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Sturm Nach Osten
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1st Alamein: July 1942
1997
Rules assistance for 1st Alamein: July 1942
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2 players
- 75–120 min
- 10+
- Complexity 2.2/5
Rules assistant for 1st Alamein: July 1942
For 2 players
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
1st Alamein: July 1942 is a board game released in 1997 for 2 players, 75–120 minutes per game, and ages 10 and up. It was designed by Lou Coatney and Robert Scott Coatney and its main mechanics are Dice Rolling, Grid Movement, and Secret Unit Deployment.
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About the game
1st Alamein is my (Lou Coatney's) 1997-designed free, print-and-play 2-player game about the opening battle for Alamein, in July 1942, which was Rommel's best chance to break through and take naval base Alexandria, Cairo, and the Suez. It is the first part of my Battles for Alamein game set, and it is an ideal introductory game for the hex-and-counter game format. It uses archaic (but surprisingly realistic) combat mechanics with "active Zones of Control" requiring combat - except of Allied units already in brigade boxes/fortifications - which can be taken and eliminated. My trademark Disruption rules showcase the importance of keeping at least one unengaged or at least UnDisrupted unit as a reserve. The icons/figures on the pieces are by my older son Robert, who was also the playtester to the point of helping me design the game. (We have played it hundreds of times together, even in video telephone conversations.) Graphics guru Patrick Tremoureux has used those to produce professional quality map and units. The scale of the game is: 1 day of real time per (10) game-turn(s), approximately 6 miles/10 kilometers per hexagonal space width, and brigade-to-division (8,000-15,000 men) unit scale, which amounts to 12 ground units on each side. It takes a little over an hour to play.
Categories
Designers
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- (Web published)
Questions and answers
1st Alamein: July 1942 supports 2 players according to the catalogue. This is the publisher’s listed player count, so the game is designed for exactly that number of participants. Variants for other group sizes, if any, are described in the rulebook of your edition, so check it before setting up a different configuration.
The listed playing time for 1st Alamein: July 1942 is 75–120 minutes. This is the publisher’s estimate for a full game. The actual duration depends on the group, the player count and familiarity with the rules: first sessions usually run longer, while experienced groups often finish faster. Setup and teaching time are not included in this estimate.
The catalogue lists 1st Alamein: July 1942 for ages 10 and up. This is the publisher’s recommendation and reflects reading demands, rule complexity and small components rather than theme alone. Younger players can often join with help from an adult, so check the age guidance on your edition and consider your group’s experience with board games.
1st Alamein: July 1942 has a complexity rating of 2.2 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-light game. The rating reflects how much rules knowledge, planning and decision-making a typical game demands. Expect a longer first teach for heavier games, and use a preparation guide before game night.
1st Alamein: July 1942 belongs to these categories: Wargame, Print & Play, and World War II. Its main mechanics are Dice Rolling, Grid Movement, and Secret Unit Deployment. Categories describe the theme and setting of a game, while mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you want something comparable.
The credited designers of 1st Alamein: July 1942 are: Lou Coatney and Robert Scott Coatney. These credits come from the published game data and name the people responsible for the game’s design, not its illustrators or publishers. Designer pages on MeepleRules collect other titles by the same designers, which helps when you enjoy a game and want to find similar ones.
The catalogue lists 1st Alamein: July 1942 as a base game. It can be played on its own with the components in the box and does not require any other title. Expansions, if any exist, add new content or rules on top of it and are listed separately in the catalogue with a link back to this base game.