Panzer Armee Afrika (board game)
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''PanzerArmee Afrika'', subtitled "Rommel in the Desert, April 1941 - November 1942", is a
board wargame A board wargame is a wargame with a set playing surface or board, as opposed to being played on a computer or in a more free-form playing area as in miniatures games. The modern, commercial wargaming hobby (as distinct from military exercises, o ...
published by Simulations Publications, Inc. (SPI) in 1973 that simulates the World War II North African Campaign that pitted the Axis forces commanded by
Erwin Rommel Johannes Erwin Eugen Rommel () (15 November 1891 – 14 October 1944) was a German field marshal during World War II. Popularly known as the Desert Fox (, ), he served in the ''Wehrmacht'' (armed forces) of Nazi Germany, as well as servi ...
against Allied forces. The game was revised and republished in 1984 by
Avalon Hill Avalon Hill Games Inc. is a game company that publishes wargames and strategic board games. It has also published miniature wargaming rules, role-playing games and sports simulations. It is a subsidiary of Hasbro, and operates under the company' ...
.


Description

In February 1941, Erwin Rommel was ordered to stabilize the situation in North Africa after British troops routed the Italian army. This game simulates Rommel's campaign from April 1941 until his defeat at the
Battle of El Alamein There were two battles of El Alamein in World War II, both fought in 1942. The Battles occurred in North Africa, in Egypt, in and around an area named after a railway stop called El Alamein. * First Battle of El Alamein: 1–27 July 1942 * Secon ...
in November 1942.


Components

The magazine pull-out edition had the following components: *One 22 x 34" paper
hex grid A hex map, hex board, or hex grid is a game board design commonly used in wargames of all scales. The map is subdivided into a hexagonal tiling, small regular hexagons of identical size. Advantages and disadvantages The primary advantage of a h ...
map, scaled at 12 mi (19 km) per hex *200 die-cut counters *12-page rules booklet SPI also published the game in a "flat-pack" box with integral counter tray and clear plastic lid. In the Avalon Hill
boxed set A box set or (its original name) boxed set is a set of items (for example, a compilation of books, musical recordings, films or television programs) traditionally packaged in a box and offered for sale as a single unit. Music Artists and bands ...
, the map was mounted, and a 6-sided die was included.


Gameplay

Each turn, which represents a month of game time, is divided into 4 phases for the Allied player, and then the same phases for the Axis player: #Supply Determination Phase #Movement Phase #Combat Phase #Replacements and Reinforcement Phase


New rules

This game used several unusual rules: * If a unit survives an attack, it can counterattack at double strength. * Supply units, which must be set up in a chain, do not move themselves, and can be captured by enemy units. * Units have 50–60 Movement Points, considered a very large number in comparison to other wargames


Publication history

''PanzerArmee Afrika'' was designed by
Jim Dunnigan James F. Dunnigan (born 8 August 1943) is an author, military-political analyst, Defense and State Department consultant, and Wargaming, wargame designer currently living in New York City. Career Dunnigan was born in Rockland County, New York. A ...
, with the system design and graphics by
Redmond A. Simonsen Redmond Aksel Simonsen (June 18, 1942 – March 9, 2005) was an American graphic artist and game designer best known for his work at the board wargame company Simulations Publications, Inc. (SPI) in the 1970s and early 1980s. Simonsen was consi ...
and game development by Irad Hardy and Hank Zucker. It was first published by SPI in ''
Strategy & Tactics ''Strategy & Tactics'' (''S&T'') is a wargaming magazine now published by Decision Games, notable for publishing a complete new wargame in each issue. Beginnings ''Strategy & Tactics'' was first published in January 1967 under its original edit ...
'' #40, and also in a "flat-pack" box. After SPI was taken over by TSR in 1982, TSR sold off some of SPI's games to Avalon Hill, including '' Panzergruppe Guderian'' and ''PanzerArmee Afrika''. Avalon Hill printed a revised edition of ''PanzerArmee Afrika'' in 1984 in a "bookcase" box.


Reception

In his 1977 book ''
The Comprehensive Guide to Board Wargaming ''The Comprehensive Guide to Board Wargaming'' is a 1977 book by Nicholas Palmer about the hobby of board wargaming. Contents ''The Comprehensive Guide to Board Wargaming'' is a 223-page book about the hobby of wargaming for non-gamers and game ...
'', Nicholas Palmer called it an "enduringly popular operational-level game." He noted the "lightning movement emphasized with movement factors up to sixty." Palmer also highlighted the "controversial Command Control system ..realistic and extremely irritating for the player affected!" He concluded, "Moderate complexity, good choice of strategic and tactical options, rather realistic." In a post-publication discussion in '' Moves'' #17, SPI R&D staff agreed that if both players were aggressive, gameplay would favour the Allied player; but if the Axis player was content to simply occupy Tobruk and defend it, the result was almost guaranteed to be an Axis marginal victory. In '' The General'', Bob Medrow felt that the revised Avalon Hill edition took away the "reasonably careful and conservative" play option that had guaranteed a German victory in the older SPI edition. He concluded that the new rules made a good game even better, saying, "For years, he SPI edition of''PanzerArmee Afrika'' was a favorite among garners looking for a fast-moving, exciting challenge. ..The Avalon Hill Game Company is to be congratulated on keeping this game on the market — and even improving it." In Volume 25, Issue 6 of ''The General'', Martin Shaw made an in-depth analysis of the strategies and tactics of this game and warned players the game was never over until the final skirmish, pointing out, "In this game of desert warfare you should never give up, as it is very easy for you to leave a seeming gap in your lines so your opponent can fatally overextend himself as he rushes through that gap." Shaw concluded, "Victory in ''PanzerArmee Afrika'' will usually go to the bold, but rarely to the reckless. And that, in conclusion, sums up this intriguing, challenging game best of all." In ''The Guide to Simulations/Games for Education and Training'', Martin Campion commented, "For a short game, ''PanzerArmee Afrika'' gives the feel of the North African campaign well. The supply rule is abstract and difficult to remember, but the rest of the game moves smoothly." Campion concluded, "The game shows many of the factors that were important in the campaign, but it does not show that Axis supply was erratic, a fact which continually influenced Rommel's plans to attack."


Other reviews

*''
Fire & Movement ''Fire & Movement: The Forum of Conflict Simulation'' was a magazine devoted to wargames, both traditional board wargames and computer wargames. It was founded by Rodger MacGowan in 1975, and began publication the following year. In February 1982 ...
'' #10 and #60 *''Europa'' #6-8 *''Simulacrum'' #19 *''Pursue & Destroy'' #17 *''Wargame News'' #17


References


External links

* {{Avalon Hill Avalon Hill games Board games introduced in 1973 Jim Dunnigan games Simulations Publications games Wargames introduced in 1973 World War II board wargames