Afrika 2, Turns 14.5 through 18

Continued the Afrika 2 game yesterday, I have to admit it is starting to end up a blur since the combat keeps ending up being over the same terrain.  The combat system and supply combine to favor offense over defense.  The reason is that even at the worst odds (1-4) there is a 1 in 11 chance of causing major enemy casualties, especially when combined with causing the enemy to retreat through a ZOC.  Combine that with supply being used up just be existing (or use it or lose it as I call it) and the offense is the only way to go...

End of Allied Turn 14

At the end of the last game day I was thinking the Allies were on the brink of losing, I still feel that way at the end of this day's gaming...  Back to the game, Another 6 on the replacements roll allows me to bring back the LRDG which I sent to the mountains off to the right to hinder supply and reinforcements.  The mountains are a great spot for this since it cuts the main highway and overruns are not allowed.  Just around the bend from Bardia O'Connor gets reinforced and attacks causing very little damage (all the combat rolls were below 6 if I remember correctly).  That supply point was used to supply everyone and was not sitting around to be captured.

End of Axis Turn 15

Rommel takes advantage and kills off every unit nearby save for those with O'Connor and the first SA troops in the box behind him. This might have been the only decent supply roll the Axis got during this day of gaming, otherwise the shipping was 2 points or the ports closed for repair.

End of Allied Turn 15

Another bad reinforcement roll and O'Connor decides to run.  The SA units in the box hopefully can hold out.

End of Axis Turn 16

The Axis forces try to take advantage but I think they rolled a 2 on the combat roll causing 2 Axis casualties to no allied.  Later they use Rommel to Overrun and cause a bunch of casualties (rolling and 11 I think).  Not enough to break the 1SA though.

End of Allied Turn 16  (sorry it is so blurry)

O'Connor counterattacks (after rolling a 6 for reinforcements again and bringing back LRDG yet again).  The Allies manage to knock out the two stacks of units that were not with Rommel and the single unit that was surrounding the 1SA.  He then went on to Attack Rommel directly and I don't remember exactly how that went - probably a middle result.  All in all an excellent turn for the Allies.  Darn it, now I can't whine about the dice any more!  (but I still will, I have never rolled higher than a 6 on the replacements chart and have lost roughly 12 to 14 brigades due to the chart, WHINE!!!).

End of Axis Turn 17

The Axis counterattack and manage to destroy the 1SA box, figuring this would happen I had used up all the supply there the turn before.  I believe they also attacked O'Connor but were rebuffed.

End of Allied Turn 17

O'Connor breaks the 7 Armored out of the trap they were in, destroying a couple of Axis units along the way.  Replacement rolls no higher than 6 again.  Often 4 or 5  (I only had enough to bring back the LRDG every other turn if I recall correctly).

End of Axis Turn 18

The Axis reached a bit toooo far and suffer for it.  Rommel defeated O'Connor's 7 Armored, destroying it to the last unit but than goes on to attack the box at Mersa Matruh.  This left Rommel's stack there out of supply (those white tile spacers are to help track supply movement and range...).  

End of Allied Turn 18

The Allies mop up the remainder of Rommel's forces outside of Mersa Matruh and take a breather.  Both sides are spent at this point and replacement rolls are going to be decisive, if I get a couple of good ones I will be able to bring the units right up to the front while the Axis would take a couple of turns to do so.  With so few units on the board the Axis might be able to build up some supply as well, till now he has had to hoard every supply point.

Both Allied stacks are in Boxes and the main Allied bases are in boxes as well, the Axis can not afford the supply to build them.  Ten more turns left to go in the game which will most likely take us 2 more game days to complete.  At this point the Allies are losing badly but the Axis is in no position to finish them off.