SFrom: "John M. Astell" Subject: WITD 28 April 97 Errata Sheet WAR IN THE DESERT Errata, 28 April 1997 RULES Rule 2, Game Components The Victory Chart is on page 63 of the rule booklet. The Master Sequence of Play is on page 64 of the rules booklet. There is only one Allied Game Chart, not two. Rule 3A3, Regimental Equivalents Add: 1/5 RE: each SMP Rule 3E1, The Delta The Delta includes the cities of Alexandria and Cairo. Rule 4, Sequence of Play Each game turn consists of an Allied (not Axis) player turn followed by an Axis (not Allied) player turn. Rules 13 & 12, Overruns and Supply Units may overrun at full strength without expending attack supply. (The rules are somewhat ambiguous on this point, but the Supply Conditions Summary is correct.) To recapitulate the summary and rules concerning overruns and supply: Supply Condition Overrun Strength First turn out of general supply, not isolated Full First turn out of general supply, isolated 1/2 Second or later turn out of general supply 1/2 In general supply Full Rule 14G, Mixed Units This rule applies to both Italian and British mixed units. Rule 20G2d, Harassment Bombing Harassment affects an SMP load (Rule 12H) being moved by SMPs in the same way it affects a unit. Rule 28B2, Cargo NTPs (but not ANTPs) may carry SMPs. Rule 32C5, Allied Nov II 42 Player Turn Some port sizes and capacities mentioned in the example are incorrect: Alger has 12 REs at full capacity, and Bougie is a minor port and has 1.5 REs at half capacity. Rule 37E1, Allied Garrisons Add: Allied garrisons are checked each initial phase. Rule 37E2, Surprise 1) After the bullet point that reads "* Axis air units may not fly any air missions." add the following: * In Egypt and Libya, Axis units with ZOCs have reduced ZOCs for the duration of the surprise attack player turn. 2) At the end of the paragraph that reads "After the surprise attack player turn is played, the regular Allied Dec I 40 player turn is begun, starting with the Allied initial phase" add the following: Due to preparations for the surprise attack and other factors, during the regular Allied Dec I 40 player turn, the Allied player has a rail capacity of 0 for the Middle East rail net and 0 NTPs for the East Med naval transport ability. Rule 38H2, French North Africa 1) Addition: While Vichy forces in a colony are non-belligerent, Allied and Axis units may use administrative movement (Rule 6B) only in friendly-owned hexes in that colony. 2) Clarification: French North Africa joins the Allies (thereby triggering conditional reinforcements per the Allied OB) when the Vichy French forces in all three French North Africa colonies join the Allies. 3) Addition: When French North Africa joins the Allies, French East Africa and French West Africa also join the Allies. (This affects French conditional reinforcements per the Allied OB.) Rule 39, Malta Add as a new paragraph at the end of the rule: Valletta a special limited supply terminal. It is not a source of general supply or general supply points. Allied forces may use Valletta as a supply terminal for isolation purposes (Rule 3G) and for reinforcement/replacement activities such as upgrades and replacements (Rule 40). Rule 40A1, Conversions Note: When two or more units are involved in a conversion, the converting units must be stacked together. Rule 40B4, Scrapping The example incorrectly refers to a "motorized" regiment. A mechanized regiment is meant. Rule 41, Preparing for Play 1) When overlapping map 25A with 18A, 18A:0101 should go over 25A:5108, not 25A:5109. 2) When overlapping map 20A with 21A, 21A:0133 should go over 20A:0101 and 21A:5133 over 20A:5101, rather than the instructions given in the rule. Rule 41A, Initial Deployment Clarification: All airfields placed during initial deployment are permanent airfields. When placing a one-capacity airfield, use a three-capacity permanent airfield and place two hits on it. Rule 41B1b, WD Campaign Special Conditions 1) The sentence that reads "Due to Italian disarray, the following special rules apply during the Allied Dec I 40 and Axis Dec II 40 player turns" should read: Due to Italian disarray, the following special rules apply during the Allied Dec I 40 and Axis Dec I 40 player turns. (Note that Dec I, not Dec II, is correct for the Axis.) 2) Add: The Axis player does not have full control over Italian units in Tripolitania at the start of the game. When placing units in Tripolitania during initial deployment, place a marker (use any convenient marker) on any unit that has a movement rating greater than 0. Units so marked cannot move (they may otherwise function as the rules allow). During each Axis initial phase starting with the Dec II 40 turn, the Axis player removes a marker from one of these units (his