The Great War in Europe
The Great War in Europe Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
- 1.0 Introduction
- 2.0 Game Components
- 3.0 Setup
- 4.0 How to Win
- 5.0 The Turn Sequence
- 6.0 The Strategic Turn
- 7.0 Chits
- 8.0 New Units
- 9.0 Weather
- 10.0 Stacking
- 11.0 Supply
- 11.1 In General
- 11.2 When to Check Supply
- 11.3 Tracing Supply
- 11.4 Limits
- 11.5 Alpine Restrictions
- 11.6 Headquarters Supply
- 11.7 German Baltic Supply
- 11.8 Central Powers East Map Ultimate Supply Sources
- 11.9 Allied East Map Ultimate Supply Sources
- 11.10 Allied East Map Port Supply
- 11.11 Central Powers Western Front Ultimate Supply Sources
- 12.0 Operational Movement
- 13.0 Combat
- 14.0 Strategic Movement
- 15.0 Devastation
- 16.0 Unit Conversions
- 17.0 Designer's Notes
- 18.0 The 1917 Scenario
- 19.0 Abbreviations and Historical Identifications
- 20.0 Aces
- Optional Rules and Scenarios
- 22.0 1915 Scenario
- 23.0 Additional Chits
- 24.0 1916 Scenario
- 25.0 1918 Scenario
- 26.0 Shorter Scenarios
1.0 Introduction
1.1 In General
The Great War in Europe (TGWiE) is a two-player (or two-team) game simulating the campaigns of the main European theaters of the First World War, from August 1914 to the armistice. Players represent the political and military high commands of the Central Powers and the Allies, conducting operations on the western front, the eastern front, in Italy, and in the Balkans.
1.2 Time Scale
Operational turns generally represent one or two months. But due to the faster pace of events at the war's start, the August 1914 turns each represent seven days (August 18-24, and 25-31), while September 1914 turns represent 15 days.
Historical Note: The armies were able to move faster during the summer of 1914 not only because they were fresh, but because they were acting on plans laid far in advance.
1.3 Map Scales
There are two maps in TGWiE. The west map, which includes both the western and Italian fronts, is scaled at 9.5 miles per hex. The eastern map, which covers both the Russian and Balkan fronts, is scaled at 22.5 miles per hex. The only effect of this difference on play is the printed movement allowance of all units is doubled on the west map.
Design Note: One might expect the different map scales would also affect stacking limits, supply lines, advances after combat, and the like, but such rules changes proved unnecessary. For example, while supply lines are longer in miles on the east map, the relative abundance of supply towns and cities on the west map more than compensates, as does the ability to stack greater numbers of troops per square mile. In reality, both operational and logistical constraints meant higher levels of troop concentrations generally occurred in the west. As for advances after combat, the greater distance covered by such moves on the east map is entirely in keeping with the more mobile operations conducted there historically.
1.4 Unit Scale
Units are divisions (about 10,000 to 18,000 men) unless otherwise noted. Army headquarters represent both the artillery attached to that army and its administrative/command center.
1.5 The Compass Roses
The three compass roses on the maps have been adjusted slightly from true north to align directions with the four map edges. Whenever a compass direction is given in these rules, use the directions as they are printed. Thus north is always the top of each map.
1.6 The Balkans
The Balkans area is defined as all land hexes on the east map outside of Austria-Hungary, Germany, Russian Poland, and Russia proper.
1.7 West Map vs. Western Front Map
If a rule is said to apply to the west map, it applies on both the Italian theater of operations map and the map with Paris on it. If a rule is said to apply to the western front map, it applies to the map with Paris on it, but not to the Italian theater of operations map.
1.8 Rules for Basic Game
A. The designer/publisher recommends omitting these rules when first playing to get an idea for the flow of the game: 2.5, 3.8, 4.2-4.5, 6.3-6.12, 6.18, 8.2-8.4, 9.0, 11.0, 13.7, 13.13-13.23, 13.25, 15.0, and 16.0.
B. The shorter scenarios (26.0) can be used in learning the game.
2.0 Game Components
2.1 In General
The components to a complete game of TGWiE include these rules, two mapsheets, the players' aid card, and the die-cut counters. Player must provide a standard (six-sided) die to resolve combat and other special events, and two coffee cups (or other handy opaque containers) to hold both sides' event chits (7.0).
2.2 The Game Maps
2.2.1 In General
A. The two maps represent the militarily significant terrain on the main European fronts during World War I. A hexagonal (hex) grid has been printed over the maps to regulate the placement and movement of units. A unit is considered to be in only one hex at any one time. Each hex contains natural and/or artificial terrain features that can affect the movement of units, combat between units, and the tracing of supply.
B. The terrain on the maps has been altered slightly from its real world configuration to make it conform to the hex grid, but the terrain relationships from hex to hex are accurate to the degree necessary to present players with the same space/time dilemmas faced by their historic counterparts.
C. Each hex has a unique four-digit identification number. When rules references are made to hexes on the west map, they are preceded by the letter W, hexes on the east map by the letter E.
Example: Antwerp is in hex W6819, while Warsaw is in hex E4816.
D. These hex numbers and map letters can be used to record the position of units if a match is interrupted and the game must be put away before it is finished.
E. The charts and tracks printed on the maps are used to record and resolve various game functions. Their uses are explained in the appropriate rules sections below.
2.2.2 Map Errata and Clarifications
A. On the Italian front map, hexes 2927 and 2928, presently shown as mountain hexes, should instead be Alpine hexes.
B. Sofia (hex E1819) is a regular city, not a victory city.
C. Chateau-Thierry is a town in hex W5113.
D. Hex W6410 is a forest hex, not a flood plain.
E. Hex W6105 is a playable hex.
F. The hexside between W6006 and W6106 is an all sea hexside.
2.3 The Counters
2.3.1 In General
A. There are 1,200 counters (also called units and unit counters) included in the game, most of which represent combat formations; others are provided as informational markers and memory aids. After reading these rules at least once, carefully punch out the counters. Trimming the dog ears from their corners with a fingernail clipper will greatly facilitate their handling and stacking during play.
B. Every combat unit counter displays several pieces of information: nationality, historical identification, unit size (all units are divisions unless otherwise noted), movement allowance (doubled on the west map), combat strength, number of steps (if more than one), Strategic Turn of entry or Setup code, replacement status, and Shock Troop conversion status.
C. Headquarters (HQ) counters show those units' artillery strength and movement allowance. (HQs have no normal combat factor.) There are also two special HQ markers (not units in the strict sense): one German (OHL/OberOst) and one Allied (Marshal Foch), which function differently than the other HQs in the game (13.22, 13.23).
2.3.2 Counter Errata
A. The DRM printed on the British Royal Tank Corps (RTC) counter should be +2 instead of +1.
B. The Turkish 3rd Infantry Division is missing its reinforcement entry code. That code should be E.
2.4 Sample Combat Unit
The unit pictured in the rules is the German 8th Bavarian Reserve Division. It is a one-step infantry division with an attack strength (attack factor) of 3, a defense strength (defense factor) of 4, and a movement allowance of 4 (doubled to 8 on the west map). The colored band indicates the unit may be converted into a Shock Troop division (printed on the reverse of the counter). It enters the game during Strategic Turn C. The dot to the right of the unit symbol on the Shock Troop side indicates it may not be replaced once converted into a Shock Troop unit.
2.5 Sample HQ Unit
The pictured unit is the German 8th Army HQ. It has an artillery support factor of 1 (0 on the reverse), and a movement factor of 3 (6 on the west map). The circled letter on the right side of the counter is a Setup code, indicating the unit starts the game already on the map. This particular code indicates the unit will be Setup in Germany on the east map (3.3).
Players Note: HQs are not combat units. They are not counted when choosing the CRT, do not satisfy step losses, and are eliminated if an enemy combat unit enters their hex during normal movement or advance after combat.
2.6 Nationality
A unit's nationality, and therefore its side, is indicated by its color scheme.
2.6.1 Allies
- Belgium: dark orange
- Britain: red
- France: dark blue
- Czarist Russia: gold on dark green
- Russian Provisional Govt: pink
- Serbia: light blue
2.6.2 Central Powers
- Austria Hungary: gray
- Germany - Regular: black on field gray
- Germany - Shock Troops: white on black
- Ottoman Empire: green on white
2.6.3 Neutrals
- Bulgaria: light green
- Greece: gray-on-brown
- Italy: gold
- Montenegro: pale blue
- Romania: yellow
- United States: olive green
Design Note: The neutrals will enter the war on one side or the others as events progress.
2.7 Historical Identification
Each unit is identified by a number and/or an abbreviation of its name. The abbreviations are listed in Rule 19.0.
Design Note: The designation of some units changed during the war. This is only noted in the counter mix when the strength or type also changed (for example, the Russian Kerensky divisions).
2.8 Unit Types
The boxed symbols in the center of the counters indicate the unit type. The unit types are: Infantry, Infantry (Shock Troop, "Stoss"), Mountain, Cavalry, Tank, Anti-Tank, and HQ.
2.9 Attack and Defense Factors
A. These two combat factors are separate measures of a unit's ability to attack and defend.
B. A unit with only one combat factor has that same strength for both attack and defense (13.0).
2.10 Operational Movement Factor
A. This is the measure of the unit's ability to move across the maps. Units pay different movement costs to enter different types of terrain.
B. The movement factor of all units on the west map, including Italy, is double the number printed on them.
2.11 Steps
A. Units are either one-step or two-step units. Bulgarian, US, and some British units have two steps, indicated by the printing on the reverse side.
B. The first step of all two-step British units may not be replaced.
C. Headquarters have only one step. The reverse side displays artillery status.
D. Units marked as eligible for conversion to another type of unit only have one step. In such cases the printing on the reverse side is not a second step. Rather, when it undergoes conversion (16.0), it is flipped to show its new status, at which time the old organization is out of play. The two styles of such units are entirely separate from each other in time, and each functions as a one step unit.
E. Steps are a measure of its ability to absorb losses before being eliminated. When a unit is eliminated in game play, it does not mean every individual in it has been killed but rather enough casualties and equipment losses have been suffered to render it useless for further combat operations.
F. If a two-step unit takes a step loss, flip it over so display its reduced side.
G. If a one-step unit (or a two-stepper that had already been reduced) takes a step loss, remove it from the map (as eliminated) and place in the dead pile.
Design Note: The original BEF divisions have two steps based on their excellent professionalism and élan. The Bulgarians get it because of their bloated tables of organization. The American units are awarded it for both reasons.
2.12 Artillery Support Factors
Most headquarters units have an artillery support factor of 1 or 2 on the front of their counter. It may be used in one combat on attack or defense. After using it, flip the counter to its reverse side (0 artillery support) until the next Strategic Turn.
2.13 Other Counters
The remaining counter types are: Resource Points (6.2); German Cavalry Conversion (16.3); Trench Status (13.16); Weather Indicator (9.0); Turn Record (5.0); Devastated Zone (15.0); Allied Held Cities; Resource Hex (6.3); Destroyed Fortification (13.24); Hindenburg Line (13.25); Special Event Chit (7.5); Central Powers Victory Points (4.2); VPs Retaken (4.2); and OHL/OberOst (6.18, 13.22).
3.0 Setup
3.1 Choose Sides and Setup
A. Choose which side each player will command.
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The Central Powers initially control all German and Austro-Hungarian units. Later the Central Powers may also command Turkish, Bulgarian, and possibly Romanian forces.
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The Allies initially control the forces of Belgium, Britain, France, Montenegro, Russia, and Serbia. Later the Allies may also control the forces of Greece, Italy, the United States, and perhaps Romania.
B. To begin:
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Both players should take all the units of the countries they initially control and sort them into two piles: units with a circled at-start setup code, and other units with a reinforcement letter (not circled).
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Place the reinforcement units in the various holding boxes on the eastern map in the Baltic Sea area (8.0).
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Place each Trench Status Marker in the No Effect box of the Trench Status track in the Adriatic Sea area of the eastern map.
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Place the Victory and Resource Point markers in the 0 space of the General Records Track on the west map.
3.2 Allied Setup
The Allies set up first on both maps. Stacking limits (10.0) are in effect during setup. Place Allied units according to their setup code:
- BE: Deploy in W6819 (Antwerp), except for the 4th Division, which begins in W6221.
