
- BGG rank
- BGG #6,358
- BGG rating
- 8.1
France '40: 2nd Edition
- 2 players
- 240–360 min
- Complexity 3.3/5
- 2024

1991
Rules assistance for The Legend Begins: North Africa, 1940-42
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.
The Legend Begins: North Africa, 1940-42 is a board game released in 1991 for 2 players, 240–480 minutes per game, and ages 12 and up. It was designed by Mark Simonitch and its main mechanics are Dice Rolling, Variable Set-up, and Grid Movement.
The Legend Begins is an Operational level board-wargame simulating the war in Libya and Egypt during World War 2, with multiple scenarios and an overall Campaign game. The map covers North Africa from Alexandria to Marble Arch at 12km/hex. The 1st and 2nd edition (by Rhino Games, only available in ziplock) only cover 1941. The 3rd edition (by Terran Games, also known as the Deluxe edition), covers 1940-1942 with a much larger mix of scenarios and a 1940-42 campaign game. This is achieved in part by increasing the timescale so that a turn covers a longer period of time. Counters of all editions have the same layout and combat values but the movement values were changed in 3rd Ed to accommodate the different timescale. Every scenario can also be used as a starting point for the campaign game.
The Legend Begins: North Africa, 1940-42 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 The Legend Begins: North Africa, 1940-42 is 240–480 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 The Legend Begins: North Africa, 1940-42 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.
The Legend Begins: North Africa, 1940-42 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.
The Legend Begins: North Africa, 1940-42 belongs to these categories: Wargame and World War II. Its main mechanics are Dice Rolling, Variable Set-up, and Grid Movement. 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 The Legend Begins: North Africa, 1940-42 are: Mark Simonitch. 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 The Legend Begins: North Africa, 1940-42 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.