[Chris Milne]

Just coming to an end of this scenario, the last in the Desert Rats pack originally published by Panzer Press.

It's one of those two phase scenarios (like Trapped!). The New Zealand Division is advancing at El Alamein, supported by the 9th Armoured Brigade. In the first phase, Rommel has set up an anti-tank screen to block their advance...

The objectives of the first phase are pretty simple. The Commonwealth player has eight turns to move his forces a single board length (the playing area is two boards wide, with a few sand dune overlays). Those that exit the western edge get to take part in the second phase. The 9th Armoured Brigade tanks (a mixture of Valentines, Shermans, and Grants) enter on turns 3 and 5, while the infantry all enters on turn 1. The German has to stop as many as possible. Simple, huh?

Well, I'm glad my pbem opponent is a patient man. I love the desert, but, to be frank, this was boring. Moderate dust is in effect, and this means the obvious tactic for the Commonwealth is to keep those tanks in motion, using smoke where possible to keep those TH modifiers as high as possible. The obvious German tactic is to park his three AT guns on the western edge and plug away.

There's little incentive for the Commonwealth tanks to stop and fight back. The Valentines fire AP only, and with the dust making those guns a tough target, why bother giving the Germans a better chance to hit you? Those AT guns are almost certainly going to be smack in the middle of the playing area, so remember the Light Brigade and sweep past on either side.

Which is precisely what I did, losing 3 out of 14 tanks (one to Sand Bog). Of course, my opponent's poor luck helped - he never seemed to combine a good TH roll with a good dust roll and a reasonable TK roll, and then his guns started breaking. My infantry didn't fare so well, but since the only opposition in phase 2 consists of tanks, it's the armoured force that's key.

Having said all that, phase 2 does look more interesting. The surviving Commonwealth force, entering once more in the east, must exit 25 DVP from the west edge, fending off German forces entering from the north and south. More manoeuver, and no easy way through. Dust decreases to light, just to make it more difficult.

My question: why bother with phase 1 at all?
My suggestion: determine a Commonwealth force that provides a good balance for phase 2, and start there.