Hello!

[twosolitudes]

 Hi from one of the latest new observers!

My name is Rob, and I'm a 45 yo wargamer from Ontario, Canada. I've been eyeballing CNA for a while and have finally decided to purchase a copy (or *try* to, I'm waiting for a response from a seller on BGG), but I would enjoy playing or observing a game in progress if one is going on. This would definitely be another level of complexity for me. As of late I've been playing Pax Britannica and SPI's WWII ETO/PTO combined.

I realize that the forum is maybe on a bit of a hiatus; there don't seem to be too many recent posts. I'm hoping the action picks up.

[Michael Miller]

Hi Rob! Thanks for stopping by. I've been keeping an eye on the forum here, but as you note, things have been very quiet of late. We've chronically lacked for sufficient and committed people on the Commonwealth team, and that still appears to be the case. I've shifted most of my attention to another project for another mega-monster, War in the Pacific, but remain interested here, and continue doing some semi-related work on naval forces in the Mediterranean and Atlantic.

If you have any specific questions after reading through existing info, by all means ask.

Best regards,
MM

[ATD]

Hi to you both! As you can see Mike, I have continued to process a steady trickle of new members to the forum. You and I should probably have a chat directly sometime. I’ve been a bit involved with of the stuff myself of course (just arrived back from the two hundredth anniversary commemoration Waterloo actually).

It's probably not necessary to own a copy of the game by the way! Everything is done / available by other means.

[twosolitudes]

Thanks for the welcome guys.

Is it possible to get a copy of the *most up to date* rules? I would like to start trying to get a handle on the game so I understand whats going on.

It's good to hear that I don't need to own the game, but I've had my eye on it for a while, and would still like to get the physical copy.

The module that I've seen looks amazing btw.

Rob

[Michael Miller]

While I have no particular objection to sharing a copy of the rules with you, my colleague has done the most part of the considerable work involved in updating and editing of these. I'd rather he approve before doing so.

Also note that there are a considerable number of spreadsheet files that are integral to running the game as described in the updated rules. It's no longer the exact same thing as the printed copy.

Best regards,
MM

[ATD]

The original rules are already available online as a comprehensive pdf, with all the tables and counter scans and are certainly more than enough to gain an overview. As Mike (with fair judgement as ever) explains, at this stage I'd prefer to restrict the mountain of development work for those actually playing in the project (when it wakes from the present hibernation!).

[twosolitudes]

No problem, I understand entirely.

I've started reading through the older version that was previously posted.

Hope your games comes out of hibernation soon, but if it doesn't maybe I'll have a chance to participate when I get a good grasp of the mechanics of the game.

Are you both familiar with the 3 page doc called "A guide to logistics; or, how do you play this thing, anyway?"

[ATD]

Thanks for your understanding and courtesy (it's been in shorter supply than CNA water at times). I've always been pretty generous with stuff in the past and I note you may have some interest in actually playing, so give me a while and I'll see what I can come up with.

I must have seen everything anyone has produced on the game by now. There are horrendous holes and problems with the original (particularly the Air Game), which have been addressed and fixed (hundreds of hours of effort). The original game design was never really finished. However, it is now...   : )

[twosolitudes]

I was reading through this guide to logistics, and it had the following scenario:

Convoy phase:
14 trucks move 742 fuel to Burg el Arab (from Cairo), leaving 2 more trucks in Cairo.
After refuelling the combat group and the trucks, and after evaporation, 577 fuel remains.


What's confusing me is that the 14 trucks carry 700 fuel, or if you include the fuel in their own gas tanks they start with 812 total. Am I missing something? Even after fuel consumption and evaporation (which for this scenario is 9%), I can't arrive at the 742 number they have. Am I missing something?

[twosolitudes]

For intrest, here is the entire guide:


A guide to logistics; or, how do you play this thing, anyway?

Campaign for North Africa is the most complex board game ever produced, at least as far as logistics (supplies) is concerned.
This is going to be a guide on how to work out how to run a supply net for a single unit.
Situation:
It’s early in the campaign (Sept 1940), and we are going to move a single Commonwealth reconnaissance unit from central Cairo to Tobruk. For the purposes of this guide, we will ignore coastal shipping and railways. We are going to drive across country (by road, we aren’t stupid) and set up our supply line as we go.
The map is totally empty of all units (enemy and friendly) except for our recce unit in Central Cairo (E1830). We have unlimited supplies in Cairo, and an unlimited number of light trucks. Our objective is to drive all the way to Tobruk, and keep the unit supplied once there.
The road distance is about 119 hexes, so we will need to spend several turns to get there. We will need to set up supply dumps on the way, so that we can keep up a continuous supply train.
Light trucks have a CPA (move allowance) of 40, but it costs 2 CP to load or unload, so we should set up our dumps no more than 36 hexes apart. We will place one in Burgel Arab (33 hexes from Cairo), one in MersaMatruh (33 hexes) and one in Bardia (36 hexes). Bardia is 17 hexes from Tobruk.
Our combat unit is of type hh, which has a CPA of 45, a maximum strength of 8 steps (TO/E) and a fuel rate of 1. This means the unit has a “fuel tank” of 45/5*8*1 =72 fuel points. We will keep it fully fuelled, so we need at least 72 points of fuel to be carried by attached (1st line) trucks. Every 5 hexes or part thereof costs 1 fuelpoint per TO/E step.
Light Trucks have a CPA of 40, fuel rate of 1 and can carry 50 fuel points each. The trucks themselves have a fuel capacity of 40/5 *1= 8 fuel points. If we attach 2 light trucks, we will have 100 points of fuel in the back of the trucks, plus 72 in the recce unit and 16 in the trucks’ tanks. If this group moves 33 hexes (such as el Arab to Mersa) will cost us 33/5 rounded up =7 fuel per step (10 steps= 8 recce plus 2 trucks) or a total of 70 fuel. A move of 36 hexes would cost 80. Note that if the recce unit moved it’s full 45 CPA, it would have to leave it’s trucks behind, as they could only move 40.
Evaporation: each turn, we are going to lose fuel to evaporation. We will assume normal weather for the whole scenario, given the date that means we will have the rubbish early war fuel cans, giving a 9% loss of all fuel (wherever it is). For our combat group, that makes 9% of whatever is left after moving. If we don’t move we will lose 16.9, rounded down to 16 points every turn fromthe 188 points available, so we might as well burn some off by moving.