choice), whereupon he gains full control over it. The Axis player immediately gains full control over all Italian units in Tripolitania during the first Axis initial phase in which at least one Allied unit is within 12 hexes either of Tripoli (18A:0121) or Nalut (25A:4032). Remove all markers from these units if this occurs. Special: In scenarios in which map 25A is not used, units which would be placed on in Tripolitania on map 25A are instead placed at Tripoli (18A:0121). Rule 41B1b, Torch Scenario Special Conditions Add: Axis reinforcements listed as "Appear in Libya" enter play as follows: * Units and supply/resource items enter on the east edge of map 25, in Libya. These reinforcements are placed to the side of map 25 during the initial phase and enter the map during the movement phase, paying standard costs for the first hex entered. * Air units appear at any friendly-owned airbases in Libya. Axis reinforcements listed as "Appear in Sicily" appear at any friendly-owned airbases on Sicily. Axis forces in the special forces pools cannot be used for special operations in this scenario. Rommel's decision to retreat and abandon Tripoli was made outside the context of the Torch scenario. Thus, On Jan I 43 (the turn Rommel's retreating forces arrive on the map), no Axis ground unit may end its movement or exploitation phase in any hex in Libya on or east of hex column 25A:4900. On all turns thereafter, no Axis ground unit may enter, pass through, or trace supply through any hex in this area. Allied reinforcements listed as "Arrive from Middle East" enter play as follows: * Units and supply/resource items enter on the east edge of map 25, in Libya. These reinforcements are placed to the side of map 25 during the initial phase and enter the map during the movement phase, paying standard costs for the first hex entered. On Jan II 43 (only), ground units (only) of the Allied "Arrive from Middle East" reinforcements arrive as described above. However, each of these units has already spent 5 MPs before entering play. For example, a unit entering at Tripoli (25:5128) spends its 6th MP to enter the hex. * Air units arrive at any friendly-owned airbases in Libya or at the off-map Libyan airbases (see below). Allied air units may use the off-map Libyan airbases, entering and/or exiting the map within seven hexes of Tripoli to do so. The airbases are divided into two groups. One group, with a total capacity of 9, is located 16 hexes from the edge of the map; the other group, with an unlimited capacity, is located 30 hexes from the edge of the map. Air units entering the map must spend MPs equal to the off-map distance to enter their first hex. Air units exiting the map must have MPs remaining at least equal to the off-map distance to the airbase. For example, an air unit entering the map from the 16-distance group spends its 16th MP to enter the map. The Allied Raiding Forces ability (37E3) cannot be used in any turn prior to Feb I 43. Due to the presence of Axis rear area forces in Libya, Allied forces may not enter, operate in, or trace supply lines through any hex in Libya before Jan II 43. Rule 41B3, War in the Desert Grand Campaign Add the following Ignore the ", while ignoring" in the introductory sentence; this sentence should read: This scenario covers the entire campaign in the Middle East, the Near East, and French North Africa. Rule 43C2, Railroad Construction, & Allied Garrison Chart, Levant Garrison The 3 REs of engineers required for the Levant garrison are the forces building the Haifa-Tripoli (Lebanon) railroad. For simplicity these forces were made part of the general Levant garrison, but this can incorrectly cause the Allied player to suffer VP losses in mid-1941 due to an overall lack of engineering resources in play at that time. The solution is to separate out the engineers from the general Levant garrison: In the Levant section of the Allied Garrison Chart, for the line that reads "Once the Levant surrenders to or joins the Allies," delete the requirement for 3 REs of British engineers. (The garrison only requires 6 REs of British infantry and 1 RE of French infantry.) In the Levant section of the chart, add a new line that reads "When Haifa-Tripoli railroad begun," and this garrison requires 3 REs of British engineers. In Rule 43C2, add to the Haifa-Tripoli railroad section the following: "The Allies must begin building the Haifa-Tripoli when the Levant surrenders to or joins the Allies, but not before Dec I 41." Rule 43C12 (new), Minimal Air Support Rules 20G2b, Ground Support, and 20G2c, Defensive Air Support, limit the number of air units that may participate on a side to that side's number of non-artillery REs involved in the combat. For example, only 3 air units could contribute