DOCUMENTATION to PANZER ARMY AFRICA at 2nd El Alamein by Joni Nuutinen

NOTICE: This page only shows CAMPAIGN SPECIFIC rules and exceptions from the general rules!

Here is a link to GENERIC DOCUMENTATION ...also see TERMS and MARKERS, Battle Support Explained, FAQ, and Privacy Policy

Game webpage

PANZER ARMY AFRICA at 2nd El Alamein specific documentation

Fuel: Moving armoured, motorized and air force units consumes 1 fuel. Trucks transport fuel from Fuel Depots to front line units. The Fuel Depots themselves can re-fuel either from Marsa Matruh (unlimited amount). The dotted circle around the fuel depot represents the amount of fuel left, making it easier to visually see which tanker is empty and which is full.
Some motorized units need fuel to be able to move. This fuel usage is indicated by an orange box showing the fuel in each unit that uses fuel. Fuel trucks can be used to transport fuel between these fuel-needing combat units, and the various bigger fuel sources. Fuel sources vary by campaign, but usually mean things like moveable bigger fuel depots, fuel providing cities, oil fields, or fuel tankers.

Fuel Share = Transport 2 units of fuel to the selected ground combat unit from the closest unit with fuel to spare.
Fuel = Armoured, motorized and air force units need fuel to move. Emergency fuel (+1) might be available from time to time. Luftwaffe uses 1 fuel both when bombarding and when moving (which includes several hexagons with a cost of 1 fuel). Fuel Trucks and Fuel Depots do not consume fuel while moving.
City: Marsa Matruh: Can both supply units with food (which prevents unit from dying), and refuel trucks and Fuel Depots. The dotted circle around the fuel depot represents the amount of fuel left, making it easier to visually see which tanker is empty and which is full.
SA: Soft Desert Sand: Heavy units like tanks will lose 1 extra move point (= applies to non-infantry units).
Orange XX marker: Number of fuel or in case of XX, out of fuel.
AXIS (German and Italian) UNIT TYPES:

German Infantry Division - Can be motorized in this particular campaign.

Italian Infantry Division - Can be motorized in this particular campaign. More likely to withdraw under pressure.

German Parachute formation: Elite Infantry.

Italian Parachute formation: Elite Infantry.

Panzer Division (Pz III) - Strong unit, but needs fuel (refuel with fuel trucks, which in turn can refuel from Fuel Depots, which can refuel from Marsa Matruh).

Italian Armoured Division - Not as strong as German Tank unit, but still formidable opponent (refuel with fuel trucks, which in turn can refuel from Fuel Depots, which can refuel from Marsa Matruh).

Antitank Gun unit - Slow and relative weak unit that gets a big bonus vs armored units, and a small penalty for fighting against infantry. Slightly better at defending than at attack. Bonus vs immobile units. Poor line-of-sight.

Axis Dugout: Weak immobile passive Axis dugouts located in front of some of the important coastal cities.

Fuel Depot: Bigger Fuel depot, from which Fuel Trucks can distribute the fuel to ground combat units, or units can directly get fuel from. Fuel Depot can refuel itself from Marsa Matruh. The dotted circle around the fuel depot represents the amount of fuel left, making it easier to visually see which tanker is empty and which is full. Extra -1 MP for crossing rivers. Extra MPs available when Depot is empty. Fuel depot may dump 8 fuel to gain 1 extra MP.

Fuel Truck: Fuel truck can deliver Fuel from Fuel Depots to combat units and Luftwaffe units. The dotted circle around the fuel depot represents the amount of fuel left, making it easier to visually see which tanker is empty and which is full.

If a fuel truck is presently carrying enough fuel, it might have a FU2MP button, that allows it to disband 3 units of fuel it is currently carrying, in order to try to gain 0-2 MPs.

Please notice that empty or nearly empty fuel trucks are more likely to get extra MPs in the peaceful rear area, as empty trucks are lighter to drive around. So it is generally advisable to distribute all fuel to the combat units before heading back to the fuel depot or fuel providing city.

When no unit is selected, there might be a TMP button at the bottom of the screen. Depending on the game, it might also work as a temporary ON/OFF switch for automatic fuel delivery. Normally, as a truck moves into a hexagon with the own fuel needing units in it, it automatically shares all the fuel it possibly can. However, TMP-autofuel button can turn this off, so you can move over fuel-needing units without giving them fuel from the passing-by fuel truck.

In few rare scenarios, when a fuel truck that is already carrying plenty of fuel enters a fuel-providing city, it might be interpreted as transporting fuel from one fuel-city to another. In this case, the fuel truck or depot is actually emptied of fuel, as it is moved into the city.

This is once-per-game informative dialog. There is a setting in the options to turn OFF all 'intro' dialogs like this after you have played this game through few times.

Ammo Truck: Artillery and Airforce units can only bombard/barrage enemies when they have Ammo, which can be re-stocked by using Ammo Trucks, which themselves can re-stock from Marsa Matruh.

Air Force unit: This type of unit can bombard enemy units, recon unknown enemy areas, airsupply one encircled own unit, and protect nearby units from enemy air force strafing. Tap any enemy unit within bombing range (which is shown as a circle when the air force unit is selected) to bombard it (requires full move points, which state is shown on the air force unit with a single line instead of multiple move point squares). Bombardment can result in a loss of HP, loss of MPs, an increase in fatigue, or be ineffective (IE). Bombarding a hexagon with multiple units increases the chances of a hit, as does bombarding a known unit with a lot of HPs or mobile units, which are bigger targets (units with trucks, tanks, etc.). Similarly, an enemy unit in a swamp or forest is a harder target. If attacked by an enemy unit, the air force unit might withdraw multiple hexagons and lose extra MPs (to be out of action for one or more turns). In addition, an air force unit can recon unseen (blacked) enemy areas. This is done by touching an unknown enemy area. This will reveal some hexagons near the selected hexagon, and possibly identify some of the revealed units. You can also tap your own out-of-supply combat unit to airsupply it: this action reduces the turns-in-siege counter and the encircled unit may receive 1 MP (please note that the unit might have negative MPs, so adding 1 MP does not result in positive MPs). The operational bombing range is represented by a circle, while the airsupply and rebase ranges are a couple of hexagons larger. Air force units will also prevent enemy air forces from strafing nearby units. The range of this protection depends on the scale of the campaign, and the closer the ground combat units are to the air force unit, the more likely it will be protected from enemy strafing.

Artillery: Tap enemy unit to bombard it (this action requires full move points). Bombardment can result in a loss of HP, loss of MPs, increase in Fatigue, or be ineffective (IE). Operational range is shown with a circle when the unit is selected. If attacked by enemy unit this type of unit might withdraw multiple hexagons and lose extra MPs.

BRITISH UNIT TYPES:

Allied (British, Indian, and Free French) Infantry Divisions.

Armoured Formations: Either Crusader or Sherman units.

Dugout: Weaker immobile units located in cities and strategic locations.

Artillery: Bombards nearby units (miss, MP hit, HP hit), can relocate, and sometimes manages to escape if enemy unit moves over it. Capturing might give some resources as a reward.