Chapter 1: The Rats of Tobruk

1941, Afrika Korps units, led by Rommel, move towards Egypt from Tunisia, seeking to reach the Suez
Canal to control the oil fields of the Middle East; a supply line of 2,000 km becomes longer and longer,
creating the need to capture a new port on the Mediterranean to receive supplies of fuel, food and
ammunition. This new port is the city of Tobruk in Libya, recently taken by the British from the Italians
but cut off from Egypt by the siege by Axis troops.
In charge of defending the city were the soldiers of the 9th Australian Division, commanded by General
Leslie Morshead, derogatorily christened the Rats of Tobruk by Marshal Rommel in an attempt to lower
their morale, but which had the opposite effect as they proudly adopted this appellation and fought with
greater mettle. These men were tasked with holding out for 8 weeks while Operation Crusader was
executed in order to liberate the city. The siege began on 10 April but no one knew when it would end.

OBJECTIVE OF THE GAME

Finish the game in 17 turns before 2 of your 3 fortresses are destroyed or the water runs out.
Each turn represents a span of 2 weeks within which you will have to fight the advance of the
Panzer Dice into the city, through mines and ditches.
You win the game if you manage to finish 18 turns with at least one Defence Point in each of 2
of the 3 main Fortresses protecting the city.
You lose the game if you lose all Defence Points from 2 of the 3 Strongholds on Game Sheet 1
or lose all Water Points before completing Turn 16.

REQUIRED COMPONENTS

They are necessary for the game:

-Play sheets 1 and 2,
-8 dice, 6 of the same colour, which we will call Basic Dice, and 2 of another colour, which
we will call Panzer Firing Dice.
-This rules of the game document.
It can be played in Roll and Write mode, using pencil and eraser or using 8 mm cubes: 10 of
one colour and
9 of a different colour to represent mines.

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GAME SHEET 1

Panzer Dice Boxes. There are 5 of these:

One for the Dice attacking the Badria
Fortress; two for the Dice attacking the El
Adem Fortress and two for the Dice
attacking the Derna Fortress.
Panzer Advance sectors (red arrows),
and sectors where mine cubes can be
placed (10 km, 5 km and 0 km).

Defence Counters. There are 3 of these,

one for Badria Fortress, with 8 Defence
Points; one for El Adem Fortress, with 10 Hurricane and Stuka bombing for when all
Defence Points; and one for Derna Basic Dice are Panzer Dice.
Fortress, with 10 Defence Points.
PLAY SHEET 2

Boxes for Supplies. There are 2 of

Action Dice Boxes. There are 4 of these, for these: one for Air Supplies and one for
Officer, Defence or Water, Fire and Mines. Sea Supplies.

A counter of completed shifts, each

representing a date on which events
such as Air Supply or Sea Supply
Food, Ammo, Destroyed Panzer Dice, may occur.
and Troop Morale counters.

Water Meter. Each turn you must spend 2 Points.

GAME SHEETS

The game is played on 2 game sheets representing the map on which the Panzer Dice are
deployed, the player's Defence Points and the different items involved in the battle, similar to the
development of Panzer Dice: Eastern Front and Panzer Dice 2: Last Battle!
Game Sheet 1 shows the map of the area where the city of Tobruk is located, divided into
different sectors; the Panzer Dice boxes and the Defence Point counters of the 3 main
Fortresses, as well as the Stuka or Hurricane Bombardment events.
On Game Sheet 2 are the counters for supplies such as water, food, and ammunition; record of
Panzer Dice destroyed and Troop Morale status; and the current turn record. There are also the
boxes for Action Dice and Supplies received throughout the game.

GAME PREPARATION (Using 8mm cubes)

On Game Sheet 1 place one coloured cube on each of the 3 defence counters labelled Badria,
El Adem and Derna, at their maximum value. Roll a die, the result is the number of Mine Cubes
you can place in the Panzer Advance sectors. Take as many Mine Cubes as the die indicates
and place each of them in one of the 15 possible Panzer Advance sectors of your choice. There
can only be one cube per sector.
On Game Sheet 2, place one cube on each of the Water, Food, Ammo, Destroyed Panzer Dice,
and Troop Morale counters at their maximum value. Place a cube on the Turn Track on the date
April 20. That's it! You are ready to play Panzer Dice 3: The Rats of Tobruk.

