Blocks in Afrika - The Mediterranean Campaign 1940-1943

From Vento Nuovo:

BLOCKS IN AFRIKA is a new concept game covering the whole North African campaign from 1940 to 1943. Developed on wooden blocks and cubes system, over an astonishing 87x64cm full laminated multicolor map-board, there's not any paper component, but the Manual. All the over 400 wooden/plastic components have been created by the best Italian artisinal industry and painted "A baratto", a technique usually adopted for painting car parts and accessories.

BLOCKS IN AFRIKA recalls, in game form, the most decisive battles fought in the African Theater Front from the Italian drive to Marsa Matruh in Summer 1940, until the collapse of the Italian Regime in Semptember 1943.

BLOCKS IN AFRIKA is a game for two players, one controls the Western Allies and the other one controls the Axis Powers. Although based on history, players in command of the two factions can modify the evolution of World War 2 in the Mediterranean Theater.

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
On June 10 1940, the Italian Fascist Leader Benito Mussolini was convinced that it was the right time to join the war on the German side, before it would have been over. Fascist Italy was absolutely not prepared to a World War, but Mussolini thought the war would have only lasted for some weeks and that some thousands casualties would have been required to provide him the chance to sit at the Peace Conference. However, as soon as Italian troops crossed the French border, they encountered a fierce resistance by the determined transalpine army. Things would go even worse as soon as the Italian Army would cross the Egyptian border to face a well trained and motivated British Desert Force. Not to mention the bad "balcanic" idea of invading Greece... Only thanks to a major German commitment in the Mediterranean, things changed in favour of the Axis and the name of Rommel became a legend. However, as soon as the American Power was thrown into the war by an infamous Japanese attack, the fate of the Axis was almost written and the defeat a matter of time.

RULES INTRODUCTION
The rules are divided into three major sections which can be learned one at a time.
The first section is the BASIC GAME RULES which introduces the basic concepts and enables players to start playing the game without too many rules to remember.
Then the ADVANCED GAME RULES provide more specific and detailed rules for an enhanced realism, such as the use of Fuel and the Advanced Production System.
Finally, for those players who want to get the best out of the game, OPTIONAL RULES can be added as desired. The Optional Rules include Strategic Warfare, Panzers Attack!, Cavalry Charge...
Additionally, a dedicated Naval Module allows to relive the most important naval battles fought in the Mediterranean Sea between the British Royal Navy and the Italian Regia Marina.

SCALE
A hexagon is approximately 53 miles (70 Km) across.
A turn is 1 month long.
A full strength counter represents 300 planes, 300 Tanks, or 30,000 men, depending on the type unit, equipment and nationality.

FOG OF WAR
The game can must be played with the Fog of War ON (wooden blocks are placed on the map in such a way the opponent player can not see them).

Language: English
Genre: Operational, Strategic
Turns: Turn-Based
Complexity: Basic to Advanced, depending on which rules are used and on Scenario Lenght
Period: World War II

SCENARIOS

With over 200 units counters and 200 different resource points of various color, players can enjoy hours of fun by playing the full 1940 AVANTI Campaign, or one of the 4 others 6-turns scenarios.

1940 Operation Compass, November 1940 - March 1941

1940 1940 CAMPAIGN

1941 Operation Countenance, August - September 1941

1941 Operation Exporter, June - July 1941

1941 Middle- East Uprising, April - September 1941

1941 Operation Marita-Merkur, April - June 1941

1941 The Desert Fox, April - September 1941

1941 1941 CAMPAIGN

1942 Axis Hype, June - December 1942

1942 El Alamein, October - December 1942

1942 1942 CAMPAIGN

1943 1943 CAMPAIGN

Every scenario has different Victory conditions and length, with a playing time from 2 to 7 turns.

BLOCKS IN AFRIKA can be played standalone or combined with Blocks in the West and Blocks in the East.

COMPONENTS for the Standard Boxed Edition

• N° 1 87x62cm Mapboard (double laminated) 

• N° 1 A4 Strategic Map 

• N° 1 A4 Tripolitania Extension Map 

• N° 1 24 pages BLOCKS IN AFRIKA Rules Manual

• N° 1 24 pages BLOCKS IN EUROPE Rule Manual 

• N° 1 24 pages THE BLOCKS TRILOGY Scenario Booklet

• N° 2 Play Aid • N° 8 Order of Battle

• N° 15 wooden light blue blocks (France)

• N° 29 wooden black blocks (Germany)

• N° 22 wooden light green blocks (Italy)

• N° 1 wooden tan block (Turn Tracker)

• N° 1 wooden dark green block (US)

• N° 22 wooden blue blocks (UK)

• N° 3 wooden orange blocks (Axis Forts)

• N° 66 wooden brown blocks (Minors)

• N° 23 wooden gray blocks (Axis Navy)

• N° 46 wooden white blocks (Western Allies Navy)

• N° 8 wooden pink blocks (Soviet Navy)

• N° 240 PVC stickers (laminated, 2x for the Turn Tracker)

• N° 35 wooden yellow cubes (General Production Points)

• N° 25 wooden white cubes (Navy Production Points)

• N° 10 wooden red cubes (Armor Production Points)

• N° 10 wooden blue cubes (Air Production Points)

• N° 10 plastic black cylinders (Oil Production Points)

• N° 5 plastic white cylinders ("Out-of-Supply" Markers)

• N° 10 white plastic Shipyards 

• N° 5 yellow-black-dotted dice