- B: BEF: Set up in or adjacent to W6316 (Mons).
- F: Deploy in France adjacent to the Belgian, Luxembourgeois, and German borders between hexes W5622 and W3830 inclusive. No more than 10 units may begin north of hex row 53xx.
- G: Deploy in France or Belgium west of the Meuse, except hexes 6424 and 6524. (For setup purposes, consider the Meuse to keep running toward the southwest, along the hexsides of 4323, 4223, 4122, 4022, etc., to the south map edge.)
- L: Place the Lille Fortress Division in W6413 (Lille).
- MN: Deploy anywhere in Montenegro.
- S: Southwest Front: Deploy in Russia, including Russian Poland, adjacent to the Austro-Hungarian border between hexes E4216 and E3524 inclusive.
- SR: Deploy anywhere in Serbia.
- V: Start in any fortification and/or heavy fortification hexes in their home countries, no more than two per hex.
- 1: Deploy in and/or adjacent to E5620 (Kovno).
- 2: Deploy in and/or adjacent to E4816 (Warsaw).
Design Note: Though many divisions belonging to the Southwest Front start on the map, the headquarters itself does not enter play until Strategic Turn A. This is a reflection of the still incomplete state of Russian mobilization.
3.3 Central Powers Setup
The Central Powers set up second on both maps. Stacking limits are in effect during setup. Place all units with a Setup Code as follows:
- A: Deploy inside Austria-Hungary with in three hexes (two intervening hexes) of any S Russian units.
- B: Deploy within six hexes of E3310 (Budapest).
- E: Deploy anywhere in Germany on the east map.
- M: Deploy in Austria-Hungary in any hexes adjacent to the border with Serbia and/or Montenegro.
- W: Deploy in any hexes in Germany on the west map, and/or in Belgium within three hexes of W6526 (Aachen). When counting hexes, do no count into or through any Dutch hexes. At least 30 German infantry divisions must set up north of hex row W59xx.
- X: Deploy in any heavy fortification hex on the west map in Germany, no more than two per hex.
- Y: Deploy in any fortification or heavy fortification hexes in Germany on the east map.
OberOst is available for use on Turn 1.
3.4 August 1914 Special Rules
A. The Central Powers begin with the initiative on the west map.
B. The Allies have the initiative on the east map (6.17).
C. The initiative determination is for Turns 1 and 2.
D. French and Russian units, unless defending in friendly fortification or heavy fortification hexes suffer a one column shift to the right when on the defense, and one to the left when attacking, during Turns 1 and 2.
E. No strategic movement takes place during Turn 1.
F. No Belgian units may move during Turn 1.
G. V, X, and Y units may not move nor attack during Turns 1 and 2.
H. Russian 1 and 2 units may not stack or attack together during Turns 1 and 2.
Design Note: The French shift is due to faulty tactical doctrine. The Russian shift is due to incomplete mobilization.
3.5 Hex Control
A. Except for the neutral countries not yet in play, every playable land hex is always controlled by one side or the other, never by both sides at the same time. This is important for judging supply, strategic movement, and victory.
B. At the start of play, the Central Powers control all hexes in Germany, Austria-Hungary, Luxembourg, and German-occupied hexes in Belgium.
C. The Allies also control all hexes in France, Russia, Serbia, Montenegro, and non-German-occupied hexes in Belgium.
D. All other areas begin the game as neutral.
E. Control of a hex switches from one side to the other the instant a ground unit of the gaining side enters that hex.
F. All hexes in a neutral country become friendly to the side it joins the instant it enters the war.
G. Control switching may occur and reoccur in the same hex any number of times during play.
Design Note: Luxembourg's neutrality has been violated and all hexes are considered under Central Powers' control though no German units set up there. This device is to keep the Central Powers player from aborting the Schlieffen Plan (17.0).
3.6 Neutrals
A. At the start of the game, Albania, Greece, Italy, Romania, the United States, Bulgaria, and the Ottoman Empire (Turkey) are neutral.
B. In general, players may not move or attack into nations that have not yet entered the war on one side or the other.
C. However, once the Salonika chit has been played (7.14), both sides are free to enter and attack into both Greece and Albania.
3.7 National Restrictions
Some nations are restricted as to where their units may operate.
- Austria-Hungary: No more than four units may operate on the western front, and never before the start of 1917. On the east map, no more than four units may operate north of hex row 48xx.
- Bulgaria: May not move or attack outside the Balkans (1.6).
- Greece: May not move or attack outside the Balkans (1.6).
- Italy: No more than six units may operate anywhere other than the Italian front map prior to Austro-Hungarian collapse (4.5). After that collapse, this restriction is lifted, but for the east map only.
- Italian Theater: Prior to the start of 1917, only Italian and Austro-Hungarian units may operate on this map.
- Montenegro: Units may not move (but may attack) outside Montenegro.
- Ottoman Empire: May only operate on the east map. No more than four units may operate outside the Balkans. No Central Powers unit may enter the Ottoman Empire before its army is deployed on the map.
- Romania: Units may only operate on the east map.
- Russia: Units may only operate on the east map.
- Serbia: Units may only operate on the east map.
- US: Only one unit may operate outside the western front.
3.8 National Cooperation
A. Within the restrictions of 3.7, units belonging to different nations of the same side may stack and move together.
B. Any combat containing a mixed stacks suffers a one column rightward shift when defending, and a one column leftward shift when attacking.
C. This penalty applies to multi-hex, multi-national attacks even if each hex of the attacking force is stacked according to nationality.
D. Exceptions to the above are:
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US divisions may stack with any Allied units without suffering this penalty prior to the entry of the US 1st Army Headquarters into play. (Its scheduled entry may not be delayed.)
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German units stacked with or adjacent to their Sud HQ unit may stack there with any other Central Powers units without penalty.
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After Strategic Turn F, the only non-Canadian unit that may stack with Canadians without generating the penalty is the British Royal Tank Corps (RTC).
Design Note: Aside from the Canadian restriction above, for purposes of this rule, all units of the British Empire (no matter if they are actually English, Australian, Indian, etc.) are considered to be of the same nationality, but see 6.12 for restrictions on British replacements.
4.0 How to Win
4.1 In General
A. The game is won by the side who, by gaining control of key hexes initially controlled by its opponent, breaks the other side's will to fight.
B. Victory is checked once at the start of each Strategic Turn (6.0).
C. Each side also has the potential to win an instant victory at any point in the game.
4.2 Central Powers Instant Victory
The Central Powers may win an instant victory the moment any of the following events occurs:
A. During any turn after the French Mutiny event chit (7.20) has been played and Russia has collapsed (4.5), the Central Powers roll a die whenever they capture a victory hex in France. Add that die roll (after subtracting from it the number of VPs retaken - see below) to its current VP total. If that sum is 20 or more, French national morale has been shattered and the Central Powers win.
B. Such a die roll may only be made once for each VP hex in France. If the same hex is subsequently lost and then recaptured by the Central Powers, the Central Powers do not roll again for that hex. If needed, make a note as a reminder after a roll is made for a VP hex.
C. If the Central Powers captures more than one VP hex in France during a single turn, make one roll for each such hex, adding an additional +1 DRM for each roll after the first.
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If the US has entered the war (6.16), but there are fewer than six full strength US divisions in France, apply a +1 DRM.
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If playing with the option the Allies need not reveal a French Army Mutiny has taken place (7.20), the Central Powers will not know when they are eligible for a instant victory. They should roll the die as if eligible on any turn after 1916 (provided Russia has collapsed), and the Allies must then reveal if a Central Powers Instant Victory has been achieved. Even if the French Army Mutiny has not taken place, such a roll would count as the only Instant Victory die roll allowed for a particular French VP hex.
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For every Central Powers' controlled victory hex in France and Belgium that the Allies recapture after Turn 28 (March 1917), the Central Powers applies a -1 DRM. Use the VP Retaken marker to keep track of this on the General Records Track. This number is never lowered, even if the Central Powers later retake such a hex. Each victory hex in France and Belgium only counts for this rule the first time it is retaken by the Allies.
Example: The Central Powers capture Verdun. In July 1917 the Allies retake it. The VPs Retaken marker is placed on the 1 space on the General Records Track. The Central Powers must apply a -1 DRM to any subsequent Instant Victory die roll, even if they retake Verdun. Likewise, if the Allies retake Verdun a second time, the number does not go up. If, however, the Allies retook Arras, the Central Powers would have to begin applying a -2 DRM to Instant Victory die rolls.
Players Note: Though a Central Powers Instant Victory can only be triggered through the capture of hexes in France, all VP hexes that can be gained control of anywhere on the two maps count toward victory under this rule and the kind of victory described in rule 4.4. Likewise, the VPs Retaken marker has no effect on the kind of victory described in 4.4.
4.3 Allied Instant Victory
The Allies win an Instant Victory the moment they control Berlin or any two hexes of the Ruhr.
4.4 Regular Victory
A. The Central Powers win if during the Victory Check Phase of any Strategic Turn after Turn B (no Victory Check Phase during Strategic Turns A and B), they have at least 20 VPs.
B. The Central Powers receive 1 VP for every victory hex controlled on either map.
Exception: Scutari (E1709) counts as a VP hex only prior to Austria-Hungary's collapse. After that it is no longer a VP hex.
C. Subtract one from the Central Powers VP total for each city hex in Germany, Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria, Luxembourg, and the Ottoman Empire that the Allies currently control.
D. All map edge hexes in Germany (on both the east and west maps) are considered to be city hexes for the purposes of this rule.
E. Likewise, all the map edge hexes in France are treated as VP hexes for Central Powers VP tabulation. If the VP total is a negative number (any number less than zero) at the start of any Victory Check Phase, the Allies win the game. Use the Central Powers VP marker and the Allied Cities Controlled marker to keep track of the two numbers.
F. Either side may concede defeat (accept an armistice) at any time it feels its position has become hopeless. If neither side has won by the end of June 1919 (the Victory Check Phase of Strategic Turn U), the game is a draw.
4.5 Collapse
Austria-Hungary, Belgium, Bulgaria, France, the Ottoman Empire, Romania, and Russia may suffer national collapse.
A. Austria-Hungary collapses the instant any one of the following takes place:
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The Allies control Vienna;
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The Allies control Budapest;
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The Allies control both Trent and Trieste;
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Any three supplied Allied units occupy a non-Alpine board edge hex(es) on the Italian map inside Austria-Hungary;
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Both Bulgaria and Turkey have collapsed; or
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Bulgaria has collapsed and the Turkey Surrenders (7.21) chit has been played.
B. Belgium collapses if every hex in that country is Central Powers controlled at the same time. If the Belgian HQ is eliminated, a Belgian city must be liberated to bring back replacements, including the HQ.
C. Bulgaria collapses when the Bulgaria Collapses event chit is played, or when Sofia comes under Allied control, whichever occurs first.
D. France collapses the instant every hex of Paris becomes Central Powers controlled, provided there are fewer than six full strength US divisions in France. If six or more full strength US divisions are in France at the instant Paris falls, France does not collapse, even if the number of US divisions later drops below six. (This kind of French collapse is entirely separate from that in rule 4.3.)
E. The Ottoman Empire collapses the instant an Allied unit enters hex E1124, thereby opening the Dardanelles.
F. Romania (on the Allied side) collapses if Bucharest is Central Powers controlled and the Czar has fallen (6.13-6.15).
G. Romania (allied with the Central Powers) collapses if Bucharest is Allied-control, or when either Austria-Hungary or Bulgaria collapses, whichever occurs first.
H. Russia collapses the moment a Bolshevik Revolution occurs during any Strategic Turn after the Fall of the Czar (6.13-6.15).
4.6 Effects of Collapse
A collapsed nation suffers the following effects:
A. Its resource points (6.2) are permanently reduced to zero.
B. It may not receive transfers of resource points from other nations.
C. Its HQ units are permanently removed from play.
D. The combat factors of all its units are permanently reduced to one, for both attack and defense.
E. Its units may no longer stack or attack with those of any other nation. Any such stacks at the instant of collapse must be unstacked at the first opportunity.
5.0 The Turn Sequence
5.1 In General
A. TGWiE is divided into numbered Operational Turns (in which most combat actions take place), and lettered Strategic Turns. A Strategic Turn takes place after every two or three Operational Turns.