DEVELOPMENT OF THE GAME

The game is played in turns and ends successfully when 18 turns have been completed. Each
turn is made up of 6 phases which are played in the following order:

1. Basic Dice
2. Action
3. Panzer fire
4. Panzer Preview
5. Food and Water
6. Update Date

Each phase of the game is described below:

1. Basic Dice
Roll all available Basic Dice (on the first turn there are 6), and assign them to their
corresponding boxes taking into account the result of each die. The dice with results 2 and 3
are Panzer Dice and must be assigned to the Panzer Dice boxes on Game Sheet 1. Boxes
where you have placed Panzer Dice are said to be Activated.
Result dice 1, 4, 5 and 6 are Action Dice and represent an action that can be performed in
the second phase.
2. Action
Execute all Action Dice actions in numerical order according to each of their attributes:

Each die of this class can be changed to another side, 4, 5 and 6 or can be used to
choose one of the supplies if you are on a turn with an Air or Sea Supply date regardless
of whether you have resolved the Supply event in Phase 6 of the
previous shift.
This type of die can be blocked during a turn for use in a subsequent turn. After use it must be
returned to be rolled in the first phase of the next turn.

This type of die can be used to recover Defence Points in any of the 3 main Fortresses
called Bardia, El Adem and Derna. With one die you regain one point, with each
additional die you use you regain 2 points. Adjust the cube of the
Defence Point counter that you have repaired.
It can also be used to recover Water points. You regain 2 points for each additional die used. If
you regain 3 Water Points in a turn then you regain one Troop Morale Point.

With dice of this type you can open fire on Panzer Dice. With a Fire Point, decrease the
face of the Panzer Die by one unit, when it reaches zero, the die is recovered to be rolled
next turn as a Basic Die. You make 2
Fire Points for each additional die used. For each Fire Point spent, you must move one position
on the Ammo Counter. When the Ammo Counter r e a c h e s zero, you lose one Morale Point
and must continue fighting without ammo until you recover in a Supply event or by destroying 10
Panzer Dice.
If you get dice of this class in the first phase of a turn but have no ammunition, you can change
their result to 4 or 6-sided dice.

With dice of this class you can place Mine Cubes in Panzer Advance sectors. You can
place 2 cubes for each additional die used. There can only be a maximum of 9 Mine
Cubes placed in sectors. There can only be one
Mine by sector.

3. Panzer fire
If there are Activated Panzer Dice boxes, you must roll a die. If the result matches one of the
sides labelled on the activated box, then the corresponding Panzer Die has opened fire on one
of the Strongholds with a firepower equal to its current side. Each box has the name of the
Fortress it is attacking written on it. For example: if each is activated with a Panzer Die value of
2, and has El Adem's name written on it, then El Adem's Fortress loses 2 Defence Points. You
must move the cube 2 positions. If the cube reaches zero then the Fortress has fallen and
cannot recover but can still take damage. If in subsequent turns that fortress is attacked again
then any of the other 2 Fortresses lose Defence Points.

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When the turn counter cube is in a grey coloured box or if the Troop Morale counter cube is in a
grey coloured box, then you have to roll 2 Panzer Fire dice.

4. Panzer Preview
Every Panzer Die must move 5 km towards the city, unless it has a Mine Cube in the sector in
front of it. When there is a Mine Cube in the sector in front of the sector occupied by a Panzer
Die, you must roll a die, if the result is even, then the Panzer Die does not move and the Mine
Cube is removed from the Game Sheet Map 1. If the result is odd then you remove the Mine
Cube and the Panzer Die takes its place but its face is lowered by one unit, i.e. if the Panzer Die
with a value of 3 advances into the sector with the Mine Cube, then it must occupy the new
position with a value of 2. If the Panzer Die has a value of 1, then the Panzer Die is Destroyed
and is re-rolled the following turn as a Basic Die.
As can be seen on the Map and in the diagram on page 2, it is possible to place Mine Cubes
behind Defence Counters but Panzer Dice can also occupy these places, breaking through the
last line of defence. When this happens, the Fortress loses Defence Points equal to the value of
the Panzer Dice that just passed through it and you lose one Morale Point.

5. Food and Water

In this phase of the turn you must spend 2 Water Points and 1 Food Point. If the Water counter
reaches 1, you lose one Troop Morale Point; if it reaches zero you lose the game unless the
turn counter is on the November 6 or November 20 date. If the Food counter reaches zero you
lose one Troop Morale Point. Each turn you play with zero Food you lose one Morale point.
Each time you recover 3 Water Points, you gain 1 Morale Point.

6. Update Date
In this phase you move the cube on the turn counter. If the new space contains an aeroplane
icon you must resolve an Air Supply event, roll a die and resolve the supply obtained in the
corresponding box on Game Sheet 2. If the new space contains a ship icon you must resolve a
Sea Supply event, roll a die and resolve the supply obtained in the corresponding box.
Remember that in Supply events you also regain Morale Points if you receive 3 Water Points.
If the turn is on a date with a grey box, then you must roll 2 dice in the Panzer Fire Phase of the
current turn.
When the cube on the turn counter reaches the date 27 November (with the flag icon), you have
won the game.

