Rich and I finally got together yesterday for a FTF PG session. If my recollection is correct, the last time was over two years ago. A bit unusual since I've only known him about 3-1/2 years. We've been able to keep clashing on the battlefield via Vassal, but I was still very pleased to sit across the table from him again.

My Germans quickly positioned themselves between Rich's Brits and the exit hex as the Brits took some time to traverse the cratered road leading up the wadi. I moved the German AT gun battery and infantry platoon all the way back to the juncture of the road and trail nearest the British exit hex. It wasn't clear to me how to effectively utilize the infantry, although that changed shortly as I'll highlight. In the meantime I positioned the tanks and armored cars within range of the Brits that reached the top of the wadi and the road he could use to flank me.

Rich opted to stick to the edge of the wadi. It offers concealment terrain, but since the road alternates between wadi and desert the British advance was slow. My armor typically waited until much of the British had activated, then dropped back a couple of hexes to safer distances to minimize the kill numbers of the British tank platoon and whichever of the two AT guns he had ready to fire. Even after falling back outside the range of the transverse road Rich kept his slow pace of moving up the edge of the wadi.

I realized then the infantry platoon and halftracks could delay that advance. I moved them up to defensive positions near the edge of the wadi. As things continued Rich alternately advanced a major portion of his force, then I dropped back another couple of hexes. Few shots were fired, and there were so far no casualties. In fact, not even a single unit was getting disrupted!

After this slow crawl my defenders had finally dropped back to the position of the German AT gun battery on around turn 12. It looked to me like Rich was quickly running out of time. I expected a change to bolder action by around then. He did finally take out one platoon of German halftracks shortly after this, but on turn 14 with a strong German defensive line all adjacent and including the AT gun batteries Rich conceded. We agreed it was unlikely he could get enough tanks, APCs, and trucks to run that gauntlet in two turns to exit the board.

It was fun to play a scenario from Afrika Korps. I do not have either desert module. Having just finished a history book about North Africa the modules are now definitely on my wish list. I'm encouraged that the maps are not as ugly as I've thought. After talking to Rich I understand better why Avalanche Press bucked the convention in its other modules and offered such big maps. The tactical action in North Africa was often wide-ranging.