Step over this line and knock this block off... Part 1

a review of sorts on a new series of pbg style games from High Flying Dice Games. The name of the series reminds me of the time when Opie had to fight the new older bully in town to keep his friends from becoming delinquents. Yeah, this is from the 1960s Andy Griffith show, S3 E14 - I am that old...

"Lines in the Sand" is a series of six WW2 North Africa small format games, also including a new custom card set that is available from High Flying Dice Games.

Titles in this series: 

• Vol #1: Operation Compass, December 9-11, 1940
• Vol #2: The Assault on Bardia, Jan 3-5, 1941
• Vol #3: Operation Brevity, May 15-16, 1941
• Vol #4: The Battle of Bir Hakeim, Jun 8-11, 1942
• Vol #5: The First Battle of El Alamein, Jul 1-5, 1942
• Vol #6: Battle of Kasserine Pass, Feb 19-20, 1943

Price: $* for each game. Custom card set price unknown as I got mine with the purchase of all six games.  Also available is the complete series including the cards in a special box edition.  The counters will be mounted as HFDG does (you will have to cut them out), comes in a nice box, and available now for $* plus shipping (a savings of 20%!).  

Note: $* means the prices have changed. Sorry....

Designer: Paul Rohrbaugh
Graphics Designer: Ilya Kudriashov
Publisher: High Flying Dice Games
Published Date: 2025

The history of how this game series came to be is fascinating, well, at least I think so.  Seems a publisher wanting to break out into wargames, contacted HFDGs (aka Paul) for a set of the PBG style mini games after contacting the original PBG publisher at LPS.  No, not going to mention any names, as to be honest with ya, I have no idea who they are or what company, but they did agreed to the games. 

 

Games were ready with complete artwork (i.e. graphic designed) in three months, including game design, playtesting, and graphics art with the files sent to the requestor, but then the original requestor fail to finish the verbal agree with a signed contract. No returned phone calls nor emails.  Not sure why someone would agree to this proposition but then... cold feet. Maybe decided to go in a different direction, maybe real life stepped in, or maybe something to do with COVID (that still has a lot to do with things. Maybe we should have a new dating system such as 2020 BCV (Before COVID) and 0003 ACV (3 years After COVID)?) who knows why the cold feet, but I do know that company's  failure to gather up these little gems is our win.  

Though 5 of these games are pbg size, this series is not under the 100% constraint of a true pocket battle game, yeah, 4"x6" game board, 20 or less counters, rules and play aids need to fit on back of the game map, but these rules are longer, there are additional tables, variant rules on a 2nd or 3rd sheet of paper and nothing on the back of the game map. Sort of like having an ATO style PBG and getting all the variant rules with it with no teasers like "der Kapitän" of ATO likes to get us with (I know this works as I have purchased ATO issues to grab these variants 😆 Hmmm, oh yeah baby!!!!).

For the most part, all six games use the same rules set. There are some small differences, such as on Vol 1, random event #6 is "pelted salt" and not "no effect" as it is on the other five games.  And a couple of others, but once one game is learned they all are easy to play.  I was toying with the idea of listing what the rule differences were between all the games, but you know, it is so small that if you can't figure it out, then go pick up " ハローキティ" and play that.  (btw, that is "Hello Kitty")

Vol #1: Operation Compass, December 9-11, 1940

This is game #1 in the series and it covers the British campaign "Operation Compass" - the first large British military operation of the Western Desert Campaign (1940–1943) during WW2. British Commonwealth forces attacked the Italian and Libyan forces of the 10th Army (Marshal Rodolfo Graziani)  in western Egypt and Cyrenaica (eastern province of Libya), from December 1940 to February 1941.

This game covers just the first couple of days of an almost three month long campaign.  "Why just a couple of days when the campaign went on longer?", I asked. The answer is one that I thought of while waiting for an answer - "that this was the best chance for the Italians to stop the British campaign.".  And it makes sense as after the first few days, the Italians (got to love them) put up a great fight, but then... retreating.  BTW, I cover historical information about Operation Compass in a review for this game HFDG's "Sound and Fury, The Battle of Mechili Jan 24/25 1941" if you would like to read about it.   

