We decided to give the Compass Starting point campaign a run for its money. The SCS title from Multiman Publishing – North Africa is vast in scope, but simple in execution.

It also however has layers to its activation system that I hope the following posts will bear out which drive some serious decision making, and ability to outfox [see what I did there] the enemy and drive a bit of a decision loop crisis.

The 7th Armoured forces are well arrayed to launch an offensive against the entrenched and tentative Italian army. Who have found the limit of their supply lines to be Sidi Barrani. The Commonwealth open up with an air surge random event and move to quickly DG larger units and attack points that will isolate the Italians or force a poor choice. We can hope right!

We select a full activation of course. Air and arty DG a lot of the enemy, but not the Miletti stack.

We knock off a few units and use advance after combat to free up exploit units from ZOCs so they can encircle. Gotts forces take a step loss on a 2 result attacking towards Sidi. Boo.

We then use exploit to close the loop on supply reach for the Italians based on where their units currently are.

 

The Ities use no supply to execute a react and pull back on Sidi. An odd choice but I’ll roll with it. I think with one or two more activations we want to pass and close out the turn to force supply /isolation rolls at turn end. It is critical for the C’wealth to knock out as much as possible with what we have so that when the Rommel steam train comes to town we are no pounded to dust in a few turns.

We pull another full activation. 1 supply unit near Sidi and one near Connor and co are spent.

We attack into the units at Sollum and clear them out. This will allow follow on units to exploit. D1R2.

We attack West, and then use exploit to knock the DG units from Sollum into the eliminated pile via overrun.

While we are deep in the rear of the Italians the question remains what will the Axis do for their next activation?

Full/Limited or React?

Campbell and O’Connor are relatively well protect from the meagre assault capabilities current within reach. But there are things the Italians could do in a series of activations that might cause some grief, especially as I now review the images and look at what I might try on as the Axis player 🙂 !!

I love how this is still turn 1, the battle tempo is high so we get more activations. We can see ‘days passing perhaps instead of weeks’.  As supply units become more scare we shall see a slackening of the tempo and a reduction in the number of full activations.

We can continue to offense for 2-4 more activations subject to type, or we can tighten up the noose and prepare for the Germans to arrive? Letting them come in at Tobruk seems like a REALLY bad idea. So I suspect we must push on to Tobruk and pound away at the Italians and try and secure Tobruk.

What would you do as either Axis or Commonwealth player in the next activations.