B. Both Operational and Strategic Turns are divided into various steps (or phases).
C. Movement for both sides occurs at the same time. The side with the initiative (6.17) on the west map moves on that map while the other side moves on the east map, and vice versa. The same side never holds the initiative on both maps at the same time.
5.2 Strictures
A. Each Strategic and Operational Turn of TGWiE is divided into phases during which players conduct actions. Every action must be carried out in sequence.
B. Once a side finishes its activities for a given phase, it may not go back to perform some forgotten action or redo a poorly executed one unless the opponent graciously permits it.
5.3 The Turn Sequence
The sequences for both Operational and Strategic Turns are outlined below. The rest of the rules are organized, as much as possible, in the order encountered in the sequence.
5.3.1 The Strategic Turn Sequence
A. Victory Check Phase
B. Resource Phase
C. Strategic Warfare Phase
- U-boat Warfare
- German Bombing
- Allied Bombing
D. Replacement Phase
E. Russian Revolutions Phase
F. Initiative Determination Phase
5.3.2 The Operational Turn Sequence
A. Chit Pull Phase
B. New Units Phase
- Allies
- Central Powers
C. Weather Phase
D. First Mutual Movement Phase
E. First Combat Phase
- West Map Combat a. Regular Combat b. Allied Supreme Command and OHL Combat
- East Map Combat a. Regular Combat b. OberOst Combat
- Supply Attrition
F. Second Mutual Movement Phase
G. Second Combat Phase
- West Map Combat a. Regular Combat b. Allied Supreme Command and OHL Combat
- East Map Combat a. Regular Combat b. OberOst Combat
- Supply Attrition
H. Strategic Movement Phase
- Allied
- Central Powers
5.4 Operational Turn Sequence Example
A. The Central Powers has the initiative on the west map, the Allies on the east. After determining the weather, the Central Powers makes their operational moves on the west map while the Allies make theirs on the east map (First Mutual Movement Phase).
B. When both sides are done moving, they attend to the west map, where the Central Powers conduct their attacks. Then both attend to the east map, where the Allies conduct their attacks. Next, a supply attrition check is made for all units on both maps.
C. In the Second Mutual Movement Phase, the Allies make their operational moves on the west map while the Central Powers makes theirs in the east. Once again, both attend to the west map, this time for the Allied attacks, then to the east map for the Central Powers attacks. A second supply attrition check is now made for all units on both maps.
D. Finally, the Allies conduct their strategic and sea movement, followed by the Central Powers strategic moves.
6.0 The Strategic Turn
6.1 In General
A strategic turn begins with a victory check (4.4), then resource point transfers, strategic warfare, replacement of eliminated units, a check for the Russian Revolution and its effects, a check for US entry, determining initiative, and finally the Central Powers decide whether to use the OberOst/OHL marker.
6.2 Resource Phase
A. During this phase both sides add new units scheduled to arrive to their Units Available Box.
B. First sort and store reinforcement units in the reinforcement holding boxes printed in the Baltic Sea area of the east map. As each new Strategic Turn begins, move arrivals from there to the Units Available Boxes in the North and Black Sea areas on the two mapsheets.
C. All Special Events chits scheduled for this turn are placed in their side's Special Event Chit Cup.
D. Add Resource Points due this turn for the various warring countries to the totals recorded on the General Records Track.
E. Germany may get additional Resource Points for each resource hex on the map controlled by the Central Powers (6.3).
F. No country gets RPs while neutral.
G. If the total RPs available for a country goes above 19, flip that nation's marker to its +20 side on the track.
H. No nation may end any Strategic Turn with more than 10 RPs on the track. Any remainder over 10 is lost.
I. Some nations may transfer RPs to one another at this time (6.4).
J. Finally, all supplied HQ units on the map currently showing their reverse (zero artillery support) sides are flipped to display their front sides.
Exception: Due to the universal shell shortage experienced in late 1914, do not flip any HQs to their front sides on Strategic Turns B or C.
6.3 Resource Hexes
A. Germany receives RPs each Strategic Turn for control of resource hexes on the maps.
B. Mons (W6316), Lens (W6312), Bethune (W6310), Longwy (W5425), and Ploesti (E2623) are each worth 1 RP per Strategic Turn. Kiev (E4129) is worth 2 RPs.
C. A resource hex begins contributing toward Germany's RP total four Strategic Turns after its capture (or recapture) by any Central Powers unit. Place a Resource Marker on the Turn Record Track as a reminder.
D. To provide RPs, an east map resource hex must trace a supply line to Berlin. A west map resource hex must trace a supply line to any Ruhr hex. The supply line also must be open during the entire four-turn waiting period; if broken, restart the period.
E. If a resource hex is lost to the Allies and then retaken by the Central Powers, the four turn wait restarts.
F. If Romania joins the war on the Central Powers' side (7.16), Germany receives Ploesti's RP starting the next Strategic Turn.
G. Serbia may continue to accumulate RPs (up to 10) after its army is destroyed. Serbia never collapses.
Historical Note: Only Germany, never the original owners, benefits from resource hexes. Their value is built into the Resource Point base; when lost to Germany they are replaced by increased imports from the USA.
6.4 Resource Point Transfers
In general, nations may only spend their own RPs, but during the Resource Phase of each Strategic Turn certain countries may give RPs to others.
6.5 Allied Resource Point Transfers
A. The Allies may transfer one French or one British RP to Russia each Resource Phase.
B. The Allies may transfer up to six French and/or British RPs to Russia during any Resource Phases in which Constantinople is Allied controlled or Turkey has surrendered.
C. The Allies may transfer up to six French or six British RPs to Serbia during each Strategic Turn in which Salonika is Allied controlled and there is a line of hexes through Greece and Serbia free of Central Powers units between that port and a Serbian HQ.
D. No other Allied RP transfers are possible.
6.6 Central Powers Resource Point Transfers
Up to six total German RPs may be transferred to one or more of the other Central Powers nation(s) each Strategic Turn. To make a transfer, there must be a line of hexes traced through Central Powers controlled hexes between Berlin and a city in the recipient nation.
6.7 Strategic Warfare
During the Strategic Warfare Phase of each Strategic Turn, provided they have the required marker available in the Strategic Warfare Box, the two sides may conduct U-boat warfare and strategic bombing.
6.8 U-Boat Warfare
A. When the Central Powers pick a U-boat Special Event chit (7.0), they must place it in the Strategic Warfare Box on the west map if there is not already one such marker there.
B. If there is a U-boat Warfare chit in the box, place a newly drawn U-boat chit in the Central Powers Units Available Box until a Strategic Turn begins with no U-boat chit in the Strategic Warfare Box.
C. When there is a U-boat marker in the Strategic Warfare Box, the Central Powers roll one die during the Strategic Warfare Phase. The Allies immediately subtract that many RPs from the current British RP total, but that level cannot be reduced below zero.
D. When the roll is a 4-6, move the US entry marker forward (i.e., sooner) one Strategic Turn on the Turn Record Track.
Example: Move the marker from Strategic Turn O to N.
E. The first time a 4-6 is rolled, after the adjustments described above have been made, the Central Powers may remove the U-boat chit from the Strategic Warfare Box. That particular chit is permanently removed from the game.
F. U-boat warfare then ceases until a later Strategic Turn brings another marker into play (either by draw from the cup or mandatory transfer of an already drawn chit from the Central Powers Units Available Box into the Strategic Warfare Box).
G. U-boat warfare stops permanently once the Allied Convoy Chit is in play.
H. Once the US has entered the war, during each Strategic Turn during which there is U-boat Warfare, roll one die for each American division (not HQ) scheduled to enter play that turn. On a 1, that division is eliminated.
6.9 German Strategic Bombing
A. If the Air Raid London chit is in the Strategic Warfare Box, remove it from the game at this point while also subtracting 2 RPs from the current British total, but that level cannot be reduced below zero.
B. If an Air Raid Paris marker is in the Strategic Warfare Box, remove it from the game and subtract 2 RPs, but that level cannot be reduced below zero.
6.10 Allied Strategic Bombing
A. If the British Independent Air Force marker is in the Strategic Warfare Box, the Central Powers must announce if they are committing any air units, including Aces, to home defense.
B. Place air units committed to German home defense in the Strategic Warfare Box. They must remain there until at least the next Strategic Turn.
C. The Allies roll a die, applying a -2 DRM if the west map weather (9.0) from the immediately preceding turn was Wet or Snow, and a -1 DRM for each German air unit on home defense.
D. The modified total is the number of RPs the Central Powers must immediately subtract from Germany's total, but that level cannot be reduced below zero.
E. Roll for German Ace elimination (7.8) if any were involved in home defense.
F. Once placed in the Strategic Warfare Box, the British Independent Air Force chit is never removed from there.
6.11 The Replacement Phase
A. Both sides may return previously eliminated ground units (including tank and anti-tank, 7.11, 7.12) to play by purchasing them from the dead pile with RPs.
B. RPs may also be used bring reduced two-step units on the map back up to full, two-step strength, as long as they are in supply at that instant. Flip such units to their full strength side.
C. A unit/step with a dot may not be replaced.
D. German Shock Troop divisions may only be replaced as regular infantry. Shock Troop divisions created with the first chit, eliminated and replaced, may be reconverted to Shock Troops with the second chit (16.1).
E. Converted German cavalry divisions may only be replaced as infantry.
F. It costs one RP to rebuild/reclaim each strength step.
G. Place reclaimed units in their Units Available Box.
H. HQs may be rebuilt like other units, but are returned to availability with their zero-artillery support side showing unless a second RP is expended at the time of rebuilding to flip them over.
6.12 British Empire Replacement Restrictions
A. The first five British (not ANZAC or Canadian) units eliminated on the east map may not be rebuilt. (They are being rebuilt and used in Egypt).
B. No more than one step of Canadian units may be reclaimed/rebuilt in any given Replacement Phase.
C. No more than one step of Australian or New Zealand unit (total) may be reclaimed/rebuilt during any given Replacement Phase.
6.13 Russian Revolutions Phase
A. Two revolutions can take place in Russia during the course of a game. The first is the Fall of the Czar, and the second is the Bolshevik Revolution.
B. The Bolshevik Revolution can only occur after the Czar has fallen.
C. During the Russian Revolutions Phase of every Strategic Turn, the Central Powers tally the number of cities (not just victory cities, all cities) they control in Russia and Russian Poland. Add that number to one die roll. If the total is 11 or greater, a revolution has occurred.
D. Use the DRMs below for Fall of the Czar die rolls.
| DRM | Event/Condition |
|---|---|
| -2 | During Strategic Turns A through G |
| -1 | During Strategic Turns H through K |
| -1 | For each Central Powers city controlled by the Russians |
| +2 | Czar Takes Command chit (7.16) has been pulled. |
| +1 | Brusilov Offensive has already begun (7.17). |
| +3 | Central Powers controls Petrograd (E7030). |
E. Use the DRMs below for the Bolshevik Revolution die rolls.
| DRM | Event/Condition |
|---|---|
| -1 | For each Central Powers city controlled by the Russians |
| +1 | Per Operational Turn since the last Revolutions Phase during which one or more Russian units made an attack |
| +1 | Per Operational Turn since the last Revolution Phase during which no Russian units were attacked. |
Design Note: The first Bolshevik Revolution DRM encourages Russia not to attack after the Czar has fallen, while the second encourages the Central Powers not to attack Russia. This simulates the policy Germany officially adopted after the Czar's fall of "letting the rot set in." The first modifier grants the Kerensky government more stability if its limited resources are put into other activities than offensive military ones. Together, they generally work to create the same kind of lull that historically occurred in the east immediately after the Czar's removal.
6.14 Revolution Effects
A. The Fall of the Czar has two effects:
-
Russia must immediately replace certain units with Provisional Government units (16.4).
-
Once flipped to their zero-artillery support side, Russian HQs may never be flipped back to their artillery supported status.
B. The Bolshevik Revolution instantly causes Russia collapse (4.5).
6.15 Treaty of Brest-Litovsk
A. During any Russian Revolutions Phase after the Bolshevik Revolution has taken place, the Central Powers may make peace with Russia, with these effects:
-
Russian units can no longer move or attack.
-
Central Powers units may not attack Russian units.
