Strategy & Tactics #313: Windhoek – Campaigns in Southwest Africa 1914–15 is a two-player strategic wargame that recreates the World War I campaign in which British Empire forces, primarily from the Union of South Africa, invaded and conquered German Southwest Africa (modern-day Namibia). The game captures the operational challenges of fighting across vast deserts and remote frontiers, where logistics, command, and timing were often more decisive than firepower.

• Historical Background: In 1914, at the outbreak of the Great War, the British sought to eliminate German colonial holdings in southern Africa. What followed was a gruelling campaign fought across barren terrain, where heat, supply shortages, and distance posed as much threat as the enemy. Historically, the British Empire achieved victory within ten months, but Windhoek explores what might have happened had the Germans resisted as effectively as von Lettow-Vorbeck did in East Africa.
• Gameplay & Objectives: The Allied player (commanding British, South African, and Portuguese colonial forces) must secure victory quickly by capturing key towns and breaking German resistance before logistics and attrition take their toll. The German player must delay, disrupt, and prolong the campaign beyond its historical timeframe, using guerrilla tactics and defensive manoeuvres to slow the Allied advance. Victory depends not only on combat success but on how effectively each side uses its limited Action Points (AP) to recruit, move, and sustain operations.
• System & Design: The game’s core mechanic is the Action Point system, representing each side’s command and logistical capabilities. Players must carefully decide when to expend AP for recruitment, supply, or movement, reflecting the immense logistical challenges of campaigning in Africa. This system creates a tense balance between momentum and attrition, forcing players to think like field commanders operating at the edge of their capabilities.
• Map & Scale: The full-colour map portrays the rugged expanse of Southwest Africa, with each hex representing approximately 25 miles (40 kilometres). Movement and combat are shaped by deserts, mountain ranges, railways, and coastal settlements, with geography playing a major role in operational planning.

Game Components:

• 1 x 22” x 34” map covering German Southwest Africa
• 176 die-cut counters representing British Empire and German colonial forces
• Rules system using Action Points to model command and logistics
• Low-to-intermediate complexity with high strategic replay value

Scale:
Players: 2
Level: Operational / Strategic
Hex: 25 Miles (40 km)
Turn: Variable (Months of campaign)

Gameplay Focus: Windhoek blends strategic decision-making with historical realism, highlighting the logistical struggles, communication challenges, and vast distances that defined colonial warfare in World War I. Every turn forces tough decisions — whether to advance aggressively, conserve resources, or dig in to delay the enemy’s progress.

Strategy & Tactics #313: Windhoek – Campaigns in Southwest Africa 1914–15 offers a rare look at one of the Great War’s most underrepresented campaigns, capturing the tension, difficulty, and strategic depth of fighting in the deserts of Africa.

Available now from Milsims Games — Australia’s leading destination for historical wargames, strategy titles, and military simulations for over 50 years. Price-match guarantee and fast shipping from Mont Albert, VIC.

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