ground support if three infantry regiments and one tank battalion, a total of 3 1/2 REs, were attacking. Note that per the basic rules, if a side had only 1/2 RE present, no air unit could provide GS or DAS to that side. In reality, some air support was possible. Accordingly, if a side has only 1/2 non-artillery RE present in a combat, one air unit may provide GS or DAS to that side, as appropriate. However, the maximum bombing strength that may be contributed to the combat in this case is limited to 1 bombing strength point. Ignore all bombing strength points in excess of 1. Example: An Italian 1-6 tank battalion and an Italian 1-8 motorized artillery regiment are in a hex under attack, and an Italian BR.20M (tactical bombing strength of 2) is flying DAS in the hex. There is only 1/2 RE of non-artillery units defending in the hex. The BR.20M may provide DAS to the hex, but it may only provide 1 bombing strength point. Optional Rule 44E, British Strategic Reserve The rule should call for a strategic reserve "from Dec I 40 to the end of Mar I 40." Mar I 41, not Mar I 40, is correct. Optional Rule 44L (new), Carrier Transport of Aircraft to Malta Advance Rule 43F covers the remote position of Malta and describes how air units and ARPs may arrive there via air transfer route or naval transport. In addition to these methods, land-based fighters also reached Malta via carrier transport, being transported to the vicinity of Malta on aircraft carriers and then flying the remaining distance to the island. To simulate this, allow the Allied player a carrier transport ability to Malta as described below. 1. Carrier Transport. The following may use carrier transport: * Non-code C type F air units. * ARPs to be used for type F air units in the eliminated or aborted boxes of Malta command. Carrier transport proceeds similar to naval transport, except that the cargo need not disembark at a port. Instead, the Allied player may halt the carrier transport of the air unit or ARP at any point within range of its destination, as follows: * Air Units: The destination of an air unit using carrier transport is any Allied-owned airbase. The air unit initiates an air operation and flies an air transfer mission to the airbase. * ARPs: The destination of an ARP using carrier transport is any Allied-owned airbase in the Malta command. An ARP has a range equal to the air transfer range of the type F air unit with the lowest printed movement allowance that is in either the eliminated box or the aborted box of the Malta command. For example, if a Hurri 1 (movement allowance of 8) is in either box, then an ARP transferring to Malta would have a range of 24. The ARP automatically arrives at its destination and is available for use the same as an ARP arriving via naval transport (see Rule 43F). 2. Carrier Transport Limit. The Allied player may use carrier transport for no more than two air units/ARPs in any one game turn. 3. Carrier Availability. The Allied player may use carrier transport for up to three air units/ARPs in each quarter year (Jan I-Mar II, Apr I-Jun II, Jul I-Sep II, Oct I-Dec II) without victory point penalty. Thereafter, each time an air unit/ARP uses carrier transport in a quarter costs the Allied player one victory point. 4. Carrier Damage. If an air unit or ARP is sunk while being transported by carrier transport, then for victory purposes the Axis is considered to have scored a hit on an Allied CG. (Note that per the Victory Chart the Axis player receives a VP for each hit on Allied CGs.) Optional Rule 44M (new), Allied Reinforcements For scenarios in which the Allied player controls the Middle East command but not control the Near East command (41B1, The Western Desert Campaign, and 41B4, The North Africa Campaign): Allied ground unit reinforcements for the Middle East listed as "Arrive from Near East" may arrive in any Allied-owned hex in Transjordan or the Levant on the northern or eastern edge of map 19A. (These reinforcements may also arrive as described in Rule 40.) AXIS ORDER OF BATTLE German Positional AA The Axis OB lists German positional AA as having a movement allowance of 5. A movement allowance of 4 is correct, per the counters. Italian ARPs There are no Italian ARPs listed for the Mar I 42 turn. Add: MAR I 42 Italian: Available in Europe: 7 ARPs ALLIED ORDER OF BATTLE French North Africa Joins the Allies Ignore the items about Vichy French forces in various colonies and commands joining the Allies; they join the Allies per Rule 38H2 and per the above errata. British Arm RP Add to the Allied regular reinforcements: OCT I 40 British: Middle East: Arrive: 1 British arm RP OB Options, South African Armoured Divisions When using this option, ignore all South African ground unit reinforcement