Game turn 1:
Move phase:
The combat group moves to Burg el Arab for 70 fuel, -10 evaporation.
Convoy phase:
14 trucks move 742 fuel to el Arab, leaving 2 more trucks in Cairo.
After refuelling the combat group and the trucks, and after evaporation, 577 fuel remains.

Game turn 2:
Move phase:
The combat group moves toMersaMatruh at a cost of 70 fuel, -10 evaporation. Convoy phase:
10 trucks carry 510 fuel to M ersa.
2 trucks carry 102 spare fuel to el Arab
2 trucks return to Cairo from el Arab, empty.
El Arab now holds 141 fuel,
M ersa now holds 391.

Game turn 3:
Move phase:
The combat group moves to Bardia at a cost of 80 fuel, -10 evaporation. Convoy phase:
6 trucks carry 300 fuel to Bardia.
2 trucks move empty fromMersa to el Arab, and the Cairo- el Arab convoys are repeated.
El Arab now holds 128
M ersa now holds 163
Bardia now holds 191 (after all refuelling and evaporation).

Game turn 4:
Move phase:
The combat group arrives in Tobruk, at a cost of 40 fuel.
Convoy phase:
4 trucks Arrive in Tobruk with 216 fuel.
El Arab has shrunk to 116 fuel.
Mersa has shrunk to 152.
Bardia now holds 54.
The total present in Tobruk is 151, after refuelling and evaporation.

Thereafter, the intermediate dumps will continue to shrink unless additional trucks are allocated. Tobruk will continue to expand (214 fuel next turn, 271 the next) while the combat unit remains in Tobruk. The best way is to make sure you are putting more into each dump than you are taking out. For example, have 4 trucks in each direction from Cairo to Burg el Arab, 3 from el Arab to M ersa, two from M ersa to Bardia and just 1 from Bardia to Tobruk.

Ammunition:
The combat unit needs 3 ammo points per TO/E point, for a total of 24 points for the recce unit. That requires a further 12 light truck units to carry (in addition to the recce unit’s internal supplies). As you can see, the fuel requirement just went up by more than double (10 +12).
Water:
While in Cairo, Tobruk or Bardia, the units have unlimited water supplies. The units starting in el Arab or Mersa must roll for water availability. Fortunately, the minimum amount is 100 points of water at these locations (up to a maximum of 500) and villages can store up to 1000 points. A high roll has a 1 in 6 chance of depleting that village until the next rains, however. Each truck and mechanised TO/E uses 1 water per turn, infantry 1 water per unit (any size). One truck can carry 40 water points, so the extra requirements are minimal, even when away from cities.
In reality, the Commonwealth may use any rail hex connected to a friendly city as an unlimited water source, unless the pipeline running through that hex is destroyed. This is of course where the famous “pasta” rule comes in, with Italian infantry having to spend 1 extra water per battalion. Good job there’s no tea rule...
Stores:
Once every 3 turns (one game turn), every TO/E point needs 4 stores points. These don’t need to be carried around once delivered, but our example unit will need 8*4=32 points every 4 turns. A light truck can carry 6 points. You would therefore need to get 6 truck loads to the frontline every 3 turns, otherwise they start to suffer attrition (2% loss every 2 turns). Units can go on half rations, but only if there are no stores present.
That’s a quick look at how to supply a single combat unit. Multiplying up by the size of all three armies will give you an idea of just how scary (or boring, depending on your point of view) this game is.

[ATD]

It could just be that it is effectively an arbitrary number remaining after having dispensed fuel to the "combat group".

If that's the sort of thing that exercises you, welcome to the select band of individuals with the right mindset to play CNA!

[tim]

thanks for posting that Twosolitudes (aka Rob). That's an interesting excercise, and now you make me want to pull out the rules and see if I can validate their math. Though to be honest, my focus has mostly been on the other side, figuring how to get all that stuff from Tripolitania to Tobruk down the Via Balba.

[twosolitudes]

Ok, thanks guys... I thought that might be the case, and I was hoping I wasn't missing something.

My day job is working in Supply Chain and Logistics, and I do indeed find this aspect of the game intriguing; that and keeping track of the pilots.

[Michael Miller]

My company specializes in providing services for supply chain management, purchasing, invoicing and analytics, though I myself specialize in network connectivity and security. My interest in this campaign goes back to the late 1960s, and I bought the game soon after it was published, despite the then eye-popping cost for a broke Air Force enlisted man.

Hopefully Tony can get you set up with a full member account soon so you can post in the relevant areas.

[ATD]

The functionality on these boards is a bit creaky and some privileges seem to be simply "stuck". It used to be the case that posts could be made anywhere, regardless.

I haven't forgotten and will send you the stuff in an email soon!