And this game is played on a 8.5" x 11" game map, with 44 double-sided counters, and it is the largest game of this series.  The graphics for not only this Volume, but the entire series, is up to the high standard that High Flying Games are known for. Of course, Ilya is the artist (and yes, that is what I am calling him, as using "graphics designer" is just so...so... common to this man's ability).  

Look at the armor detail in the 5/15th Pz counter to the left. BTW, this is reverse side of the counters from Vol 5: The First Battle of El Alamein.   

There are variant rules and I would recommend to use all of them after a first time playing the games. From using Ace CDs to the random events should be used in all games as they just add that little bit of flavor to the play.

Vol #2 covers the important assault on the Italian fortress Bardia, while Vol #3 to #6 introduces Deutsches Afrikakorps to the Battles of Nord Afrika.   

Vol #2: The Assault on Bardia, January 3-5, 1941
This is Game #2 in the series and it covers the British Commonwealth forces and the Italians at Bardia. This would be the first battle of Bardia. One has to remember in the beginning of the North Africa campaign, the two protagonists were the Italians and United Kingdom.  

This was the first use of a completely Australian commanded and planned attack in North Africa battles. The Australian 6th Division and the British 7th Armored Division (Desert Rats) with approximate (aprx) 16,000 soldiers attacked a well fortified Italian force (XXII Army Corps) of 40,000. 

Utilizing air bombing for three days before the attack, then naval bombardment, and finally a ground attack on an 800 yard front (very narrow), the UK forces won the battle taking aprx 36,000 Italians as prisoners along with a vast amount of weapons and stores.  Game map is only 4"x6" and 20 double-sided counters.  But most important, this is a small, but well executed game.   

Vol #3: Operation Brevity, May 15-16, 1941

My, oh my, how the fortunes of war change as Vol #3 shows. With the 10th Italian army in North Africa destroyed by Operation Compass,  Deutsches Afrikakorps (DAK) (Feb 1942 to 1943) shows up while the Brits are occupied with Greece. 

Operation Brevity was a limited military assault launched on 15 May 1941 by British forces in the border region between Egypt and Libya, during the Western Desert Campaign of the Second World War. The objective of this operation, initiated under the command of General Archibald Wavell, was to recapture strategic positions near Halfaya Pass, Sollum, and Fort Capuzzo, and to weaken the Axis powers in the region for the relief of Tobruk.  Needless to say, the British were thrown back.

The assault was led by Brigadier William Gott using elements of the 22nd Guards Brigade and the 7th Armoured Division. The armoured component included:

29 cruiser tanks (including Mk.I, Mk.IIA, and Mk.IVA), 24 Matilda Mk.II infantry tanks, and supported by field (and AT) artillery and the Royal Air Force. The attack was carried out in three columns with a southern column through the desert towards Sidi Azeiz, a central column targeting Halfaya Pass, Musaid, and Fort Capuzzo, and a northern column along the coastal road towards Sollu.

All German and Italian troops were under the command of Colonel Maximilian von Herff and they held positions at Halfaya Pass, Fort Capuzzo, and in the open desert.  Units were from the 5th Panzer Regiment, Italian infantry from the Trento Division, and with artillery support, including AT guns. General Rommel, aware of a possible Allied offensive, had readied reinforcements and strengthened the eastern flank of his cordon around Tobruk.

Operation Brevity achieved only part of its objectives. The British forces succeeded in retaking Halfaya Pass but failed to establish lasting control over Sollum or Fort Capuzzo. 

The losses were considerable for the small amount of forces used. British losses: at least 206 personnel, of whom 196 were from the 1st Durham Light Infantry. Five tanks were destroyed and thirteen damaged. German losses: 258 personnel and three tanks destroyed. And the Italian losses: approximately 395, of whom 347 were taken prisoner.  Honestly, this operation was for naught as on 27 May, Rommel launched Operation Skorpion, during which Herff recaptured the pass and reversed the last British territorial gain from Brevity. 

And this is the end of part 1.  Part 2 will cover games #4 to #6 and talk about the game design, counters, rules, etc.  Part 2 is being worked on, I just couldn't get it all done as I wanted for Dec 2025. 

 

Yes, my fellow Vets are still suffering. If you know of one who is suffering or are suffering yourself, these are good folks. Not judgemental as they have been there.  Please, please, do give them a try not only for your sake, but also for your family.  That is all I ask.