activities (conditional and regular) involving the Middle East command from Apr I 42 on. Note that South African replacements are still received. NEUTRAL NATIONS ORDERS OF BATTLE Add to the Neutral Nations War in the Desert OB (only): INITIAL FORCES, NOV I 42 Vichy French: North Africa: Casablanca (24A:0919): 1x 2-1-8* lt Arm X Mar (Afr) Alger (25A:0610): 1x 2-1-8* lt Arm X Alg (Afr) REGULAR REINFORCEMENTS FEB I 41 Vichy French: North Africa: Casablanca (24A:0919): 1x 2-1-8* lt Arm X Mar (Afr) Alger (25A:0610): 1x 2-1-8* lt Arm X Alg (Afr) JUL I 41 Vichy French: West Africa: French West Africa Garrison: Add: 1x 1-6 Inf lll 4 LE (LE) Note: This unit remains off map while neutral. If the Axis violates the neutrality of a Vichy region or occupies metropolitan Vichy France (Rule 38H), the unit becomes Allied (see the Allied OB, French North Africa Joins the Allies ). The unit may then transfer to French North Africa the same as French Colonial infantry RPs in West Africa may transfer (Rule 40B1). CHARTS Supply Conditions Summary, Game Play Chart (1) Per Rule 12E, on the first turn out of general supply, a unit's defense strength is unaffected. Ignore the section of the chart that has the defense strength being halved on the first turn if the unit isolated. (The defense strength is halved starting with the second turn out of general supply.) The following summary shows this more clearly: Supply Conditions Summary Supply Defense Attack Overrun Movement Condition Strength Strength Strength Rating ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ First turn out of Full 1/2 if not iso. Full if not iso. Full if non-c/m general supply 1/4 if iso. 1/2 if iso. 1/2 if c/m Second or later turn 1/2 1/4 1/2 1/2 out of gen. supply In general supply Full 1/2 Full Full In attack supply - Full - - Notes: iso.: isolated Supply Line Summary, Game Play Chart (1) Ignore the entire "Road" row on this summary. The "Railroad" row should instead be titled "Railroad/Road." Stacking Summary, Game Play Chart (1) Regular Stacking: "Units (Any)" should be 3, not 6. Intrinsic AA Summary, Game Play Chart (1) The summary is incomplete. Add the following: Egyptian Intrinsic AA 1 point per full city hex in Egypt Vichy French Intrinsic AA 1 point per dot and major city hex in French North Africa and the Levant Allied-owned Intrinsic AA strength from date: item or feature Sep I 39 Jan I 40 Jan I 41 Jan I 42 Jan I 43 Major Port 1 1 1 2 2 Suez Canal Port 0 0 1 2 2 Airbase (other 0 0 0 1 2 than temporary airfield) Each hex of Malta & Gozo 1 1 1 2 3 Gibraltar 0 1 2 3 3 Notes: 1. In the "Allied-owned item or feature" section, the values apply only to Allied-owned items or map features. 2. All values are cumulative. For example, from Jan I 43 a Suez Canal port (2) that is a major port (2) and an airbase (2) would have an intrinsic AA strength of 6. 3. Note that Allied-owned temporary airfields have no intrinsic AA. Vichy Reaction Table, Game Play Chart (3) Add the following modifier: -3 on or after Nov II 42. Allied Game Chart, Breakdowns 1) For the British 6-5-10* Arm XX, the 1x 3-2-10 lt Arm X line should be 1x 3-2-10 Arm X. 2) A South African 7-8 Inf XX breaks down into 3x 2-8 Inf X, and not 1x 3-8 Inf X and 2x 2-8 Inf X as listed on the chart. Patrol Attack Table, Combat Charts and Tables For an Attack Differential of 0 to +2, the result for a die roll of 1 should be "ATTKR: A" and not "DFNDR: A." Antiaircraft Fire Table, Combat Charts and Tables The AA modifier which reads "+1 vs type B on any mission other than GS, DAS, harassment, air drop, naval units in port, naval patrol" should read: +1 vs type B (except code L) on any mission other than GS, DAS, harassment, air drop, naval units in port, naval patrol Add the following modifiers: +1 vs type HB flying naval harassment or naval patrol mission (both light and heavy AA may fire) +1 vs type HB flying any other mission (only heavy AA may fire) Iraqi Coup Table The table is missing. Add: Iraqi Coup Table Dice Roll Result 2-10 No Coup 11+ Coup Note: Use two dice for this table. Modifiers: +1 if the Axis owns all cities in Cyrenaica. +1 if any Axis units are in Egypt. +1 on May I 41 and May II 41. +2 on Jun I 41 and Jun II 41. Master Sequence of Play In the Initial Phase section, move "Convert attack supply to Malta repair points (39)" from Step 6 to Step 5. In the Initial Phase section, add to Step 3: Check Allied garrisons (37E1) and the Allied strategic reserve (44E). Victory Chart Allied Player, Events: Change "-1 each turn Axis has privileges in the Levant and the Allies have not violated the neutrality of the Levant" to: -1 each turn Axis has privileges in the Levant and the Levant has not surrendered to or joined the Allies. Axis Player, Control of Territory: Change "+10 