AFK -AFRIKA KORPS

1. TITLE: Afrika Korps
2. PUBLISHER: The Avalon Hill Game Company (TAHGC)
3. SCOPE: World War II Desert Campaign Game
4. TAHGC CATALOG DESCRIPTION: Field Marshal Erwin Rommel's daring exploits re-created in this historical replay of tactical square-off between General Montgomery and the Great Desert Fox.
5. GAME BOX DESCRIPTION: Early in 1941, a general named Rommel commanding Panzer Regiment 5 and other small units rolled around the British to remote El Agheila, swept the Western Desert under the German Cross and began the Legend of the Afrika Korps. After 2 years of seesaw war against the Eighth Army's new Zealanders and Australians and Indians and Britishers and sough Africans and French and Poles and many others, finally broke his sword.
6. YEAR PUBLISHED (EDITIONS): 1964. 2nd edition (1965), 3rd edition (1978), 4th 1980 edition?
7. CREDITS
   • Original Research and Design: Charles Roberts
   • Original Development: Thomas N. Shaw
   • Third Edition Rewrite: Donald Greenwood
   • Rulebook Cover Art: Rodger MacGowan
   • Playtesting: Frank Preissle, Bruno Sinigaglio, Dale Garbutt, Alan R. Moon, Donald Burdick
   • Typesetting: Colonial Composition
   • Printing: Monarch Services
8. NUMBER OF PLAYERS: 2
9. WGA COMPLEXITY SCALE (1-10): 2
10. TYPICAL PLAYING TIME (HOURS): 2 to 4 hours
11. MAP SCALE:
12. UNIT SCALE: Divisions and Brigades
13. TIME SCALE PER TURN:
14. NUMBER OF GAME TURNS: 38
15. ARTICLE LISTING: Click here
16. GAME INVENTORY: 54 unit counters; 44" x 24" mounted mapboard; time record card, combat results table card, 1 die; rulebook.
17. WBC & AVALONCON HISTORY: Continuously played since Avaloncon 1991. The annual World Boardgame Championships (successor to Avaloncon) by the Boardgamer Player Association [http://www.boardgamers.org]. WBC is held in Lancaster, PA; end of July/early August. An •AFRIKA KORPS is an active Face to Fact tournament at the annual Prezcon Winter Nationals event; Charlottesville, VA; Mid February.
• AFK WBC Event History.
18. PBEM TOOLS:
• A Java application VASSAL module currently exists.
19. PBEM OPPORTUNITES:
    The Boardgamer Player Association [http://www.boardgamers.org]administers a repeating AFRIKA KORPS Play by Email Tournament. [http://www.bpaclassics.org/afrika_korps.htm]
20. WARGAME ACADEMY COMMENTS: AFK is one of the most popular and perhaps the most frequently played 'classic'. Afrika Korps fortes are its simple rules and low unit density, yet the title provided a challenging battle of wits for both novice and experts. This remains a very good introductory game for the hobby as most new releases are tailored for an existing dwindling gamer population who prefer more complex designs.
21. WARGAME ACADEMY GAME TOOLS: In addition to serving as the trustee of the AFK Vassal module for remote play; an undated softcopy rulebook exists in the WGA archives. WGA illustrated and Amplified AFRIKA KORPS softcopy PDF rulebook (529KB)