-
Non-Russian nations can only move their units into or through hexes in Russia not occupied by or adjacent to a Russian unit.
B. For the Central Powers to include a victory hex in Russia during Victory Check Phases after peace has been declared, they must have it occupied by at least three German divisions, and at least four German HQs must remain inside Russia. (These restrictions apply only after the peace, never before.)
6.16 US Entry
A. The US will join the Allies on Strategic Turn O, unless game events cause that date to be moved forward (6.8 U-boat Warfare, and 7.25 the Zimmermann Telegram).
B. Units of the American Expeditionary Force (AEF) do not have a turn of entry letter; instead, they have +#, representing the number of Strategic Turns after US entry those units are placed in the Allied Units Available Box.
Example: If the US entered the war on Strategic Turn H, any US units marked +5 would be put into the Allied Units Available Box on Strategic Turn M. (US divisions in the Units Available Box are subject to U-boat interception, 6.8.)
C. US units may enter via any friendly controlled Allied ultimate supply source map edge hex in France during the New Units Phase (and/or via a supplied US HQ unit if one or more are on the map, 11.6).
6.17 Initiative Determination Phase
A. During this phase, determine which side will have the initiative on each map for the coming Operational Turns. (That is, one initiative determination sets the pattern for all the Operational Turns until the next Strategic Turn.)
B. For most of the game the Central Powers declare on which map they will have the initiative for the next sequence of Operational Turns.
C. However, once there are six or more full-strength US divisions in France at the start of any Strategic Turn, the Allies make the initiative declarations for the rest of the game, even if that US division total falls below six.
D. Once initiative has been declared by the proper side, it may not be changed until the next Initiative Determination Phase of the next Strategic Turn.
E. If the declaring side says it will have the initiative on the west map, its opponent automatically has it on the east map, and vice versa. The same side never has the initiative on both maps at the same time.
F. The side with the initiative on a given map moves first (takes the First Mutual Movement Phase) on that map.
G. The side without the initiative on a given map moves second (takes the Second Mutual Movement Phase) on that map.
H. The side with the initiative on a map conducts attacks during the First Combat Phase on that map that turn. The side without the initiative conducts attacks during the Second Combat Phase on that map that turn (5.4).
I. For convenience, all combat in each combat phases should be resolved first on the west map and then on the east map.
6.18 OberOst/OHL
A. Immediately after initiative is determined, the Central Powers must decide whether they will use the OHL/OberOst marker, indicating their choice by placing the counter with its OHL or OberOst side up on the current Strategic Turn's space on the Turn Record Track (13.22).
B. The Central Powers cannot use the OHL marker unless they currently have the initiative on the west map. There is no such restriction on the use of the OberOst marker on the east map.
7.0 Chits
Design Note: The Special Events Phase comes first in each Operational Turn. Operational Turns represent between one week (during August 1914) and two months (the poor weather months of November through February). Most game actions, all except those given Strategic Turn resolution in the section above, occur during Operational Turns.
7.1 In General
A. Special Events and Units Chits are provided starting in 1915.
B. Each side has its own set of chits which enter the game during the Strategic Turn printed on them.
C. When it is the turn for a chit to enter the game, place it in an opaque container with the other chits of its side.
D. All chits remain in their side's pool until purchased and pulled as described below.
7.2 Chit Pull Procedure
A. During every Special Events Phase, each side decides separately whether to spend an RP to purchase a chit (pull one blindly from the chit pool).
B. Each side may not purchase more than one chit per turn (but more than one may be put into action, see below).
C. If only one side purchases a chit, it may also immediately choose to spend another RP to draw a chit from its opponent's pool.
-
If the draw results in a chit that must immediately be played, the chit is given to the other player to be put into effect.
-
If a No Effect chit is drawn, return it to its pool. The RP spent is lost.
-
If the chit is an optional play, it is immediately discarded and removed from the game, and both sides get to see what it was.
D. Only No Effect chits are returned to the pool.
E. When a side pulls one of its own No Effect chits, no redraw takes place and the RP spent is lost.
7.3 Purchase Limits
A. The Central Powers may only purchase chits with a German RP.
B. The Allies may purchase one chit per phase using a British, French, or US RP.
7.4 Immediate/Delayed Commitment
A. Some chits have an immediate use stricture placed on them; others may have their commitment into play delayed by the pulling side. Players may agree before the start of play that all delayed-use chits may be kept hidden by the owning side until committed. (This requires some honesty in that a crafty player may try to conceal an immediate use chit as if it were a delayed use chit.)
B. Chits that have a colored band on them must be played immediately when drawn.
C. Non-banded chits may be held back to be used when desired.
7.5 Special Events Chits and Unit Chits
Unit chits are aircraft (including Aces), Tank, and Anti-Tank formations. Tank and anti-tank units belong to specific countries, as shown on their counters. Aircraft units are not differentiated beyond belonging to either the Central Powers or Allied sides. Special Event chits introduce political, diplomatic, and technological developments into play; the number on the back of the chit is a rules reference for its use.
7.6 Air Unit Chits
A. There are three kinds of air unit chits: aircraft formations, aces, and the British Independent Air Force. Place the IAF chit is placed in the Strategic Warfare Box when it is played. Its use is explained in 6.10.
B. Aircraft formations and aces are identical in effect, except that aces may be killed in action (eliminated), while aircraft formations are never destroyed once entered into play.
7.6.1 Aircraft Formations and Aces in Combat
A. Aircraft Formations and aces (referred to together here as air units) may only be used on the west map, and only on the western (not Italian) front portion of that mapsheet.
Exception: East Air (7.6.4).
B. These units are not kept on the map, nor do they move across it from hex to hex. Their range of commitment on the map is infinite, and they do trace a movement path.
C. They have no combat nor step strength, are always in supply, and cannot be used to satisfy combat losses.
D. Each aircraft and ace may be used to support one attack or defense between each Strategic Turn. Once used, it may not be committed again prior to the start of the next Strategic Turn.
7.6.2 Air Units in Combat
A. Aircraft and aces may be used to support any combat on the western front, either for attack or defense.
B. The attacker first announces air commitment for a given battle, then the defender.
C. Either side may commit any number of its available air units.
D. Each air unit cancels the effect of one enemy air unit. After mutual canceling, if one side has remaining air units, apply a +1 DRM if attacking or a -1 DRM if defending, regardless of the number of remaining units after the mutual cancellation process.
7.6.3 Aces
A. Aces are identical to aircraft units except the aces may be eliminated. Each ace has a Killed in Action (KIA) number or numbers printed on his counter.
B. Each time an ace is used in combat (or home defense for German, 6.10), roll a die. If the result is a number listed on that ace's counter, he is KIA. Remove such aces immediately and permanently from play.
Design Note: Aces represent individual pilots of exceptional skill along with their squadrons. There were more aces than are represented in the game, and the selection we chose is not meant to slight anyone's favorite flyer. The point is to show how Germany relied more on individual skill to try to make up for what was often an inferiority in numbers.
7.6.4 East Air
Germany may receive one East Air unit. It operates like any other aircraft unit, but may only support German combat on the east map. It may not be used on the west map. Remove it from play once peace is declared with Russia (6.15).
7.6.5 Air Raid London/Paris
The Air Raid London and Air Raid Paris chits may each be used once each (6.9).
7.7 Tanks
A. Germany, Britain, France, and the US have tank units.
B. Tanks enter play through the chit system and may be initially placed on the map during the New Units Phase, like any other entering ground unit (8.0).
C. Tank units have a normal attack and defense factor and movement allowance; however, they may only be used in attacks containing at least one other non-tank ground combat unit of the same nationality. Each tank has a DRM of +1 or +2, only for attacks they support, provided the tank unit is in supply. If several tank units support one attack, use only the largest DRM, but all tank attack factors contribute.
D. Tanks may not attack alone, nor may they ever attack into marsh (including Wet weather flood plain hexes), mountain, alpine, or forest hexes. Tanks must always take the first step loss in any attack. They have only one step.
E. On defense, tanks contribute their defense factor normally.
F. Unsupplied tanks contribute their halved attack factors without the DRM.
G. One tank unit may stack freely in any hex.
H. No more than one tank unit may ever be in a hex at any time.
I. No tank unit of either side may deploy to the Italian map. The German tank unit may be deployed to the east map.
J. One British tank unit (representing the first experimental use of tanks) and the German tank unit, cannot be replaced once eliminated. All other tank units may be replaced.
Design Note: If the experimental Allied tank unit does not enter the game, it does not affect the deployment of the other Allied tank units. There was so strong a pull toward tanks in the Allied camp that even if the first unit was aborted, progress would have continued.
7.7 Anti-Tank Regiments
A. The Central Powers may commit its Anti-Tank chit during any New Units Phase after it is drawn. Place the three anti-tank regiments on the map like any other arriving units.
B. Anti-tank units have no attack factor and a defense factor of one.
C. Anti-tank units may be replaced when eliminated.
D. One anti-tank unit may stack freely in any hex.
E. No more than one anti-tank unit may be in a hex at any time.
F. In any supplied German defense involving attacking enemy tanks, the anti-tank unit cancels the tank DRM.
G. When used in combat, anti-tank units must be the first step eliminated.
H. Anti-tank units have no other special effect.
I. Anti-tank units do not affect a tank DRM when defending unsupplied.
7.8 Poison Gas
A. Each side has three poison gas chits: Chlorine, Phosgene, and Mustard.
B. Each gas chit may be used to support a single attack.
C. Only one gas chit may be used per attack.
D. Announce the use before rolling the die, then permanently remove the committed chit from play.
E. Each chit has a +2 DRM to the combat die roll, however, only the first use of a particular gas has any effect.
Example: If Germany uses Chlorine first, the Allies may not achieve any effect from Chlorine, but they could still use Phosgene or Mustard.
F. The Allies may only use gas in support of attacks containing British (any sub-nationality), French, Belgian units, or any combination of them.
7.9 Flamethrower and Mine Attacks
A. These act like poison gas chits.
B. Each may only be used once to support a single attack.
C. They may not be used together or combined with poison gas, and have a +2 DRM.
7.10 Bruchmüller
A. The Bruchmüller chit (representing the explosive genius of the German artillerist Col. Bruchmüller) adds a +1 DRM to any supplied German attack supported by the artillery of a German HQ.
B. Once available, Bruchmüller may be used in one attack per Operational Turn.
7.11 Neutrals' Entry (Except US)
A. Italy, Bulgaria, Romania, and Greece enter the war through the drawing of special event chits. These chits must be played during the New Units Phase of the turn they are drawn.
-
Italy and Greece join the Allies.
-
Bulgaria joins the Central Powers. If the Bulgarian Collapse chit is drawn before the Bulgarian Entry chit, Bulgaria never enters the war.
-
Romania joins the side which first plays its entry chit. If both Romania chits are played during the same turn, Romania never enters the war.
B. Turkey enters the war automatically on the side of the Central Powers in October 1914, because of a secret agreement it signed with Germany in August. Turkish units are not placed on the map until the instant the first Allied unit enters any hex of the Ottoman Empire or when the Salonika chit (7.14) is played.
C. Both sides may enter Albania once the Salonika chit (7.14) is played.
D. When a neutral first enters the war, the controlling side (ally) places all of that nation's units (excluding reinforcements listed to arrive on a later Strategic Turn) anywhere inside that country during the New Units Phase.
Exception: Turkish units have specific, mandatory entry hexes list for them on the backs of their counters, and are not placed until the instant their national territory is violated by an Allied unit.
E. The units of entering nations may not move or attack during the Operational Turn immediately following their nation's entry into the war. Likewise, no other units, enemy or friendly, may move and/or attack into such countries during the first Operational Turn of their entry into the war.
Exception: The Gallipoli operation is an exception to this (7.13).
F. Starting with the next Operational Turn, any newly entered nation acts a normal member of the Allies or Central Powers. Because of the Salonika chit (7.14), Allied and/or Central Powers units may be inside Greece before that country officially enters the war. In that case, when finally placing Greek units the Allies may set them up in any hexes in Greece not controlled by the Central Powers.
G. Holland and Switzerland never enter the game.
Design Note: Given that Belgium and Luxembourg's neutrality is violated during setup, and the entry of other neutrals is governed by chit pulls, there really is nothing like a preemptive invasion of a neutral during the course of a game. This approach was adopted to overturn the advantage hindsight would otherwise give players in developing (or aborting) the broad flow of background diplomacy during the war.
