Matt Hyra

Matt Hyra · Jun 29, 2023, 8:56 PM

Hello! I’m A&A: North Africa Lead Game Designer Matt Hyra … a WWII and A&A buff for nearly 40 years. I’ve been working alongside Larry Harris since early March to bring this game to life after it won Renegade’s “You Pick the Battle” contest.

We are ready to invite experienced A&A players who are at least 21 years of age to join the playtest. We are looking for active testers, not preview-seekers. Previews will happen months before the release.

Our playtesting uses the Screentop online game platform, similar to Tabletop Simulator. This platform is free to use (for you - we pay to host our games there). You’ll need to have a microphone and laptop/desktop computer to play.

Click on this link to read more and to join us: Renegade Playtesters

A link there will send you to our Playtest Discord channel where you’ll need to make a free account (if you don’t already have one) and sign an NDA. With that done you’ll soon be able to see the games we have available to playtest and the newest at the bottom is North Africa. Add your name to the list and we’ll send you an application. Real names are required.
You don’t need to remember all this. The links will walk you through it.

Once accepted, there will be new rules to read and debates to join on our private Discord channel. Make your mark on the game by signing up early and playing your first warm-up game very soon!

Thanks,
Matt

Matt Hyra · Feb 6, 2025, 1:49 AM

@COJOH

Hi there. Glad you like the game!

No, they don’t conquer it with a Noncombat Move. Units may only attack/enter controlled territories in A&A during a Combat Move. For example, if other units capture the territory, or you attacked it just to destroy some supplies, you can then move in if it isn’t enemy controlled.

2 & 3. Yes, in the name of sportsmanship. Odd, that never happened in playtesting.

Any landmines you cannot deploy go back into the general supply.
It could. Even the best minefield can be breached over 2 attacks. Get into position to deliver a 1-2 punch before they can buy even 1 more in between your turns. Yes, they likely won’t trigger all of them on the first attack, but they probably will trigger the rest on the 2nd attack. Then they might have 1 mine during the next attack you make. And you still have plenty of units, as many were turned back by landmines.
No. Page 12 says otherwise, but perhaps not strongly enough. We further clarified this in the pg 12 rules posted online, adding to the rules on Atlantic and Indian convoy advancement: “These units may not move again in any other phase of the same turn.” So they cannot fly off to Cairo. They must go to the Indian and then the Suez. The air units shipped to Cairo were crated for compact storage.
They are separate limits. So yes, you can have 3 units and 3 supply, tho the supply will instantly drop to 2. You’ll only ever have 3 there at the start of a game or if you unwisely choose not to spend 1 supply for the 15 RPs. Malta is always hungry.
There is no switch. In fact, the entire main force can call off their attack after the first round of combat, and then you may proceed with only the flanking attack, with rerolls. We call this a feint.

Good questions!

Matt Hyra · Mar 3, 2025, 5:24 PM

@mikawagunichi said in Spending supply to defend:

Another rule clarification please:

If an attacker attacks a territory with ONLY scout cars and/or planes, is the defender still required to retreat if they do not spend supply (or have no supply available) to defend?

Yes, they must still retreat. The good news is that they don’t lose control of the territory, if it’s controllable.

~Matt

Matt Hyra · Jan 13, 2025, 4:51 PM

@FranceNeedsMorePower Just infantry and artillery for the Minor Axis.

Matt Hyra · Sep 21, 2023, 7:15 AM

@The-Captain
I’m not really authorized to give actual previews, but I can tell you that playtesting has been underway for over 3 months, and continues to this day. This week alone has seen 4 games played.

There are several new rules/mechanisms to cover certain aspects of the theater.

That’s about all I can say. Rest assured that the marketing team with blitz you with info when the time is right.

Matt Hyra · Nov 6, 2024, 9:36 PM

All correct!
Thanks,
Matt Hyra

Matt Hyra · Nov 6, 2024, 11:09 PM

@Witt All good. Thanks for jumping in with excellent rules knowledge, as it took me a couple of days to see the question. And thanks for the kind words!

Matt Hyra · Jan 30, 2025, 3:03 PM

@Cornwallis The UK will struggle to keep Malta supplied, as they did historically. But once you get the UK Navy into the Malta convoy zone, it will be easier. Then just deploy 1-3 supplies and a couple of fighters straight to the Malta convoy zone when you need to resupply the island and that should hold off the Axis.

The UK choice early on is typically supply Malta or attack the Tripoli convoy zone.

Remember that each Axis power only gets 1 round to take out your supplies. If they don’t get through your escorts in that first round, your supply escapes the combat.

If the Axis uses Stukas to target your supplies at sea, that makes it harder, but they still only have a 50% chance of hitting in that first round. And if it’s a large attack, they typically target sea units.

Another method you can try is to send 5 supply to Gibraltar, then break it up. Then, during each subsequent round, send just 1 of those supplies to the Malta convoy zone. Is the Axis going to send air units to attack just 1 supply, especially with only a 40-50% chance of destroying it in that first round before it escapes? They probably have better targets.

Matt Hyra · Mar 3, 2025, 4:52 PM

@Stucifer The attacker chooses the order of attacks. The defender pays for their defense only when that particular attack is commencing. Not all at once like the attackers do.

Indeed, a good UK plan. A good Axis plan would be to have a couple of reserve supply in El Agheila.

