Set up: quick
Game time: quick
Solo play: very suitable
Historical Background:
On the 1st of December 1941, 15. Panzer Division continued its attack on Belhamed in order to destroy the 2nd NZ Infantry Division. NZ soldiers withdrew to Zaafran after the loss of Belhamed. 5th RTR joined the remnants of the NZ division but went back without rescuing them. After desperate fighting, remnants of the 4th NZ Brigade under the command of General Freyberg could exit the Belhamed-Zaafran pocket under cover of darkness.
Briefing:
Axis 5, move first. Allies 5 cards. For all Allied units, Exit marker
Conditions of Victory:
6 Medals.
Special Rules:
BCF Command rules (Nations 5).
Heavy Anti-Tank Guns rules (Troops 23) to the Axis artillery battery with 88 badge.
North African Desert rules (Actions 9).
Inverted Night Attacks rules, from the daylight to the night, beginning at the top of the visibility sheet (Actions 19).
Scenario link
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Set up time 10 minutes, playing time 30 minutes.
Another quick and easy game – very little terrain and (as you can see in my photos) you really don’t need the desert board and any expansion packs.
This one is a bit different in that it has inverted Night Attack rules – i.e., it gets progressively darker as the game goes on and within 3 to 5 moves you are in night mode.
The difficult thing for the Allies to decide here is whether to stand and fight, or try to get as many units as possible to the Exit point. This is especially true of the armour – support the flank or get out quickly? The latter risks leaving the rest of the Allies open to attack from 3 Axis armour units.
This exciting game progressed very rapidly, with both sides making early medals, but then night fell rapidly (two consecutive throws of 2 stars) and the whole dynamic changed. Suddenly the Germans were too far away to attack and, having lost all of their tanks, they struggled to get at the Allies. Those units which did make it were picked off, and the final medal was an easy march to the Exit marker with no Axis units able to intervene.
My New Zealanders are not ready yet, so I took the chance to show off my new LRDG figures! The Germans are the extra figures from the excellent Italeri German Motorcycles set.
Start:
Finish: Axis artillery never managed to really get involved…
…and they have no units anywhere near the Allies as they head to the Exit!
Night Attack rules meant that the German 88s were ineffective, but this Allied tank unit had a bit of a shock when it got close enough to attack and then threw these dice!
Question regarding Night Attack rules
What happens with the Air Power card at night? The Axis drew it, but I discarded it as I assumed a night attack from the air would be impossible. Does anyone know the rules about this?