Design Note: See 6.16 regarding US entry into play.
7.12 Convoys
Placing the Allied Convoy chit into the Strategic Warfare Box immediately and permanently ends U-boat warfare. Do not remove any U-boat chits from the Central Powers pool when the Convoy chit is played. Subsequent U-boat chit pulls are simply wasted RPs for the Central Powers.
Design Note: The Central Powers are given little control over U-boat warfare. Neither the Kaiser nor his generals had much understanding of naval strategy. The Central Powers' degree of control over this aspect of the war is therefore limited to being able to cancel U-boat warfare once, as Berlin did after the Lusitania was sunk in 1915.
7.13 Gallipoli
A. Once drawn, the Allies may play the Gallipoli chit at the start of any New Units Phase if the Salonika chit (7.14) has not yet been played.
B. No sea movement (14.5), other than described for a Gallipoli invasion, is allowed during the Operational Turn the chit is played.
C. When the chit is played, the Allies may move up to four British (of any sub-nationalities) divisions and one French division from their Units Available Box to ANZAC Cove/Suvla Bay (E1122) and/or Cape Hellas (E1022).
D. Immediately deploy Turkish starting units in the hexes listed on the reverse of those counters, unless they are already on the map because an Allied unit entered the Ottoman Empire via Bulgaria.
E. Both the Allied Gallipoli force and the Turkish units may move, attack and defend normally that same turn.
F. The Allies may use both beach hexes as ultimate supply sources and ports.
G. The Allies may move and attack normally between the beach hexes and E1023.
H. The Central Powers may attack normally into the beach hexes from E1023, but they may never move into them.
I. No combat or regular movement is allowed between the two beach hexes. (Sea movement is allowed.)
J. A Gallipoli invasion may only take place once per game.
K. If at any time after that initial Allied entry the Allies vacate either beach hex and the Ottoman Empire controls E1023, the Allies may not enter through either invasion beach hex again.
7.14 Salonika
A. Once drawn, the Salonika chit may be played during any New Units Phase if Greece is still neutral.
B. No sea movement (14.5) beyond that authorized in this rule for the Salonika operation itself is allowed during the Operational Turn following the play of this chit.
C. When played, the Allies may move up to three French and one British (any sub-nationalities) divisions into E1116. These units may come from the Allied Units Available Box and/or the Gallipoli beach hexes.
D. The Allies may then treat Salonika as an ultimate supply source as long it contains at least one Allied combat unit or Greece joins the Allies.
E. Once the chit is played, both Central Powers and Allied units may operate normally in Greece. The Greek army does not appear until Greece enters the war (7.11).
F. If not already on the map, deploy the Turkish army.
7.15 Salonika and Albania
Upon play of the Salonika chit, both sides may immediately operate normally in Albania. There are no Albanian units. Italian units (only) can use Valona (E1210) as an ultimate supply source and port as long as it is not Central Powers controlled.
7.16 The Czar Takes Command
The (mandatory) play of this chit causes +2 DRM for Fall of the Czar Russian Revolution die rolls (6.13, 6.14).
7.17 The Brusilov Offensive
A. On any Operational Turn(s) after this chit has been played, Russian attacks against non-German Central Powers units that are supported by a HQ/artillery unit receive a +3 DRM (in addition to all other modifiers and shifts), but such supporting HQs are then instantly and permanently removed from the game.
B. The Allies may choose to use or not use Russian HQs to support particular attacks against non-Germans to preserve the HQs, however, any Russian HQs that are used for support against non-Germans must be used in the Brusilov way.
Design Note: There is no limitation on the length of time during which the Allied player may use the Brusilov Offensive chit. In effect, it also represents the Kerensky Offensive, which was also overseen by the same Gen. Brusilov.
7.18 Indian Corps Withdrawal
The British 3rd Indian and 7th Indian Divisions are permanently removed from the game when this chit is drawn. Remove them from the map, dead pile, or Units Available Box.
7.19 The Haig Offensive
A. When this chit is drawn, British units on the western (not Italian) front must make at least two attacks during each of the next three Operational Turns.
B. Place the chit on the Turn Record Track as a reminder.
C. Each attack must have a basic odds ratio (before any column shifts) of at least 1:1 to qualify as a Haig Offensive attack.
D. Failure to comply with this chit results in immediate victory by the Central Powers.
7.20 French Army Mutiny
A. When this chit is played, French units on the west map may not attack for three consecutive Operational Turns.
B. If players agree beforehand, the Allies are not required to reveal a mutiny has occurred until it is over.
C. This chit affects Central Powers instant victory conditions (4.2).
7.21 Turkey Surrenders
Defeats in the Middle East and the Caucasus cause Turkey to surrender.
A. Immediately and permanently remove all Turkish units from play.
B. The Allies gain immediate control of every hex in the Ottoman Empire, unless occupied by other Central Powers units at the moment this occurs. This may include Constantinople (Istanbul).
7.22 Foch
Marshal Foch is in command.
A. The Foch chit may be used to add an additional Allied Combat Phase on the western (not Italian) front during every Operational Turn.
B. The Foch marker is used just like the German OHL marker (13.22, 13.23).
7.23 Jutland
This represents the large naval battle that occurred on 31 May to 1 June 1916. The Central Powers roll a die.
A. On a 1, the Central Powers gain two VPs.
B. On a 2-4, there is no effect.
C. On a 5-6, The Central Powers lose one VP.
7.24 Shock Troops (Stoss)
A. There are two Shock Troop event chits, but only one may be played per turn.
B. The first time a Shock Troop chit is played, the Central Powers may convert up to six eligible divisions into Shock Troop divisions (16.1).
C. The cost to Germany is 1 RP for this first conversion. This is not one per unit converted, just one in addition to the RP expended to pull the chit in the first place.
D. The second time a Shock Troop chit is played, the Central Powers may convert all eligible divisions into Shock Troops.
E. The second conversion costs 7 RPs, in addition to the pull-cost of the chit.
7.25 The Zimmermann Telegram
If still neutral when this chit is pulled, the US joins the Allies at the start of the next Strategic Turn. Otherwise there is no effect (RP wasted).
7.26 The Paris Gun
A. Play this chit during the subsequent New Units Phase after it is drawn.
B. The Central Powers place it in any supplied and friendly controlled hex within eight hexes of any Paris hex.
C. The chit has no combat, step or stacking values of its own, and is eliminated the instant any Allied ground unit enters its hex.
D. It may stack freely with other German units, but may not move.
E. While on the map it counts as one Central Powers VP hex.
7.27 Influenza
A. Play this chit at the start of the New Units Phase after it is drawn.
B. Neither side may move any units from the Units Available Boxes to the map during that phase.
C. No reduced two-step units on the map may receive replacements.
D. The Central Powers rolls two dice. The number rolled is the number of Shock Troop units that are immediately and permanently flipped back to non-Shock Troop status. (If not enough Shock Troop units are available, ignore the excess.)
7.28 Serb Typhus
A. Play this chit immediately when pulled.
B. Serbia loses all saved RPs.
C. No units may move or attack into or out of Serbia for the next three Operational Turns.
D. Units already inside Serbia when the typhus outbreak occurs may continue to move (but not attack) normally.
8.0 New Units
8.1 New Unit Placement
A. During the New Units Phase, units in the two sides' Units Available Boxes may enter into play according to the following strictures.
B. Most units in the boxes need not be deployed from those holding areas to the map at the first opportunity; however, once a unit is moved from its side's box to the map it may not be returned to the box.
C. The Allies place their new units before the Central Powers.
D. In general, units may only be placed on the map in their home country: French units in France, Serb units in Serbia, etc.
E. Units must be placed in friendly-controlled, supplied cities.
F. British units appear in any Allied controlled port on the western and Italian fronts, along with various ports on the east map (14.5).
G. American units enter the western front map via any Allied controlled hexes along its west or south edges. They enter the Italian map via only its south edge. Simply place such units off to the side of the map during the New Units Phase. Do not pick their specific hex of entry until the actual time for them to move into play. Their off-map placement counts as starting in a city hex.
H. Stacking applies during placement. All newly arriving units, no matter their exact hex of entry, have their full movement and combat capabilities available for use on the turn they are placed.
8.2 Placement by Headquarters
A. New units may appear outside their home country adjacent to a supplied HQ (regardless of artillery status) of that country on the map. British Empire sub-nationalities are all considered British for this purpose.
B. Up to one stack of units may appear per supplied headquarters.
C. No more than six British and/or French and/or Italian units may be placed on the east map this way during one Operational Turn. Such placement counts toward the Allies' sea movement total (14.5).
8.3 German East Map Placement
Up to one stack of German units may appear per New Units Phase in every Central Powers controlled coastal town/city on the Baltic coast: Stettin (E5205), Danzig (5412), Königsberg (E5414), Libau (E6116), Riga (E6120), Talinin (E6921), Narva (E6924), Kronstadt (E7028), and Petrograd (E7030). This represents the full extent of sea movement in the Baltic.
Design Note: When a port is required to be under control before a new unit can appear there or move there by sea, such places would have to have been controlled prior to such placement/movement. Amphibious invasions only take place in this game per 7.14 and 7.15.
8.4 Russian Placement
Except during Strategic Turn A, Russian units may not use cities in Russian Poland for their initial placement, but they may always enter via HQs in Poland per 8.2.
9.0 Weather
A. There are three kinds of weather in the game: Fair, Wet, and Snow.
B. Fair weather has no effect on normal play. The rules are written with Fair weather as the standard.
C. Wet and Snow weather affect movement and combat in certain terrain types (see the Terrain Effects Chart for details).
D. Weather can also affect Allied strategic bombing (6.10).
E. Weather conditions are separate for each map. See the weather chart.
F. Wet/Snow markers are provided for placement on each map as a reminder of the current weather.
Weather chart
| Month | East Map | West Map |
|---|---|---|
| January | Snow | Snow |
| February | Snow | Snow |
| March | Wet | Wet/Fair * |
| April | Fair | Fair |
| May | Fair | Fair |
| June | Fair | Fair |
| July | Fair | Fair |
| August | Fair | Fair |
| September | Fair |
* In October and March roll a die for the West Map. Odd is wet weather, even is fair weather.
10.0 Stacking
10.1 In General
A. Stacking is the piling of more than one unit in a single hex at the same time. The stacking limits below are enforced only during the New Units Phase, the Combat Phase, the Strategic Movement Phase, and at the end of the Operational Movement Phase.
B. As long as stacking limits are observed in every hex at those times, there are no limits to the number of units that may enter or pass through a given hex during a given phase and turn.
C. Units found to be stacked in excess of the rule limit at the times specified above are eliminated by their owning side.
10.2 Limits
A. Generally, each side may stack up to six units of any size and type per hex, but see restrictions on international stacking (3.8).
B. There are some exceptions:
-
No more than four US infantry divisions may stack in a single hex, with or without other Allied units.
-
No more than four Bulgarian infantry divisions may stack in a single hex, with or without other Central Powers units.
C. HQ, tank, and anti-tank units do not count for stacking purposes, but there may never be more than one of each type per hex.
D. Fortifications, heavy fortifications, and all the various kinds of informational markers have no stacking value at all.
11.0 Supply
11.1 In General
A. Units require supply to operate with their full combat factors and to use strategic movement.
B. Units are either supplied (also called in supply), or are out of supply (OOS or unsupplied), or are in fortress supply.
11.2 When to Check Supply
A. Every turn, check supply for every unit of both sides at the start of the Strategic Movement Phase. Units OOS or in fortress supply are not eligible for Strategic Movement.
B. Units OOS at the start of a combat in which they are involved as attacker or defender have their appropriate combat factor halved for that battle. Round up remainders.
C. In multiunit situations, sum all the units to be halved, then make just one grand division.
D. No lone unit ever has its combat factor, on attack or defense, reduced to less than one.
E. Units of both sides found to be OOS during an Attrition Phase are eliminated.
Design Note: Supply status does not affect a unit's ability to perform operational movement, however supplied units (of any nationality) may not move to a hex where they would become unsupplied by virtue of that move.
11.3 Tracing Supply
A. Units trace supply directly to an appropriate ultimate supply source hex, or to friendly towns and cites that must then in turn trace back to ultimate source hexes as described below.