control of any city in Egypt" to: +10 control of any city (including a point city) in Egypt" MAPS E Weather Line The E weather line was not printed across the sea hexes of the maps, thereby making it difficult to determine which weather zone various islands lie in. All Mediterranean islands are in zone E except Djerba (the island off the southern coast of Tunisia on map 25A), which is in Zone F. Map 18A The island of Kythera (hexes 3901, 4001) should be rough terrain. Tobruch (18A:4817) should be a standard port with a strong harbor, not a major port with a strong harbor. Map 19A Hex 0126 should be stony desert, not clear. Hex 4509: "Jerusaleum" should be "Jerusalem." Map 20A Hexside 4101/4200 should be wadi. Ignore the sand symbol that appears there in place of the wadi. Hex 0200 should be wooded rough. Map 21A Hexside 0301/0200 should be a high mountain pass hexside. There should be a low-volume railroad running from Baghdad (5004) to hex 5105. There should be a low-volume railroad running from the high-volume railroad in hex 5105 to the edge of the map in hex 5204. Hexsides 5000/4901 and 4900/4901 should be wadi. Map 22A Hexside 2517/2616 should be a mountain hexside, not 2516/2616. Map 24A There should be a road running from 2011 to 2111, connecting the cities of Tetuan and Ceuta. Hexes 1614 and 1515 should be swamp. Hexsides 2933/3033, 2933/3032, and 2932/3032 should be wadi. Map 25A Mareth Line: There should be fortified hexsides in hexes 25A:3725 and 25A:3625, so that the following hexsides are fortified: 25A:3725/3825, 25A:3725/3726, and 25A:3625/3726. Note: Consider modifying two fort markers to show these fortified hexsides. Hex 3610, Tunis, should be a major port. Hexes 5035 and 5135 should be sand, not clear terrain. The Lozrot wadi is missing: 3534/3535, 3534/3634, 3633/3634. 3734/3634, 3734/3735, 3734/3834, 3833/3834, 3833/3934. The Duwiduah wadi is missing: 3935/4035, 4034/4035, 4034/4135, 4134/4135, 4234/4135, 4234/4235, 4234/4335, 4334/4335, 4334/4434. Hexsides 3622/3623 and 4226/4327 should be wadi. "BEST OF" THE WITD QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS Are SMPs moving by road subject to Mud combat/motorized movement restrictions? No. Rule 12H1: "It costs 1 SMP to move an SMP load one hex by road. It costs three times the c/m MP cost of terrain to move an SMP load one hex off-road." Moving off-road is affected by weather, since c/m terrain costs are used -- in a zone with mud weather, for example, c/m costs for mud would be used. However, as the rule states, this applies only to off-road SMP use. When using roads, it costs 1 SMP to move an SMP load one hex. Do Axis reinforcement units have to pay embarkation costs on the turn that they appear and are sent to Africa? Do they embark in Europe (such as in the off-map box) or are they assumed to be embarked when they appear and only have to pay to disembark upon arrival at their port of destination? They have to pay embarkation costs. Note that reinforcements listed as "available in Europe" are a different reinforcement category than reinforcements listed as "arrive," and only the latter may appear already embarked. Per 40A1 (Reinforcement Concepts), reinforcements scheduled to "arrive" in play may appear already embarked on naval transports. As 40A1 indicates and examination of the OB booklets confirms, for commands controlled by players in game, only Allied reinforcements "arrive." Per 40A2 (Axis Reinforcements), Axis reinforcements listed as "available in Europe" are placed as indicated in the holding box (or on various Italian islands). "Available in Europe" is a different reinforcement category that "arrive", and thus "available in Europe" cannot use the provision of "arrive" to have these units already embarked when then are placed. While it almost always makes good sense to send them to Africa, you don't have to do it but you do have to embark them if you do decide to send them to Africa by naval transport. What are the sea conditions in zones E and F for Dec I 40? While the scenario rules specify the weather conditions for Dec I 40, you do check for sea conditions as usual. When playing the Western Desert Campaign (using maps 18A and 19A only), where do the Vichy Levant forces that set up on maps 20A and 21A go? Simply ignore off-map forces. Do Axis units sunk in transit from Europe go into the Med/North Africa Replacement pool? Yes. Note that the moment they enter the map using naval transport they must be in the Mediterranean Sea, which is part of the Axis Med/North Africa command (Rule 3F). Rule 12: Does intrinsic AA that is not part of a unit (e.g., intrinsic AA on Malta) have its strength halved for being out of supply? No. Rule 12E, Supply Effects, refers to units and intrinsic AA is not a unit.