Since the launch of Armies of Germany: Third Edition, we’ve been examining some of the different kinds of forces you can build, particularly using the new Defend the Fatherland special rules to theme your army. This time, however, we’re looking at a specific formation of the ‘standard’ German Army, which can be represented by ‘normal’ units – the Afrika Korps!
The Afrika Korps were, as the name suggests, the formation deployed to North Africa from 1941 to 1943, most famously commanded by the ‘Desert Fox’, Erwin Rommel. Their battles against British, Commonwealth, and later US forces would become legendary, and their desert uniform and equipment stands out among German formations deployed in Europe. This makes them a fantastic force to build and paint – and our extensive range has you well covered – but what about on the tabletop?
As a force covering both the Early and Middle periods of the war, the Afrika Korps has a really interesting mixture of equipment, and is a great opportunity to include some slightly more ‘out there’ units in your force. With the help of the Warlord Games App, I’ve put together some example armies to show just a few of the different ways you can build your force, depending on what kind of game you want to play.
‘Classic’ Afrika Korps – View Army List
We’ll start with what for me is the absolute classic Afrika Korps vibe – loads of half-tracks, with plenty of infantry jumping out of them! This force is quite unusual by Third Edition standards, being made up of a single Rifle Platoon, but that’s all it needs! While it’s very light on anti-tank firepower, it makes up for it by being able to put a lot of infantry up close and personal very quickly, and absolutely bristles with machine guns! Against the kind of lighter British tanks found in the desert in the early part of the war, the AT rifle and ‘doorknocker’ on the 251/10 can still be very dangerous – this is a great list for really thematic games on wide-open desert tables, where its ability to manoeuvre and rapidly redeploy can shine. There’s no conversion or kitbashing needed for this list, either – you can actually make all of the infantry on foot, including weapons teams, out of the plastic Afrika Korps boxed set, while our metal Kradschützen will look fantastic as they sweep across the board. The half-tracks are a brilliant opportunity to really flex your painting muscles as well, with their single-colour paint scheme allowing for loads of weathering and decal application over a really simple base.
‘Late Desert War’ Afrika Korps – View Army List
Next, we’re going further towards the end of the Afrika Korps, which allows us to field an early marque of the legendary Tiger! This big cat is the clear centrepiece of the force, and its enormous gun is certain to put the frighteners on any Allied armour it encounters, but it’s by no means alone and unsupported. A Panzer IV packing a light howitzer brings some anti-infantry ‘oomph’, while three big Heer squads provide all the bodies this list needs to take and hold objectives. One of my favourite units from Armies of Germany, the Spähtruppen, can use Infiltrators to begin the game deployed well forward – perfect for dealing with any marauding Desert Rats – while a couple of weapons teams add some ancillary firepower. This is actually a force that can be made entirely in plastic, including the tanks, but for extra ‘authenticity’ you can use the resin early-production Tiger I Ausf. H to represent this early fielding of the armoured behemoth.
‘Alternative’ Afrika Korps – View Army List
For our final list, we’re getting a little bit weird and wonderful with some really characterful units, as well as a certified desert classic – the mighty ‘Flak 88’! This massive artillery piece forms the ‘anchor’ of the army, alongside the Medium Mortars, and can absolutely dominate any enemy armour or infantry (or even aircraft!) foolish enough to get into its sights. The Heer squads, backbone of any Afrika Korps force, are present as always, but this time they’ve got some specialist support. The die-hard Fallschirmjäger paratroopers add an infantry unit that won’t go away easily, while the legendary Brandenburger special forces troops bring both a plethora of special rules that impact your opponent, and some serious close-quarters punch – stick them in the 250 and get them forward to really apply some pressure! As befits their specialist status, the Brandenburgers provide a fantastic opportunity to convert some truly unique models, while our metal Fallschirmjäger in tropical uniforms give you all the ‘paras’ this force needs.
These are of course just a few of the endless possibilities at your fingertips when creating an Afrika Korps force. Grab your copy of Armies of Germany: Third Edition, and some sun cream – it’s time to head into the desert!
