Global 1940 Desert Army

[The Captain]

This rule is part of the Axis & Allies Global 1940 House Rules Expansion.

The Desert Army rule is developed from the concept of a Desert Combat Formation.

Play testing of this new Battle Formation is scheduled to commence Sunday, December 19th, 2021 - initially for use with the Axis & Allies Global 1940 House Rules Expansion.

The number of Play Testing Games is 6.

Multiple players will take part during this play testing, and the Standard Play Testing Method - 1 vs. 1 - face-to-face is used.

Play testing is expected to be completed by mid-January 2022.

Depending on play testing results, the Desert Army will be play tested with the Global 1943 Expansion as well.

Attached to this topic are also a revised D-Day & Desert Army Board as well as new Desert Army Counters - for use with displaying the Desert Army.

1. G40 Desert Army Rules.pdf
2. G40 D-Day Invasion & Desert Army Boards.pdf
3. G40 Desert Army Counters.pdf

[SuperbattleshipYamato]

@the-captain

Awesome! It’s nice that Germany can form an army in Africa in the 1943 game on the first turn. For the new Desert Army and D-Day, board, do you have any plans to fill in that empty space?

[barnee]

@the-captain Right on. Should be interesting. What do you think for an image ? Maybe go desert camo with the Panzer/Tank Generals and have a roundel or flag as well ?

Or maybe just add a generic desert symbol to them ? Yea i think that’s the way to go. Stays consistent with the PGs

[Imperious Leader]

You need a “rat patrol” rule ( long Range Desert Patrol) for the British/US. Basically one Mech unit that can travel in Impassible Sahara , then attack, then retreat as its combat move.

[The Captain]

@barnee

Great idea - your decision - it’ll all look great:+1:

[The Captain]

@imperious-leader

It’s an interesting idea.

Once we have completed play testing, we’ll consider next step.

I’ll bring your idea to the play testers.

[Imperious Leader]

@the-captain You need two 3D printed Jeeps with Machine guns on top, they appear once the US player lands in Africa, they attack at 2, and if they hit, they can retreat back into impassible area ( using their 2nd movement point) without getting fired upon. If they miss, the defender gets fire and if they hit, Rat Patrol is removed from play. They cant be rebuilt.

[General 6 Stars]

Ha ha. So where do you place these rats on map territory ? Desert ? They can cross the whole Sahara in one move ?

I’m assuming US controls them and can come from the desert and hit any territory touching Sahara.

[The Captain]

@imperious-leader

Interesting suggestion,

We’ll look into it when we have completed the Desert Army play testing.

When we design (and play test) new Units, Rules and Battle Formations for use with the Axis & Allies Global 1940 House Rules Expansion, we always take the following into account:

• The scale of which Axis & Allies Global 1940 is played.
• To what extent it reflects World War II History
• Balance of play
• Is it manageable in terms of Production, Combat, Special Tasks, Rules Understanding
• Is it popular among players (is it Useful, Fun & Challenging)
• Keep the OOB game recognizability in spite of the House Rules Expansions

Most players have their favorite Expansion Units, which they usually purchase.

Some Expansion Units are a No Brainer. Others are simply a “must have” if players want to keep the Balance of Play.

Example:
The Soviet Union builds up a massive force on the Eastern Front - backed up by 2 Soviet Tank Armies.

To counter this threat, Germany must reinforce the Eastern Front with at least 2 Armies - either Panzer Armies and/or Waffen-SS Armies.

Concerning miniatures for use with the Axis & Allies Global 1940 House Rules Expansion, we buy the following:

• Tanks & Vehicles: from GHQ Models (made of pewter - super detailed)
• Air Units: from Tumbling Dice (made from pewter - sufficiently detailed)

[Imperious Leader]

@general-5-stars They are starting in the Impassible Sahara, from there they can attack an axis area, and retreat back into Sahara ( provided they hit target or the enemy misses all in the same turn. They don’t exist until USA lands something in North Africa, and once destroyed they cant be rebuilt. They are basically a problem to poorly guarded axis areas. The Long Range Desert Patrol did exist and they did hit and run raids. the Rat Patrol idea is a good way to treat this and give game more fun and player options

[The Captain]

@imperious-leader

Hi IL,

Thanks for your input.

If you have any questions or comments concerning the Desert Army for use with the Axis & Allies Global 1940 House Rules Expansion, please post it on this Desert Army thread.

If you have further suggestions and comments concerning units & rules that are not part of the Desert Army for use with the Axis & Allies Global 1940 House Rules Expansion, we suggest that you create your own thread - and we’ll definitely look into your thread, for inspiration and comments.

