
- BGG rank
- BGG #8,829
- BGG rating
- 6.9
Western Front Tank Leader
- 2 players
- 240 min
- Complexity 3.1/5
- 1987

1989
Rules assistance for Desert Steel
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
For 2 players

What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Desert Steel is a board game released in 1989 for 2 players, 240 minutes per game, and ages 12 and up. It was designed by Peter Corless and its main mechanics are Dice Rolling, Grid Movement, and Modular Board.
Desert Steel is the third game in West End Game's Tank Leader series. A tactical (platoon/company level) game where formations are activated by playing command cards. Winner of the 1990 Charles Roberts Award for Best WWII Board Game. The emphasis is on command, control and communications with the use of Command cards that represent formations which are used to determine order of movement/combat, rallying and group cohesion. The pinnacle of Panzerblitz style platoon level games, delivered by the same designer who gave us Squad Leader covering command, unit experience, morale and doctrine in an elegant but deep package. The terrain on the two maps is variable for roads, contours, towns, and ground quality (sand, rocks, rubble) which are defined for each scenario.
Desert Steel 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 Desert Steel is 240 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 Desert Steel for ages 12 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.
Desert Steel has a complexity rating of 3.1 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-weight 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.
Desert Steel belongs to these categories: Wargame and World War II. Its main mechanics are Dice Rolling, Grid Movement, and Modular Board. 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 Desert Steel are: Peter Corless. 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 Desert Steel 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.