Western Desert: Expanded Sequence of Play

Created By: Ramon Weston

Updated: 12/9/2014

A detailed breakdown of the activities that may occur in a turn is presented below. Activities inside each major heading are numbered and occur in the order shown; those marked with asterisks (*) that are adjacent to each other may occur simultaneously. Numbers in parentheses refer to the appropriate rules sections.


At the Start of the Game:

On the Dec I 40 turn, the Allied player receives a special surprise attack turn before the regular Dec I 40 turn is played. The surprise turn consists of an initial phase, movement phase, special air phase, and combat phase. (28.B.3) Italian Disarray is in effect during setup and during the Dec I turn. (28.A.3)

Main Sequence:

A. Initial Phase

  1. Allied player checks each specified region for the required garrison. For each RE or divisional headquarters missing from a garrison, the Allied player loses 1 VP. (28.B.2)
  2. Axis player announces whether a special operation is taking place and if so where. (27.A) If either player plans to invade the Levant, he must announce it now. (28.C)
  3. * Phasing player receives reinforcements and replacements per respective order of battle. (29.A) Axis ground units, supply counters and ground replacements received as reinforcements this turn or turned back on previous turns may attempt to ship to on-map ports. (26 and 29.A) Any Axis ground replacements that make it to Africa can be added to the available RPs. (29.B)
  4. * Phasing player must withdraw units as required by their respective order of battle. (29.C)
  5. * Axis player must withdraw any unit used in a special operation on the 5th game turn following its entry (27.B)
  6. * Axis player may randomly select one 5th Army unit in the 5th Army holding box and place it in Tripoli, starting with the Dec II 40 turn. (28.A)
  7. * Axis player may place the Tripolitania Garrison units in any hexes within three hexes of Tripoli during any Axis initial phase in which an Allied unit is within 12 hexes of Tripoli. (28.B)
  8. During the Jun 1 41 turn, the Allied player determines the effects of the Balkans campaign on his forces sent to Greece. Intact ground units may not move or attack, inoperative air units may not be repaired and intact air units may not fly any missions during this turn. Eliminated units may not be replaced or scrapped this turn. (29.C.1)
  9. * Phasing player may scrap units, in order to add RPs of the appropriate types to the RPs available. Phasing player may use any available RPs to replace units, rebuild cadres to their full divisional strength, or perform optional conversions as specified in the order of battle. (29.B)
  10. * Phasing player performs required unit conversions as specified in the order of battle (29.D)
  11. * Allied player may extend the rail line from Matruh to Tobruk, starting on the Aug II 41 turn. (7.D)
  12. * Allied player may spend Malta repair points (28.D)
  13. Check supply status of all units. Mark units that are not in general supply. (12) Reinforcements are automatically in supply on the player turn of their entry. (29.A) All units involved in special operations are in attack supply on their turn of entry. All airborne units are automatically in general supply throughout the course of their special operations. (27.B)
  14. * Axis player may plan special operations that will not take place until at least 5 turns after the operations were planned. Axis player may also cancel any special operations that have not yet occurred. (27.A)
  15. * Axis player may try to pressure Vichy France into allowing Axis forces to enter and operate in the Levant, starting on the Apr 41 turn or on any turn after the Allied players invades the Levant. (28.C)
  16. * Allied player may attempt to raid Axis airbases in Egypt or Libya once per month, starting on the Nov I 41 turn. (28.B.4)
  17. * Phasing player may attempt to repair inoperative air units. (23)
  18. * Phasing player's construction engineer units may start building a new fort, finish building a fort or improve the condition of a fortress, if in general supply. (14.A)

B. Movement Phase

The phasing player (Allied player in his player turn; the Axis player in his) may move any or all of his units.

  1. Break down units. (15)
  2. * Move units. (6)
  3. * Resolve air unit escape. (17.B)
  4. * Use administrative movement. (6.B)
  5. * Use transport counter to motorize one RE of non-motorized or artillery units. (6.C)
  6. * Use railroad movement. (7)
  7. * Break rail line (7.C) or damage air base. (17.D)
  8. * Execute overruns. (13)
  9. * Use engineering abilities to construct or repair airfields, demolish or repair port and repair rail line. (14.A)
  10. * Use naval transport. (26)
  11. * Move supply counters using supply movement points, SMPs. (12.D.)
  12. * Resolve Italian seaborne invasion. (27.B)
  13. Reassemble broken down units. (15)

C. Air Phase

Players may deploy their air units and conduct air combat in accordance with the air rules (Rules 16 – 22 & 24)

  1. Return air units from defensive air support (20.F.2.d)
  2. Deploy air unit to airfield within printed movement allowance. The air unit may still fly another type of mission in the same air phase. (20.D)
  3. * Phasing player air movement – must specify if it is a day or night mission, see 25.D for night. (18)
  4. * Resolve patrol attacks. (19)
  5. Non-phasing player interceptor movement including scramble. (20.A & 20.B)
  6. Air combat resolution. (21)
    1. Air combat preparation. (21.A)
    2. Air combat resolution. (21.B)
      1. Interceptors allocated to attack escort screen engage the escort screen in air combat. (21.B.2.a)
      2. Air combat between the unengaged escorts and the interceptors attempting to bypass the screen is now resolved. (21.B.2.c)
      3. Interceptors successfully bypassing the escort screen may attack the mission force. (21.B.2.d)
  7. Resolve antiaircraft fire. (22)
  8. Resolve mission. (20)
  9. Non-phasing player interceptor return step. (18)
  10. Phasing player air return step. (18)

D. Ground Combat Phase

The phasing player resolves all attacks he decides to make in accordance with the combat rules. For each individual combat, complete all of these steps before resolving the next combat:

  1. Resolve combat. (8)
  2. Conduct retreats. (8.F.1)
  3. Perform advances. (8.F.2)
  4. Resolve air unit escape. (17.B)

E. Exploitation Phase

The phasing player may move (again) any or all of his units that are listed as combat/motorized on the Unit Identification Chart

  1. Break down combat/motorized (C/M) units. (15)
  2. * Use transport counter to motorize one RE of non-motorized or artillery units. Both units must start the exploitation phase in same hex. (6.C)
  3. * Move C/M units. (6)
  4. * Resolve air unit escape. (17.B)
  5. * Break rail line (7.C) or damage air base. (17.D)
  6. * Execute overruns by C/M units. (13)
  7. Reassemble broken down C/M units. (15)

F. At the end of each game turn

  1. Tally victory points at the end of each Jan II and July II turn (31.C & 31.D)
  2. Advance turn marker.

Special Events:

Axis Special Operation. (27)