B. Towns and cities that are not ultimate supply sources function as secondary supply locales. Secondary sources can switch sides, along with their use as a secondary supply locales, any number of times during a game.
C. Ultimate supply source hexes, though they might be captured and used as a secondary supply locale by the enemy side, never function as an ultimate source for the capturing side.
D. Secondary supply sources convert to the other side's control and use immediately upon capture.
E. Units are supplied when they can trace a path no longer than four hexes, free of enemy units from their position directly to an appropriate ultimate supply source or to a secondary locale that can in turn trace a path of any length back to an ultimate source hex on the same map.
F. The path may not enter or cross all-sea hexes or hexsides, but all-lake hexsides may be crossed.
G. The path may not enter or cross neutral territory, or impassable hexsides.
H. When counting supply line length, count from the unit to the source. Do not count the hex the tracing unit is in, but do count the hex the supply source is in.
I. If the source the unit is tracing to is a town, city, or HQ, that locale or HQ must in turn be able to trace a supply line of any length to an ultimate supply source hex.
J. Units on the western front map may only trace to western front sources.
K. Units on the Italian theater map may only trace to Italian theater sources.
L. Units on the east map may only trace to east map sources.
Design Note: Do not be confused about secondary supply locales. They do not require a chain of them four hexes apart. It is either four hexes to an ultimate source hex, or four hexes to a (single) secondary source hex and from there back to an ultimate source over a path of any length.
11.4 Limits
A. Beyond the strictures given below, there is no limit on the number of appropriate units and secondary supply locales that can trace supply to an appropriate ultimate source hex.
B. Secondary supply locales are limited somewhat in that they can supply only those units within four hexes of their location.
11.5 Alpine Restrictions
Only mountain units may trace their supply lines into and/or through alpine hexes.
11.6 Headquarters Supply
A. HQs can act as secondary supply locales in the same manner as towns and cities, but they are limited to only supplying units of their own nationality that are adjacent to or stacked with them.
B. The HQ must be able to trace a supply line of any length back to a friendly ultimate supply source hex on the same map.
C. British sub-nationalities have no bearing here. A British headquarters (as defined by that color grouping) is a British HQ for all units of the Empire.
11.7 German Baltic Supply
A. On the east map, German units can trace a supply line no longer than four hexes directly to Königsburg, Neither HQs nor inland towns and cities may be used to extend this supply line.
B. German units located in the Baltic coastal towns and cities listed in 8.3 are considered supplied in those hexes, but units outside those locales may not trace into them as ultimate sources.
C. Such locales may be used as normal secondary supply locales if the locales in question can trace back normally to an ultimate source hex on the east map. The kind of supply described here would come into use when a situation arose with coastal pockets of German units.
11.8 Central Powers East Map Ultimate Supply Sources
A. All east map board edge hexes from 3501 to 5701 are ultimate Central Powers supply source hexes on the east map. The same is true for: Berlin (E5102), Prague (E4304), Vienna (E3606), and Budapest (E3310).
B. Constantinople (E1328), Sofia (E1819), and Bucharest (E2423) become ultimate supply source hexes if and when those nations join the war on the side of the Central Powers. Central Powers units may use any of these ultimate source hexes.
11.9 Allied East Map Ultimate Supply Sources
A. Within the limits described below, the east map edge hexes running from 3034 through 7034, are the main Allied ultimate supply sources on that map.
B. Bucharest (E2423) becomes an ultimate Allied supply source hex if and when Romania joins the Allies. Salonika (E1116) and two Gallipoli beach hexes (E1122, E1022) become Allied ultimate supply sources once those chits are played and until they are abandoned or lost to Central Powers control (7.13, 7.14).
C. Greek units only may trace ultimate supply to map edge hexes E1012-E1016.
D. Serbian units may use any locales in their own country as ultimate supply sources. Other units may only use Serbian locales as secondary sources.
E. Montenegrin units are always in supply in their home country and may never leave its territory, though they may make cross-border attacks.
F. Russian and Romanian units may only trace ultimate supply, directly or via a secondary locale, to Russian and/or Romanian ultimate supply sources. That is, Romanian units may use their own and Russian ultimate sources, and the Russians may use their own and Romanian ultimate sources.
G. Italian units on the east map may only trace ultimate supply, directly or via a secondary locale, to the port of Valona (E1210).
H. Italian units on the east map may only trace ultimate supply, directly or via a secondary locale, to the port of Valona (E1210).
I. Allied units on the east map belonging to nationalities other than those described in the paragraphs above may only trace ultimate supply, directly or via a secondary locale, to Salonika (E1116) or to either of the two Gallipoli beach hexes (E1022, E1122).
11.10 Allied East Map Port Supply
A. Allied units of all nationalities in the Salonika and Gallipoli beach hexes are always in supply, but units outside those hexes may not necessarily be able to trace to those hexes except as described above. (Once the Gallipoli beach hexes have been occupied and then abandoned by the Allies they never regain their port status.)
B. Provided Constantinople (E1328) is under Allied control, Allied units of all nationalities in Burgas (E1725), Varna (E2027), Constanta (E2328), and Odessa (E3031) are always in supply in those hexes, but units outside them cannot trace ultimate supply to them. (This is the same situation as with German Baltic supply described in 11.7.)
Design Note: Bucharest has both an Allied and Central Powers ultimate supply source symbol printed in its hex, but can function as an ultimate supply source only for the side Romania joins through chit play.
11.11 Central Powers Western Front Ultimate Supply Sources
The Central Powers western front ultimate supply sources consist of all map edge hexes in Germany from 3933 to 7034, along with the four Ruhr city hexes.
11.12 Central Powers Italian Theater Ultimate Supply Sources
The Central Powers Italian theater ultimate supply sources consist of all non-alpine map edge hexes in Austria-Hungary.
11.13 Allied Italian Theater Ultimate Supply Sources
A. The Allied Italian theater ultimate supply sources consist of all non-alpine map edge hexes in Italy.
B. Italian mountain units can trace supply into, but not through, alpine hexes in Austria-Hungary.
C. Allied units of all nationalities located in Venice (W2022) and Trieste (W2230) are always in supply in those hexes, but that Allied units outside those hexes may not trace into them as ultimate sources.
11.14 Allied Western Front Ultimate Supply Sources
A. The Allied western front ultimate supply sources consist of all map edge hexes in France from 5701 to 3629.
B. Similarly to Königsburg supply for Germany, British (including sub-nationalities) and Belgian units may trace ultimate supply through a path no longer than four hexes directly to any friendly-controlled port on the western front map.
C. Allied units on the western front map are in supply in port hexes, but only British and Belgian units outside of them may trace ultimate supply to them as described above. (Such ports could function as Allied secondary locales provided they have an overland supply line to a board edge ultimate source hex.)
D. Rouen (W5603) and Antwerp (W6819) are inland river ports, and so to function as ports the Allies must also control those nearby hexes containing the letter R or A, respectively.
Design Note: There is no Allied Baltic port or coastal supply. Even if the British won Jutland in a big way, Germany could still have denied the Baltic to them for these purposes through the use of U-boats, aircraft, mines and shore batteries.
11.15 Losing and Retaking Ultimate Supply Sources
A. A board edge ultimate supply source hex may trade hands any number of times during play, and each time the originally owning side regains it, it immediately regains ultimate supply source status for that original side. This also applies for the various port supply points described above.
B. Inland ultimate supply sources, however, once occupied by the enemy side, permanently lose their ultimate source status. If such locales are retaken by the original owners they can only function as secondary supply locales.
11.16 Fortress Supply
A. Units of the same nationality as the intact fortification or heavy fortification they occupy are supplied in that hex for defensive combat and avoiding attrition removal.
B. The intrinsic defense factors of such places are always in supply (13.24).
11.17 Supply Attrition
Units of both sides OOS at the start of an Attrition Phase are eliminated. Units eliminated for this reason, provided they are not marked as irreplaceable, may be replaced (6.11).
11.18 Belgian Antwerp Supply
A. Belgian units in Antwerp are supplied in that hex for the sole purpose of avoiding attrition removal, but not for combat, replacements, or any other purpose.
B. Once Antwerp is captured by the Central Powers this supply capability is permanently lost.
11.19 Moving Out of Supply
A. No unit may end its movement in a hex in which it is out of supply at that instant.
B. Units may move through a hex that is OOS (for example while going on to take an empty town which then acts as a supply source).
C. Units may advance after combat into hexes that are OOS.
12.0 Operational Movement
12.1 In General
A. Each unit has a Movement Factor printed in its lower right corner. This is the number of movement points (movement factors, MFs, or MPs) available to the unit to for movement during its Operational Movement Phase.
B. Units move from hex to adjacent hex (no skipping of hexes), and pay varied costs to do so, depending on the terrain in the hex being entered.
C. On each mapsheet the movement of each side's units occurs only during its own Movement Phases; no enemy movement takes place.
D. To save time, units of one side are moved on the west map at the same time units of the other side are moved on the east map, and vice versa (5.4).
12.2 West Map MPs
Units moving on the west map do so using up to twice their printed movement factors.
12.3 Limits
A. MPs may not be accumulated from turn to turn, nor loaned from one unit to another.
B. Each side may move all, some, or none of its units in each of its Operational Movement Phases.
C. Units need not expend all available MPs before stopping.
D. The movement of each individual unit or stack must be completed before that of another is begun.
E. Once a move is done, a side may change it only if the opponent allows it.
12.4 Minimum Movement Ability
A. All units with a MF greater than zero may move at least one hex during their Operational Movement Phase by expending all available MPs at the start of their move.
B. This does not allow units to enter hexes or cross hexsides that are otherwise impassable to them.
12.5 General Prohibitions and Limits
A. Units may not enter:
-
Hexes containing enemy units;
-
All-sea hexes (or cross all-sea hexsides);
-
Neutral nations except as described elsewhere in these rules; or
-
Hexes containing intact enemy fortifications or heavy fortifications.
B. Units may cross all-lake hexsides in snow weather, but may not be attacked through them in any weather.
C. Only mountain units may enter alpine hexes.
12.6 Stack Movement
A. To move as a stack, units must begin their Operational Movement Phase stacked together.
B. Units are not required to move together because they started the Operational Movement Phase in the same hex. In such situations, those units might be moved together, individually, or in smaller sub-stacks.
12.7 Splitting Stacks
A. A moving stack may halt temporarily to allow a unit or sub-stack to split off and move away on a separate course.
B. Units left behind in the original stack then resume their own movement, and may split off more units and sub-stacks.
C. Once a side begins moving a unit or stack that began the phase in a different hex, it may no longer resume the movement of the earlier stack without the opponent's consent.
12.8 Different MFs in a Stack
If units with different MFs are traveling together in a stack, the stack must use the MF of the slowest unit. As the slower units exhaust their MFs, they may be left behind as the stack moves on with the faster units.
12.9 Terrain and Operational Movement
A. Most hexes may be entered at the cost of 1 MP.
B. Exceptions are forest, marsh, mountain, and alpine hexes. Those types of hexes cost 2 MPs each to enter.
C. Alpine hexes may only be entered and/or attacked into by mountain units.
D. Movement costs are summarized on the Terrain Effects Chart.
Players Note: Cities exist along with natural terrain. For instance, Abbeville (W6007) is located in a marsh hex. Units using operational movement pay marsh entry costs to enter it.
12.10 Mountain Passes
A. Mountain passes exist only on the east map and may be used to ease movement through such areas during non-snow weather.
B. Moving units must follow the course of the passes on the map in order to get the movement advantage.
Example: In non-snow weather a unit in E2717 could move via the pass into E2618 for only 1 MP, instead of the usual 2 MPs. However, a unit in E2617 moving to E2618 would always pay 2 MPs to do so, because the pass does not run through that hexside.
12.11 Rivers
A. Rivers run between hexes, along the hexsides, rather than inside a hex as the terrain types described above.
B. Units pay an extra MP to cross a river hexside during Wet weather.
C. There is no extra cost to cross a river in Fair or Snow weather.
12.12 Haff Movement
A. Units may use Operational (but not Strategic) Movement to cross the haffs (bays) near Stettin (E5205) and Königsberg (E5514) in all weather. Units can move, as if through normal clear hexes, from 5304 or 5404 to 5405 and then to 5406. They can also move from 5615 to 5715 to 5816.
