters the same hex as the Rommel counter (as a result of combat that eliminates all present Axis combat units) or if during movement the Rommel counter ever moves through Allied units or EZOCs (e.g. into or out of an encircled hex) roll two dice. On a roll of 2 or 3 consider the Rommel counter captured or killed and remove it from play. Otherwise consider it no result and displace according to normal rules.

No Rommel

This variant simply supposes that the German High Command chose another less inspired general to command the expeditionary force sent to Africa. The Rommel counter does not enter play and is removed from the game.

No Greek Campaign

This assumes there was no German invasion of Greece in 1941 or noticeable threat and thus a lesser British commitment there. At first, the Greeks did not want British troops in Greece fearing this would provoke a German reaction.

In the "Starting with the Italian Offensive" Scenario:

Allow the Allied player to ignore anyone "Big Withdrawal Roll" (if any) that occurs during turns 3-8 (inclusive). This does not effect the "Big" withdrawal limit of two or any other withdrawals (presumably other theaters besides Greece) that may occur. After turn eight the Allied player is still subject to "Big" withdrawals within the game limit of two.

In the "Starting With Rommel" Scenario:

Assume only one "Big" Withdrawal roll has occurred. At the start, the Allied player [nay take any one armor brigade and three infantry brigades from the At Start Dead Pile. They start the scenario in Alexandria, each with one step loss (optionally start them at full strength). The Allied player is still subject to the remaining "Big" withdrawal roll after turn 8.

Operation Hercules (Operation C3)

This was the Axis plan to seize Malta by combined amphibious and parachute/air assault during the summer of 1942 in conjunction with Rommel's capture of Tobruk. In this variant the Axis player may attempt this using the following game rules.

1. The Malta garrison consists off our infantry brigades: ( I st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th)Malta Garrison. These are represented by four non-motorized infantry units of 2 steps each with the following strength: 4-5-8 (front)/2-3-8 (back).

2. On turn 17 (January 1942) the Axis player decides if he will go ahead with Operation Hercules preparations. If so, he withholds the San Marco Marine, Folgore Parachute, Lehr Parachute, and Ramke Parachute units from the Axis Order of Arrival. These units have been earmarked to participate in the upcoming operation.

3. You may launch Operation Hercules on Turns 21-24 inclusive if the Axis has occupied Tobruk. (This was one prerequisite Field Marshal Kesselring mentions, optionally players may wish to drop this requirement.)

4. On the turn of resolution all Axis Air points, all Axis Coastal Shipping, and half of any incoming supplies are considered diverted for Operation Hercules and not available that turn. Consider Malta fully suppressed that turn by four air points when rolling on the Axis Supply Arrival Chart.

5. Resolve Operation Hercules during the Axis Initialization Phase using the "Operation Hercules" and "Malta Evacuation" Tables below using one (lie,

Operation Hercules Table

Die Roll: 1, Result: Malta falls, garrison captured, no Allied evacuation roll. Remove Malta Garrison units from play. Place earmarked Axis units in dead pile (heavy casualties).

Die Roll: 2-4, Result: Malta falls, roll on Malta Evacuation Table. Place earmarked Axis units in dead pile.

Die Roll: 5, Result: Aborted, Malta holds. Earmarked units become available next turn or per arrival schedule.

Die Roll: 6, Result: Disaster, Malta holds. Earmarked units are destroyed, removed from play (not available for dead pile).

Malta Evacuation Table

Die Roll: 1, Result: Garrison surrender.%, remove all four units from play (not available for dead pile).

Die Roll: 2-4, Result: Cadre evacuated, place all four units in dead pile.

Die Roll: 5, Result: Partial evacuation, place 2 units in Alexandria, less one step each. Place other two in dead pile.

Die Roll: 6, Result Successful evacuation, place 4 units in Alexandria.

6. If Malta falls, on all succeeding turns apply the following:

a) The Axis player may automatically add the +4 Malta suppression modifier to all rolls on the axis supply table. No axis air points need be allocated to Malta suppression.

b) Subject to port capacity the Axis player may directly land supply points at any axis held port (optionally limit this to Tobruk and Benghazi only, if Axis held).

c) The Axis player may add 1 to the variable reinforcement table die rolls (more replacements are getting through).

Malta Occupied Early

This variant assumes that early in the war Malta was captured or the British evacuated it for whatever reason. The Allied player receives the four Malta Garrison units (full strength) in Alexandria at the start of any major scenario. The Axis receives all the benefits in (6) above from the start.