Ariete: The Battle of Bir el Gubi, Libya November 1941

About this board game

Ariete: The Battle of Bir el Gubi, Libya November 1941 is a Tactical Combat Series wargame for 1–2 players, with a playing time of about 240 minutes. It recreates the mobile desert battle between Italy’s Ariete Division and the British 22nd Armoured Brigade on 19 November 1941.

The Italian player must use a mobile defense to delay stronger British armored forces until the 132nd Tank Regiment arrives. Artillery, anti-tank assets, and truck-mounted 102mm guns are vital for weakening the attackers before an armored counterattack. The Commonwealth player faces a different challenge: using an armor-only force to overcome prepared positions held by a well-led combined-arms defense.

Dust clouds and relatively long lines of sight shape the action across a desert map. Each turn represents 30 minutes, while each hex covers 150 meters. Units range from infantry platoons and vehicle platoons or squadrons to individual support weapons and sections, bringing the engagement to a detailed tactical scale.

• 12 scenarios, including historical, prepared-defense, early-arrival, and free-deployment versions of the battle
• One 22 × 34-inch full-color map sheet
• 240 double-sided counters, a 32-page TCS 4.02 rulebook, and a 16-page game-specific rulebook
• Medium solitaire playability and medium-high complexity

Ariete uses a minimal set of special rules to bring the Tactical Combat Series to North Africa while emphasizing the tactical problems of open desert warfare. Scenarios range from 2 to 12 turns, supporting focused engagements as well as the full battle. The game is produced as a bagged edition and requires one red and one white six-sided die.