Desert Blitzkrieg: Rommel’s North African Campaign

Desert Blitzkrieg is a two-player game covering the North African desert from April 1941 to December 1942. Units are regimental level and Divisional Integrity is key to maximizing the density of your forces on the map covering eastern Libya and western Egypt from Aghelia to El Alamein. The game is of low-moderate complexity and features a ‘Point-to-Point’ system while introducing a number of unique features.

“Losing Tobruk was one of the heaviest blows I can recall during the war.” — Winston Churchill

Movement is along three different road types. Limited Port movement is possible. Supply Unit availability is critical for Battles as supply units must be expended to conduct a Battle.

Simple but involving combat. Battles use a ‘Battle Board’ with a ‘Front Line’ and ‘Second Line’ where positional tactics to maximize Combat Values are key. Battles can be a ‘game within a game’ and go for many rounds or be over quickly depending upon the player’s decisions. Unit types reflect different capabilities on the ‘Battle Board’ and the main map.

A deck of event cards is provided to introduce a limited set of ‘random events’ that will force players to deal with the uncertainty of combat.

While gameplay is relatively easy, players will be confronted with many decisions in a given game turn, with many different outcomes building play tension while delivering great replay value.

• HQs must decide whether to enhance Supply, Movement or Combat each turn.
• Use of one or two ‘Long Range Desert Force’s (specially marked Recon units).
• The player must decide when a limited Card draw is to be made (there are only 6 per game, base).
• Supply Units must be used for supply line extension and expended for Combat, so decisions about usage are key.
• What boxes to build a limited number of Fortifications?
• How to use the limited air support; Combat Attack, Defense, or Interdiction.
• “Battle Board” management. Deciding where to place units to maximize Combat Value.Desert Blitzkrieg can be played in three different ways:
  1. Full game, as originally designed, starting in April 1941 with Rommel’s arrival. This game, if played to conclusion, will take 12+ hours.
  2. Gazala, May 1942. This scenario simulates the Gazala Battle and goes for 5 Turns. It uses all units available and has some interesting features that the Main Game does not around Fortified Boxes and the tenacity of the Free French. Two experienced players can play this in about 4 hours. Longer if learning using this scenario.
  3. O’Connor’s Offensive. This is a ‘training’ scenario and uses mostly unique units created just for this purpose that do not get used in the Main Game. It was designed to be a solitaire introduction to the rules and play mechanics. It is not suited for two players as the situation is very one-sided. Its ‘3 ½’ Turns start with the Allied Turn in December 1940 and end after the Allied Turn March 1941. It is an interesting puzzle to solve if the Victory Conditions for the Allies are to be achieved.

Product Information:

• Complexity: 4 out of 10 (Low/Moderate)
• Playing time: 2.5 hours for short game, 10+ hours for full campaign
• Solitaire Suitability: MEDIUM
• Players: Two (suitable for solitaire play)
• Map Scale: Abstract (point to point)
• Time Scale: Monthly turns
• Unit Scale: Regimental equivalents with Divisional Integrity
• Game Design: Michael Vitale
• Game Artist: Bruce Yearian

Game Components:

• One 22×34 inch MOUNTED map
• Two 5/8 inch counter sheets
• One 8.5 x 11 inch Battle Board
• Deck of 25 cards
• Four Player Aid cards
• One Rules Booklet with examples of play
• Three 10 sided dice
• Box and Lid set