DAK the Desert II 2026

A long-awaited reissue of the revised second edition of "DAK the Desert" (originally included in GJ Issue 51). "DAK the Desert" is an operational-level wargame themed around the North African campaign of World War II. It depicts the fierce battles between General Rommel's Deutsches Afrikakorps (German Africa Corps) and the British Eighth Army. Highly popular among the titles featured in the magazine, it is a fine game that allows players to easily experience the dynamic nature of the North African theater.

For this reissue, the method for determining the number of commands each player receives has been changed from a die roll to a chit-draw system, and the rules have been revised to make the final showdown at El Alamein even more intense.

The game's defining feature is that players personally select the division headquarters, tank units, artillery units, infantry units, trucks, and supplies to deploy to North Africa, allowing for the free customization of each division's composition. This system enables the creation of specialized formations—ranging from balanced combined-arms forces to tank-heavy strike groups, infantry-focused defensive units, and artillery-centric long-range support units. Furthermore, because players must manually transport landed supplies to the front lines via truck, they experience not only the tension of mobile warfare but also the critical importance of managing logistics under difficult conditions. Additionally, the number of command points received varies by turn, dictating the volume of movement and attacks a player can execute. With the German side holding the advantage in command points, the game’s simple system rapidly recreates the dynamic nature and fluid progression of the North African campaign.

North African campaign: From Rommel's arrival to El Alamein Game Design: Kora Nakamura Counter Count; 198 counters Map: 1 full-sized Game Period: March 1941 – December 1942 Unit Scale: 1 unit = Division / Brigade to Regiment to Battalion Scope: North African theater from El Agheila to El Alamein Play Time: 3–4 hours Number of Players: 2 Difficulty (5-point scale, 5 being highest): 3

(adapted and translated from publisher's website)