1997Dean Essig
- Videos
- 18
- Creators
- 2
2 players360 minVery heavy weight

2021Dean Essig
Mostly playthroughs. North Africa: Afrika Korps vs Desert Rats, 1940-42 is covered on BoardGameVideo.com by 1 how-to-play guides, 9 recorded sessions, and 2 unboxings.
From BoardGameGeek
North Africa (Standard Combat Series [SCS]) covers all of the fighting in the Western Desert from the beginning of Operation COMPASS until the final battles at El Alamein. This is the award-winning Operational Combat Series monster game DAK in a tighter, faster-playing SCS format. North Africa trims one map that extended into Egypt from the original DAK format and cuts numerous unit counters and markers not needed in the SCS format. The game uses a unique activation system tied to Supply Units, which must be saved up to create large-scale offensives. Supply is scarce enough to make tracking easy and naturally is central to this critically important aspect of North African warfare. The game utilizes Leaders, Forts, Mines, Random Events, Capture Awards, Withdrawals to Far Away Lands, and The Greek Campaign. It also includes a nifty little optional Operations rule that allows players to tie their moves into a larger plan of their own making, thus giving more context to what they are doing than is normally the case. Each hex represents 5 miles (8 km) and a Turn is one month. An Activation represents 1-2 days of intense combat operations. Units range in size from Companies through Divisions. North Africa Scenarios: Operation Brevity, 1 map, 1 turn Operation Battleaxe, 2 maps, 1 turn Operation Crusader, 2 maps, 2 turns Gazala, 2 maps, 2 turns First El Alamein, 1 map, 1 turn Operation Compass Campaign Start, 4 maps, 24 turns The Race to the Wire Campaign Start, 4 maps, 20 turns Operation Crusader Campaign Start, 4 maps, 21 turns Battle of Gazala Campaign Start, 4 maps, 7 turns First El Alamein Campaign Start, 4 maps, 5 turns Note: All four maps together measure 86x34 total setup space. Contents: SCS Series rulebook (version 1.8) North Africa Game Specific rulebook North Africa Scenario Booklet Four 22” x 34” full-color maps 560 Counters Box and Dice (from MMP's website and North Africa Rulebook)
Learn to play
Watch it played
North Africa: Afrika Korps vs Desert Rats, 1940-42 has 12 videos from 4 creators: 1 how-to-play guide, 9 playthroughs and 2 unboxings. They date from 2022 to April 2023.
To learn the rules, start with "SCS North Africa - Rules Review" by UBoater658, which runs 58 min.
To see it played, watch "SCS North Africa Sc 01" by Trainwreck Games, one of 9 playthroughs.
If you like it, try DAK: The Campaign in North Africa, 1940-1942, Arracourt, Inflection Point: The Battle for Kalach and the Battle of Chir and Afrika: The North African Campaign, 1940-1942, also by Dean Essig.
1997Dean Essig
2 players360 minVery heavy weight
2025Dean Essig, Carl Fung
2 - 4 players60 - 240 min
1993Dean Essig
1 - 2 players120 - 720 minMedium weight
From BoardGameGeek:
North Africa (Standard Combat Series [SCS]) covers all of the fighting in the Western Desert from the beginning of Operation COMPASS until the final battles at El Alamein. This is the award-winning Operational Combat Series monster game DAK in a tighter, faster-playing SCS format. North Africa trims one map that extended into Egypt from the original DAK format and cuts numerous unit counters and markers not needed in the SCS format. The game uses a unique activation system tied to Supply Units, which must be saved up to create large-scale offensives. Supply is scarce enough to make tracking easy and naturally is central to this critically important aspect of North African warfare. The game utilizes Leaders, Forts, Mines, Random Events, Capture Awards, Withdrawals to Far Away Lands, and The Greek Campaign. It also includes a nifty little optional Operations rule that allows players to tie their moves into a larger plan of their own making, thus giving more context to what they are doing than is normally the case. Each hex represents 5 miles (8 km) and a Turn is one month. An Activation represents 1-2 days of intense combat operations. Units range in size from Companies through Divisions. North Africa Scenarios: Operation Brevity, 1 map, 1 turn Operation Battleaxe, 2 maps, 1 turn Operation Crusader, 2 maps, 2 turns Gazala, 2 maps, 2 turns First El Alamein, 1 map, 1 turn Operation Compass Campaign Start, 4 maps, 24 turns The Race to the Wire Campaign Start, 4 maps, 20 turns Operation Crusader Campaign Start, 4 maps, 21 turns Battle of Gazala Campaign Start, 4 maps, 7 turns First El Alamein Campaign Start, 4 maps, 5 turns Note: All four maps together measure 86x34 total setup space. Contents: SCS Series rulebook (version 1.8) North Africa Game Specific rulebook North Africa Scenario Booklet Four 22” x 34” full-color maps 560 Counters Box and Dice (from MMP's website and North Africa Rulebook)
Designer
Dean Essig
Artists
Nicolás Eskubi, Dean Essig
Publisher
Multi-Man Publishing
Categories
Mechanics