In order to avoid confusion with the Desert Army rules, we need to keep this thread separated from comments other than those related to the Desert Army.

[The Captain]

@barnee

The Desert Army was succesfully play tested yesterday.

United Kingdom created their 1st Desert Army in Late 1941 in Egypt.

A UK Tank General was produced in London in Late 1940, shipped to French West Africa in Early 1941 and transported by Strategic Rail Movement to Egypt in Late 1941 in a Rendez Vous with 1 Tank unit and 2 Mechanized Infantry units.

After heavy fighting in Tobruk, Libya & Tunisia the last Italian forces in Africa were eliminated in Early 1943.

In Late 1943 Germany took over Italy and launched a massive surprise attack with Paratrooper units from Rome - and captured Algeria, Tunisia, Libya & Tobruk.

The UK 1st Desert Army was eliminated during this massive German Paratrooper attack.

In Early 1944, 6 German Air Transport units moved from Western Germany to Libya - transporting 1 Panzer General, 3 Tank units and 2 Panzer Grenadier units.

The German 1st Desert Army was formed - supported by the surviving Paratrooper units from Tunisia and Libya.

[SuperbattleshipYamato]

@the-captain

Cool! It’s nice to see Axis win a victory!

[barnee]

@the-captain Nice ! I’ve often thought about sending a TG to Africa and then RR him to India. Last couple games i haven’t concentrated enough Naval units to withstand the Kriegsmarina and Luftwaffe to make it happen.

Having some more trouble with Pacific Islands. If I can’t figure a fix today, I’ll just do the other fixes and add the Engineer and Desert Army. That shouldn’t take too long. I’ve though that before though lol

[barnee]

@the-captain I take it that SS units can’t be part of a Desert Army ? They can only form with an Oberst ?

At least i hope so, otherwise there’s gonna b like 9 different combinations for Germany lol

[SuperbattleshipYamato]

@barnee

It’s just seems hard, give that SS units can’t be transported overseas (which I think is stupid, since SS units were at the very least planned to be transported overseas historically).

[barnee]

@the-captain I know you had a UK Tank General make it to Africa in your test game, but this seems to favor the Germans to me. Unless Germany is going super hard on Russia, I don’t see how UK can get a trprt to Africa against German air and naval.

Seems any trprt would be destroyed in port. You can only build 1 TG for UK too, so it’d take a lot of resources to get them into play for just the one.

Germany can buy Air Trprt rd1, PG rd2 with another AT and a couple rd1 Para builds that move to S Italy rd2 and a Panzer to Africa.

They should be operational defensively by rd 3.

Still seems cool. Just seems a little pro German but … maybe I’m missing something : )

Edit
actually the Paras can’t make S Italy rd2 so unless you really went huge, which would be a bad idea most likely, it’d be turn 4 then

Hmm … PG gotta be produced in Berlin, so he can’t make it either. I guess turn 4, late 41, be the soonest for the Afrika Corps then

[The Captain]

@barnee

Hey barnee,

True - Waffen-SS units cannot be part of the 1st German Desert Army.

Concerning the UK Tank General in our example:

• 3 UK Fighter units were stationed in United Kingdom
• 3 UK Fighter units were stationed in Scotland
• 1 UK Convoy (2 Transport units & 1 Escort unit) plus 2 Escorts were stationed in sz 106.

The German Luftwaffe was busy in the Med. and on the Eastern Front - so the remaining Luftwaffe units in Western Europe did not have enough strentgh to take up the fight against the UK units mentioned above.

The U-Boats of the Kriegsmarine were also not able to reach the UK Convoy.

We’ve played 2 more games since then - only during the second game did the UK player (Keld Rasmussen) send a UK Tank General to Africa - this time through Norway - and then by Strategic Rail Movement through the Soviet Union and the Middle East.

[SuperbattleshipYamato]

@the-captain

That’s a long way to go!

[barnee]

@the-captain sweet ! Through Norway what was the rd/date ? yea utilizing both ABs would definitely help as well as some cheap fodder Escorts.

I’ve been thinking some more on this and I’m uncertain if I should boost everybody’s PG production by 1. UK would be allowed 1 Tank Army and 1 Desert Army so they would need 2 PGs but does that give an unfair advantage ?

You could have 1 Tank Army in play with another PG en route. If you lose the Tank Army, then his potential replacement wouldn’t be starting from UK. Germany could do the same.

I think that’s the way to do it though. Give the Desert Powers an extra build.

How are you guys playing it ?