Western Desert

About this board game

Western Desert is a two-player historical simulation of the campaign in Egypt and Libya from December 1940 through January 1943, with a playing time of about six hours. Players recreate the fluid, seesaw operations between Axis and Allied forces across the edge of the desert and the rim of Africa.

The game begins after the Italian 10th Army’s September 1940 advance from Libya into Egypt has faltered. The campaign includes the Allied counter-attack led by General O’Connor, the destruction of the 10th Army, and the subsequent struggles for control of Cyrenaica and the wider Western Desert.

Two 21-by-27-inch maps cover the battlefields from Tripoli to the Levant, as well as Cyprus, Crete, Malta, and part of Sicily. More than a dozen terrain types shape the operational setting, while over 400 die-cut counters represent the forces involved.

• Italian 10th and 5th Armies, Rommel’s Afrika Korps, and the British 9th and 8th Armies
• Historical battalions, regiments, brigades, and divisions with individual strengths and capabilities
• Aircraft groups of approximately 40–50 planes, organized by type and model
• Rules based on Europa game mechanics, with specialized rules for the historical campaign

Aircraft range from obsolete CR.42 biplanes to Me109s and Spitfires, reflecting the varied forces that fought across the theater. The game also covers peripheral operations in Malta and Cyprus, along with campaigns in Syria and Lebanon.

Released in 1982, Western Desert can be played as a standalone game or combined with other Europa Series titles. Its components include two maps, 480 die-cut counters, a complete rule set, charts, and two dice.