~Matt

Matt Hyra · Mar 3, 2025, 7:53 PM

@Daaras Practice games are a great way to get the next one right!

~Matt

Matt Hyra

@COJOH
Yes, that is correct. Think of the old cargo as at the mouth of the port. Not so easy to mine that area.

Matt Hyra

@COJOH

Just for the first round of combat.
It bypasses the fighter and can just attack the island.
They cannot retreat into a territory where ground combat has or will take place that turn. They can still retreat into a territory that is only under air attack. See graphic example in rulebook.
Same restriction, and they too may only retreat to an adjacent territory.
The flanking effect is not removed under either circumstance. It always remains.
No, may only be detonated against newly-arriving units.

Thanks for the questions!

Matt Hyra

@OlivieroRuggieri

The German AT Gun can fire AAA pre-combat, and then ALSO fire as a defender with Targeted Fire - Tanks in the first round of combat. If there are attacking tanks and it hits, the German player can declare a tank as a casualty, and then the Allies must choose and destroy any 1 tank amongst their attacking units.
After the first round of combat, they lose their “Targeted” ability.

Matt Hyra

@OlivieroRuggieri

I appreciate the compliment!
If the Axis doesn’t have a sizable 1-2 punch (Italy, then Germany before the UK can land reinforcements), then it might not be worth attacking Cairo.
I’ll leave the real strategy advice to others.

Matt Hyra

@COJOH A second game already. Many are jealous…

No, as a retreat in North Africa means you stay in the territory from which you attacked. You don’t move in and then retreat out. The Scout Car can still use Long-Range Patrol to move during Noncombat, tho.
Yes, nothing prohibits them from driving through the same territory twice. And yes, they can pick up along the way.
Page 19 the blue box “Flanking Attacks” says: “The units attacking from the territory that contains the highest number of attacking land units is considered to be the main attack (in the case of a tie, you choose the territory from among those tied).”
That means you can have a main attack of 5 units and a flanking attack of 5 units.
Yes, you can always consciously leave potential attackers behind to make one territory flanking, or to spend fewer supply to attack, or just because you feel like it. Units with Move 2 help, as you can move them into attack position, and then check for flanking.
If there are no units in Tunis, it’s possible, but still a 1 in a million chance. Just there to stop a total domination from continuing.
Two units (up to 5 supply also counts as a unit) escapes the combat at the end of each round of the convoy combat. So if your convoy is 2 units escorted by 1 fighter, the attackers need to score 2 hits in the first round of combat to wipe out all 3 units. If only 1 hit is scored in that first round of combat, the combat defenders must be taken as casualties first, and then the 2 land units would escape at the end of the first round of combat. The combat would then be over.
Page 30 under Artillery “Supports Infantry and Mechanized Infantry” says: “paired units need not necessarily be attacking from the same territory.”

Thanks for the questions. You’re getting the hang of it!

Matt Hyra · Mar 20, 2025, 4:22 PM

@OlivieroRuggieri

That’s a good idea.

Matt Hyra · Mar 19, 2025, 6:40 PM

@OlivieroRuggieri

Thanks for the map! Hansolo88 is right. Scout cars alone cannot capture RP territories.

A few comments on your map situation:
The UK scout cars should be picking off Axis supply (solo attacks). They have none inbound and won’t have enough to capture Cairo if 4 of it is destroyed. Supply Raider will destroy 1, and then the Axis will likely use 1 to defend. That’s 4 supply lost minimum. If the UK is lucky, could be 6. If they are even luckier, could destroy the Stuka which is illegally parked in Mersa Brega. Remember, air units can only land in territories with a friendly control marker.
Sea Mines in 11 and 16 do little. Convoy zones are where they are most effective.
In the early game, don’t send Bombers to Malta. Fighters are much better at protecting the supplies on land and incoming supplies.
Supply cannot be deployed to Sicily, as that is not a staging area. Move it to Italy. Page 25: “…may also deploy AAA, air, and German AT guns directly to Sicily, Sardinia, and Crete…”
As soon as the UK fleet gets into the Malta convoy, Malta is easily resupplied. Then they can attack the Axis convoys.
No reason to leave supply in Mersa Matruh. MM can draw supply from Cairo.
Add 1 mine to the Cairo/MM border each round and the UK should hold.

Matt Hyra · Mar 4, 2025, 3:52 PM

@Herr_B

Correct.
Yes. Detonating mines happens prior to the decision on whether or not to stay and fight.
Blitzing is always a unit’s first move into an adjacent territory, and does not require supply. As for Tripoli, page 18 says: “Attacking a hostile territory that does not contain enemy combat units still requires an attack declaration, but as no actual combat will occur, you don’t spend any supply tokens (instead, take the attack arrow from the general supply pool).”

Thanks,
Matt

Matt Hyra · Mar 3, 2025, 7:53 PM

@Daaras Practice games are a great way to get the next one right!

~Matt

Matt Hyra · Mar 3, 2025, 5:38 PM

@cmmiles said in Unit Movement After Advance Convoys?:

Can land units move after unloading from convoy transports in phase 1? This would be either combat or non combat movement. E.g., in phase 1 a truck comes off a convoy in Tripoli and later in phase 5, can move east with troops and supplies.

PG is right. Page 12 of the rules says: “Movement out of a convoy sea zone in this phase doesn’t count against these arriving units’ movement allowance, so they may move and fight normally in the remainder of your turn.”

Thanks,
Matt

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