B. There is no special defensive bonus in these hexes, and this movement can be bidirectional through the hex paths described.
13.0 Combat
13.1 In General
A. Combat takes place between opposing units during the Combat Phases in every Operational Turn.
B. Resolve all battles first on the west map, then resolve all battles on the east map.
C. The side which has just completed its Operational Movement Phase on a given map is the attacker during the following Combat Phase there, no matter what the overall situation.
D. There are potentially two rounds of combat on each map in every Combat Phase. The second round allows for special attacks through the use of the German OHL/OberOst marker (13.22), or the Allies' Foch HQ marker (13.23).
E. Attacking is always voluntary. The mere fact of opposing units' adjacency does not necessitate combat.
Exception: Haig Offensive (7.19).
13.2 Multiple Defenders
All defending units in a single hex must be attacked as if they were one large, combined, defending unit.
13.3 Multi-Hex Attacks
A. An enemy occupied hex may be attacked in one Combat Phase by as many of attacking units as can be brought to bear from one, some, or all of the surrounding hexes.
B. However, no more than one hex may ever be the object of a single attack.
Example: Units in W4905 may not attack enemy units in W5006 and W4906 during the same Combat Phase.
13.4 Indivisibility of Units
A. No attacking unit may divide its attack factor to use in more than one battle.
B. No defending unit may have part of its defense factor attacked by one or more attackers while another part of that defense factor is attacked by other enemy units.
C. No attacking unit may attack more than once per combat round.
D. No defending unit may be attacked more than once per combat round.
E. No defending unit may decline combat.
Exception: Cavalry Withdrawal (13.19).
13.5 Attack Sequencing
A. There is no artificial limit on the number of attacks each side may setup during its Combat Phases.
B. The attacker need not declare all attacks beforehand, and may resolve them in any desired order, as long as the resolution of one is completed before starting the next.
13.6 Attacking Stacks
A. It is not necessary for all units stacked in a hex to participate in the same attack. Some might attack into one hex, while others attack other hex(es), or do not attack at all.
B. Attacks containing mixed nationalities suffer the effects of 3.8 even if only one nationality participates on a particular attack.
13.7 Fog of War
A. Neither side may look beneath the top unit of enemy stacks until the time comes in the combat resolution process for odds computation.
B. Once such an examination has been made, the attacker may not call off that attack.
Exception: The Central Powers is free to examine Allied stacks inside Russian Poland, Germany, and Austria-Hungary at all times.
13.8 Odds Calculation
A. The attacker should strive to have more attack factors involved in a given battle than the defender has defense factors. Such battles are called high odds attacks.
B. Calculate odds by:
-
Summing the attack factors of all attacking units in the battle.
-
Summing the defense factors of the units defending in the battle.
-
Dividing the attacker's total by the defender's total, rounding down any remainder.
Example: Attacker has 26 factors, defender has 7 factors, yielding an odds ratio of 3:1. That is: 26 ÷ 7 = 3.71, rounding down to 3, which becomes a ratio of 3:1. This corresponds to a column heading on the Combat Results Table (CRT).
Players Note: Supply status (OOS = halved) affects the combat ratio (11.0).
C. In situations where the two sides have precisely the same amount of combat factors, no mathematics are necessary; odds will be 1:1.
13.9 Poor Odds Attacks
A. Battles in which the attacker has fewer combat factors than the defender are called poor odds attacks.
B. When calculating the ratio, divide the defender's total by the attacker's, rounding any remainder up.
Example: A force with 5 attack factors attacks a force with 6 defense factors. Divide 6 by 5 (6 ÷ 5 = 1.2), and round up (1.2 becomes 2), yielding odds of 1:2.
13.10 Odds Limits
A. The column headings on the CRT range from 1:2 to 5:1.
B. Odds worse than 1:2 always yield a combat result of 2/0 or 4/0, depending on which CRT is being used (A or B, respectively).
C. Odds higher than 5:1 are resolved at 5:1 but receive an additional DRM per 13.14.
13.11 Picking the CRT
| CRT | Condition |
|---|---|
| A | 1-3 defending units* |
| B | 4+ defending units |
* of any size or type, not including HQs
13.12 Combat Results
A. Combat results have two numbers separated by a slash.
-
The number on the left is the attacker's combat result.
-
The number on the right is the defender's combat result.
Example: The result on Table A at 2:1 odds on a roll of a 2 is 2/1, so 2 for the attacker, and 1 for the defender.
B. The numbers signify the number of strength-steps (not units) each side must eliminate from their forces involved in that battle.
C. Remove attacker losses before defender losses in each battle.
D. HQs may never be used to satisfy losses.
E. The first attacker step loss must always come from any involved tank or Shock Troop unit, otherwise the attacker may distribute its losses as desired.
F. The first defender step loss must come from any involved anti-tank unit.
G. The last defender step loss must come from any involved fortification or heavy fortification intrinsic defense strength point. Other than those requirements, the defender may distribute its losses as desired among its involved non-HQ units.
H. The E result (Defender Eliminated) appears on Table A at 3:1 and better odds. This means all involved defending steps, units, and strength points are immediately eliminated, regardless of type.
I. There are no retreats after combat.
13.13 Column Shifting
The initially calculated odds ratio may be shifted due to terrain effects, Rules 3.4 and 3.8, and artillery support.
13.13.1 Terrain Effects
A. The Terrain Effects Chart lists the column shifts available to the defender when it occupies specific terrain.
B. In order for the defender to receive the defensive bonus of a river, all attacking units must be attacking across river hexsides.
13.13.2 Special Rules
A. See Rule 3.4 for column shifts applicable in August 1914.
B. See Rule 3.8 for column shifts applicable when different nationalities attack.
13.13.3 HQ Artillery Support
A. Offensive or defensive artillery support can be provided by any supplied HQ unit with an artillery support strength greater than zero.
-
Attacking artillery support shifts the odds to the right.
-
Defending artillery shifts the odds to the left.
B. The supporting HQ must be adjacent to or stacked with at least one same-nationality unit HQ in the battle. An HQ may support mixed nationality combats as long as at least one involved unit is of the same nationality.
C. No more than one qualifying HQ per side may support a given battle, no matter how many are in eligible locations.
D. Commit HQs, attacker then defender, before any combat chits, including air units.
E. After using an HQ to support a combat, flip it so its zero-artillery support side shows. That HQ may not provide support again until it is flipped back during the Resource Phase of the next Strategic Turn.
F. HQs never attack by themselves, have no intrinsic combat, stacking or step values, and do not count as defending units for picking the CRT to use for resolving a given battle.
G. If alone in a hex, HQs are eliminated the instant an enemy combat unit enter that hex, whether by operational movement or advance after combat (13.21).
H. Germany's 11th Army HQ may only be used to provide support on the east map.
13.14 Die Roll Modifiers (DRMs)
A. The chart below details the different combat DRMs available to each side.
| DRM | Event/Condition |
|---|---|
| X | Defender in Trench (13.16) |
| -1 * | Defender Has Excess Air Units (7.6.2) |
| +1 | Concentric Attack |
| +1 * | Attacker Has Excess Air Units (7.6.2) |
| +1 | Bruchmüller |
| +1 | 1-3 Shock Troops |
| +1, +2 | Tank (printed value) |
| +2 | 4+ Shock Troops |
| +2 | Poison Gas (7.8) |
| +2 | Flamethrower Attack (7.9) |
| +2 | Mine Attack (7.9) |
| +3 |
* Maximum -1 or +1 DRM regardless of the amount of excess air units.
** Must be a whole multiple for each additional DRM.
B. When attacking at odds higher than 5-1 against a space which benefits from a defensive column shift ignore DRMs for higher odds and just use the 5:1 column.
C. A concentric attack is defined as an attack by units from two hexes directly opposite the defender's position, or units from three hexes with one hex between each and the next attacker position, or units from more than three hexes. A concentric attack not available against defenders in fortifications or heavy fortifications. The illustrations below give examples of concentric attacks.
13.15 Cumulative Effects
A. All die roll modifiers and column shifts are cumulative in their effects.
Example: A supplied German attack with air superiority, gas, four Shock Troop units, and Bruchmüller yields a +5 DRM to that die roll.
B. However, any roll modified to a number greater than six is considered a six, and any roll modified to less than zero is considered a zero.
13.16 Trenches
A. Each side has markers on the Trench Status Track (printed on the east map) to determine its units' entrenchment levels. Trenches may have no effect or provide a defensive DRM of -1 or -2.
B. The supply state and the terrain in the defender's hex, including fortifications or heavy fortifications, have no effect on the trench modifier.
C. There are three boxes on the Trench Status Chart: NE (No Effect), -1, and -2. All markers start the game in the NE box.
D. British cavalry becomes subject to these restrictions starting with Strategic Turn D.
13.17 Central Powers Trench Status
A. The Central Powers have two Trench Status markers, one for Germany, and one for all other Central Powers nations.
| Marker | Box | Turn |
|---|---|---|
| Germany | -1 | B |
| Germany | -2 | D |
| Other Central Powers Nations | -1 | F |
B. When German and non-German units are stacked together, use the non-German trench status level except for units stacked with or adjacent to the Sud HQ, which may use the current German trench status.
13.18 Allied Trench Status
A. The Allies have three Trench Status markers: one for Britain and Belgium, one for France, and one for all other Allied nations. All start the game in the NE box.
| Marker | Box | Turn |
|---|---|---|
| Britain/Belgium | -1 | B |
| Britain/Belgium | -2 | E |
| France | -1 | C |
| France | -2 | F |
| Other Allies | -1 | F |
B. In cases where different Allied units are stacked together, use the lowest trench status among them. (All British sub-nationalities are considered to be British for this rule.)
13.19 Cavalry
A. When the defender consists of only cavalry units, it may retreat before combat when attacked by a force containing no cavalry. The decision to retreat must be made before the attacker rolls the die.
B. The units immediately retreat one hex to any non-enemy occupied hex. If possible it must be closer to the nearest friendly supply source (either ultimate or secondary).
C. The attacker may advance into the vacated hex and may announce another attack with those units, or keep some or all of its force in its original hex and redirect its attack from there.
D. A subsequent attack may be against the same cavalry that just retreated, thereby possibly setting off a chain of such moves, or it may be against a different adjacent enemy occupied hex.
13.20 Non-British Cavalry
A. Non-British cavalry (including all Central Powers cavalry) may not attack hexes containing enemy infantry, fortifications, or heavy fortifications, unless stacked with a friendly infantry unit taking part in that attack.
B. Non-British cavalry may not receive artillery support unless stacked with an infantry unit.
C. Non-British cavalry may not entrench. Non-cavalry units stacked with it are considered not to be entrenched.
D. British cavalry becomes subject to these restrictions starting with Strategic Turn D.
13.21 Advance after Combat
A. When a defender's hex is vacated, either due to elimination or a cavalry retreat before combat, some or all of the surviving attackers may advance into that hex, up to the stacking limit.
B. The decision to advance must be made immediately, before resolving other battles.
C. The defender never advances after combat.
D. Attacking Shock Troop units, and attacking Allied tank units after March 1919, may advance up to two hexes after victorious combat. The first hex entered must be the defender's just vacated hex. If that hex is marsh or mountain the advance is over; if not, the advance may be continued into one additional adjacent and empty non-alpine hex.
E. As in normal operational movement, terrain prohibitions must be taken into account when advancing after combat.
13.22 OHL/OberOst Combat
A. During each Initiative Determination Phase, the Central Powers chooses whether to use the OHL or OberOst marker during the next sequence of Operational Turns (6.18). The OHL marker is used on the west map; the OberOst is used on the east.
B. Only one of either of these markers may be used between each Strategic Turn.
C. To use either marker, place it in a hex containing one or more German units in regular supply at the end of the Central Powers Movement Phase on the map chosen.
D. German supplied units within two hexes of the marker at the end of the following Central Powers Combat Phase on that map may attack again, including advance after combat, during the OHL/OberOst combat sequence. Trace the OHL/OberOst activation range as though tracing supply (11.3).