X TEN PANZER DICE DESTROYED

Each time you destroy a Panzer Die in the Action phase or Panzer Advance phase, you must
mark on the Destroyed Panzer Dice counter on Game Sheet 2, when the counter reaches 10
then you regain all maximum Ammo and regain one Troop Morale Point.
 BOMBING EVENT
HURRICANE

If at any time all 6 Action Dice become Panzer Dice then you have a Bombardment event.
The first time this happens is a Hurricane Bombardment, then all Panzer Dice on the Map are
destroyed and recovered to be rolled next turn. You gain one Troop Morale Point. You must
then place a cube in the Hurricane box on Playing Sheet 1.
The second time this happens it is a Stuka Bombardment, then all Panzer Dice on the Map
retreat and are retrieved to be rolled next turn as Basic Dice. You lose one Defence Point on
each Fortress that remains standing and lose one Morale Point. You then remove the cube from
the Hurricane box and place it in the Stuka box.
These events keep alternating in succession.

SUPPLY EVENT

If in the Refresh Date Phase you move the turn counter cube into a box with an aircraft or ship
icon, you must resolve the supply. A 1-sided Action Die can obtain an additional supply if the
turn counter cube is in one of the Supply event boxes.

TROOP MORALE

You start the game with 8 Morale Points. When if you reach 1 Morale Point then you have to roll
2 dice in the Panzer Fire phase. If you lose all Morale Points then you lose the game.

You lose 1 Morale Point in the following cases:

-You get to have 1 Water Point.
-You get to zero Food Points.
-You play a new turn with no Food Points.
-You get to zero Ammunition Points.
-A Panzer die rolls through a Fortress.
-A Fortress has fallen.
-There is a Stuka Bombing event.

You gain a Morale Point in the following cases:

-You regain 3 Water Points.
-You regain Food Points after having zero points.
-You regain Ammunition Points after having zero Points.
-There is a Hurricane Bombing event.
Go ahead, keep your morale high and don't give up, the battle in North Africa is far from over.
The Panzer Dice will have to be defeated later in Panzer Dice 3: Operation Crusader and then in
the Battle of El Alamein.

Thanks for playing!

Miguel Durán
Colombia 2022
Roll and Write
maduranp@gmail.com

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Game Sheet 1
DIE
PANZER
Libya 1941
PA
3
NZ
ER
DI
E
E
DI
ER
NZ HURRICANE
PA
El Adem
El A
dem
ia
rd
Ba
Africa
El Adem
8
Mediterranean Sea 7 6 5
8 4
9 3
10 2

De
1 E
DI

rna
ER
S NZ
8 PA
7
W
E 6 10
5 9 15 Km
N TOBRUK 10 Km
4 8 5 Km
Bardia
0 Km
3 PANZER
7 DIE
2 Derna
6
Episode 1:

Derna
1
5
4
3
2
1
Miguel Durán 2022
Game Sheet 2
16 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2
ACTION DICE

WATER
FOOD
3
SUPPLIES
OFFICER 1941 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Changes to any other Action Die
or can choose Supply if it is on
April 20 =2
AMMUNITION
=3
the date. April 24
May 8 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
DEFENSE
OR WATER
May 22
X DESTROYED PANZER DICE
=2
One can recover one defense or
water point. Two points for each
adittional used.
June 5
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
=3
= 1 +2
.
June 19
July 3 MORALE OF THE TROOPS
FIRE
July 17 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 =3 + 1
One spend one Ammunition Point
against the Panzer Dice. Two for July 31
S SUPPLIES
each adittional used.
Aug 14 1 BASIC DICE: Roll all the available basic
=3 +1
W dice and place them on the corresponding
E Aug 28 Action or Panzer Dice boxes.
+3
MINES
N
One place one Mine Cube on a
Sept 11 2 RESOLVE:
Resolve Action Dice. =2
+1
PANZER FIRE: Roll one or two Panzer
=3
Sector of the Map. Two cubes Sept 25 3
for each adittional used. Fire dice.
Oct 9 PANZER ADVANCING: Those Panzer
+3
4
Episode 1: Oct 23
Dice that haven‛t Mine Cubes in front
advance across 5 Km. Those Panzer Dice =1
+3
that have Mine Cubes in front anvance
Nov 6 or remain on posittion depending on the
die.
=2
+2
Nov 20
=2
5 FOOD AND WATER: Spend one Food
point and two Water points.
Nov 27 DATE: Actualize date and resolve
6
Supply if it is on the date.
Miguel Durán 2022