E. All DRMs and shifts apply to OHL/OberOst combat.
F. After completing OHL/OberOst combat, remove the marker until the next Initiative Phase.
13.23 Foch
A. The Allies use the Foch marker similarly to the OHL and OberOst markers.
B. The marker may be used once per Operational Turn by all Allied units within range.
C. To use the marker, place it in a hex containing one or more Allied units in regular supply at the end of the Allied Movement Phase on the west map.
D. Allied supplied units within two hexes of the marker at the end of the following Allied Combat Phase may attack again, including advance after combat, during the Allied Supreme Command combat sequence. Trace the activation range as though tracing supply (11.3).
E. All DRMs and shifts apply to this combat.
F. After Allied Supreme Command combat is completed, remove the marker until the next Operational Turn.
13.24 Fortifications and Heavy Fortifications
A. Fortifications and heavy fortifications have an intrinsic defense strength of one, used only for defense. Add it any defending units in the hex.
B. Do not count this factor as a unit for stacking purposes.
C. Do count this factor as a unit for determining which CRT to use.
D. Units in fortification or heavy fortification hexes also enjoy applicable trench effects. A fortification or heavy fortification must always be the last defender step given up to satisfy losses in combat.
E. Fortifications and heavy fortifications are themselves always in supply.
F. Units of the same nationality as the intact fortification or heavy fortification they are occupying are always in supply for defensive and attritional purposes.
G. Once occupied by an enemy unit, fortifications and heavy fortifications are eliminated and may not be rebuilt.
H. The only difference between fortifications and heavy fortifications lies in their column shifts, which are 1L and 2L, respectively.
I. When these rules refer to fortifications, the assumption is they are intact unless specifically described otherwise.
13.25 The Hindenburg Line
A. The Central Powers receives four Hindenburg Line markers on Strategic Turn K. During any New Units Phase after that, it may place them on the western front map in supplied hexes not adjacent to an Allied unit, fortification, or heavy fortification.
B. The Central Powers must place all of four at the same time in a contiguous line (crooked or straight).
C. They act as heavy fortifications as soon as they are placed and until eliminated, except units in them do not have fortress supply.
14.0 Strategic Movement
14.1 In General
A. Strategic Movement represents the use of rail transport to move units long distances.
B. The Allies may also use Sea Movement during the Strategic Movement Phase.
C. There is limited German Sea Movement in the Baltic during the New Units Phase (8.3).
D. The Allies perform Strategic and Sea Movement before the Central Powers.
E. Strategic and Sea Movement is the only way for units to move between the east and west maps or between the western front and Italian theater.
14.2 Procedures and Restrictions
A. To use Strategic Movement a unit must start the phase in a supplied and friendly controlled town or city hex.
B. The unit may then be moved to any other such hex, tracing a path of any length between its starting hex and its destination.
C. The path may not enter hexes containing:
-
Enemy units,
-
Fortifications,
-
Heavy fortifications,
-
Enemy controlled towns,
-
Enemy controlled cities,
-
Neutral hexes, or
-
Alpine hexes.
D. The path may not cross impassable hexsides.
E. The path may not move next to enemy units, fortifications, or heavy fortifications unless occupied by friendly units at the instant of the move.
F. Units utilizing Strategic Movement may start, but not end, their move next to enemy units.
G. Units moving between the east and west maps, or between the western front and Italian maps, are subject to further restrictions in 14.3-14.4.
H. On the turn a neutral nation enters the war and its units are placed on the map, enemy units may ignore those units when using Strategic Movement into towns across the border adjacent to the newly placed units. The new units are presumed to be in the act of mobilizing and thus are in no position to contest any movement.
I. Within all the restrictions given above, units may perform combat and use Operational Movement during the same turn they will use Strategic Movement.
14.3 Central Powers Strategic Movement
A. The Central Powers may move up to 24 divisions per Strategic Movement Phase.
B. HQs count as two divisions each, regardless of what side of the counter is showing.
C. All Central Powers units that begin or end their strategic move outside Germany count double toward the 24 division limit. (HQs would therefore cost four each.)
D. Central Powers units moving between the east and west maps must trace a movement path off their starting map through a friendly controlled map edge ultimate supply source, then reenter the other map through another friendly controlled map edge ultimate supply source.
14.4 Allied Strategic Movement
A. Up to eight Russian divisions may use strategic movement for the Allies on the east map, but only inside Russia and Russian Poland (but see below).
B. On the west map, the Allies may move up to 12 divisions per Strategic Movement Phase, but units moving outside France or Italy cost double toward that limit.
C. Allied units moving between the western front and Italy trace a path off the south map edge in France and back onto a supply source map edge hex in Italy, or vice versa.
D. Allied HQs also count as two (or four) units each for Strategic and Sea Movement purposes.
14.5 Allied Sea Movement
A. The Allies may move up to six units by sea per Strategic Movement Phase.
B. Units using Sea Movement may not use regular Strategic Movement during the same turn, but may otherwise operate normally.
C. To move by sea, units move directly from one friendly controlled port to any other on either map.
D. The Allies may not move by sea in the Baltic.
E. The Allies may move by sea in the Black Sea only if they control Constantinople.
F. The Gallipoli and Salonika chits provide the Allies with ports on the east map, but no other sea movement is allowed the turn those chits are played (7.13, 7.14).
15.0 Devastation
15.1 In General
Only the Central Powers may devastate hexes, and their selections for it may only be clear terrain hexes, including flood plain, in France and Belgium.
15.2 Procedure
A. To devastate a hex, the Central Powers must have a supplied infantry unit in the hex at the start of their Operational Movement Phase on the west map.
B. Place a Devastated marker atop the selected units; they may not move or attack that turn.
C. At the end of the Central Powers Combat Phase on the west map, the designated units must move one hex toward the east, northeast or southeast. Place Devastated markers in the just-vacated hexes.
15.3 Devastation Effects
A. All units attacking out of a devastated hex suffer a one column leftward odds shift in that attack.
B. The operational movement cost for entering such hexes is permanently increased to 2 MPs.
C. Devastated hexes remain devastated for the rest of the game.
D. If there is a town or city in a devastated hex, it may continue to be used as a supply point, but not as a strategic movement start or end point.
E. Devastated cities no longer generate the normal 1L odds shift for defenders.
F. If a devastated hex was a victory and/or resource hex, it ceases to be.
15.4 Limits
The number of devastated hex markers provided in the counter mix is a design limit. Once all have been placed, no further devastation may take place.
16.0 Unit Conversions
16.1 Shock Troop Conversion
16.1.1 In General
A. To convert eligible German units into Shock Troop units (7.24), they must be in supply to either the Ruhr or Berlin. Tracing to either of those ultimate sources by means of a secondary supply source is acceptable.
B. During the New Units Phase, simply flip over the selected units so their Shock Troop side (white on black) shows after paying the required RP cost (7.24).
C. New Shock Troop units may move and fight on the turn of conversion.
16.1.2 Alpenkorps
A. The German AK (Alpenkorps) unit is always a shock troop unit on the east map, but does not have those properties on either of the western maps until the first Shock troop Conversion Chit is played.
B. When that chit is played, the AK gains shock troop capabilities on the west maps for free. That is, it does not count against the total of six other German divisions converted by the first chit.
C. Unlike other shock troop units, the AK may always be replaced.
16.2 Kaiserschlacht
A. On the turn the second Shock Troop chit is played, the first four attacks on one front (the western front, Italy, or the east map) involving four or more Shock Troop units may be declared by the Central Powers to be the Kaiserschlacht, receiving a +3 DRM (instead of +2). This is in addition to whatever other normal modifiers and shifts may apply.
B. Such attacks must be the first four German attacks made on the declared front that turn.
C. This benefit may not be saved beyond the turn the second Shock Troop chit is played. If fewer than four eligible attacks are made, the special die roll bonus is lost for the extra attacks.
16.3 German Cavalry Conversion
A. The Central Powers may convert German cavalry units on the map (not in the dead pile) into infantry divisions, one at a time or in groups of any size.
B. The procedure similar to that for Shock Troops, but may be done without chit play or RP cost during any New Units Phases.
C. Once a cavalry division is converted into infantry it remains infantry for the rest of the game, including replacement from the dead pile.
D. As conversions take place, put the appropriate Cavalry Conversion markers on the Turn Record Track as reminders.
16.4 Russian Provisional Government Units
A. Immediately upon the Fall of the Czar (6.13-6.14), the Allies must replace all Russian infantry units with a movement factor of 4 with a 1-2-3 Provisional Government division. (Replacement does not apply to the SV unit.)
B. Replacement takes place wherever the units are currently located, whether on the map, in the dead pile, or the Available Units Box. Exact unit designations do not matter.
C. The replaced divisions are permanently removed from play.
D. Place any Provisional Government units remaining after the conversion in the Available Units Box for later entry.
17.0 Designer's Notes
Since its inception, The Great War in Europe has evolved from a corps-level game with large-hex maps to a division-level game with small-hex maps. In the process it changed from a mini-monster game into something more closely approximating full monster status. But don't be put off: TGWiE has been designed to be played, not feared or admired as it sits on the shelf. Unlike many other monster games, it takes a weekend of gaming, or at most two, to complete– not weeks or months. And the strategic and operational challenges it provides players will easily repay them in enjoyment and historical insight for the time spent on it.
This game covers the Great War in Europe. The campaigns by and against the Turks outside the continent, though interesting, were sideshows, and for that reason were excluded. At the same time, the various campaigns in eastern and Western Europe were often different in character and tempo. That led to the idea of dividing the map in two and using two hex scales, eliminating those parts of Germany that go unused in other strategic-level WWI games. Battles on the western front thereby take on an appropriate, almost tactical, feel, as players struggle to wrest control of individual hexes from each other, while the east front retains the sweep of When Eagles Fight. The divided map also allowed me to let both players move – on opposite fronts – at the same time, which speeds non-solitaire play and keeps both players constantly involved in the game.
The chit system is the heart of TGWiE. It came about because a game covering the Great War has a lot of diplomatic, economic, technological, and tactical ground to cover above and beyond the action on the battle fronts. To have used individual mechanics to introduce each one of those features into the game would have produced a rules nightmare. The chit system provides one simple means to tie it all together, and is the feature of TGWiE of which I'm most proud.
Like all my games, TGWiE has been designed to give its players a lot of choice regarding strategy, while limiting as much as possible the effects of hindsight. That's why play begins in mid-August 1914, with Germany already committed to violate Belgium and Luxembourg. While in retrospect the invasion of Belgium can be seen as a huge strategic error, playtesting showed that to allow Germany to escape that blunder was to create a game that was not about the historic war. When we tried that approach we found what we got was actually an alternative history game where the initial supposition was the Kaiser and his generals had vastly different outlooks (and the outcome was usually a German triumph during 1917). For that same reason, the victory conditions lock both sides into trying for a decisive victory rather than some more rational compromise peace or partial win.
But even with those limits, I'm confident you'll still find plenty of room to explore different and varied routes to victory and defeat.
18.0 The 1917 Scenario
18.1 In General
A. This scenario begins with the Chit Pull Phase of the April 1917 turn and ends no later than the end of June 1919.
B. All normal rules apply.
C. Play begins with the Allies moving first on the west maps, and the Central Powers moving first on the east map.
18.2 Sides
A. The Central Powers consist of Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria, Germany, and the Ottoman Empire.
B. The Allies consist of Belgium, Britain, France, Italy, Romania, the Russian Provisional Government, Serbia, and the United States (which entered the war on Strategic Turn L).
C. Greece is still neutral.
D. Romania begins the game already collapsed.
E. All Montenegrin units have already been eliminated.
18.3 Start Lines
A. The Allied front lines are listed below.
B. The Central Powers front lines are those hexes adjacent to the Allied front line to the east or north on the west map, and to the west or north on the east map.
C. Fortifications and heavy fortifications that begin play behind the front lines of the opposing side have been destroyed.
18.3.1 Western Front Allied Front Line
6811-6612, 6612-6411, 6311, 6211-5813, 5712, 5613, 5512, 5412, 5312, 5313, 5214-5217, 5117-5120, 5221-5223, 5123-4922, 4823-4827, 4827-4628, 4629, 4529, 4429, 4329, 4229-3831.
18.3.2 Italian Front Allied Front Line
This front follows the Italian/Austro-Hungarian border with the following exceptions: 2412, 2414-2416, 2517-2819, 3021, 2829, 2729, 2529-2328.
18.3.3 Russian/Romanian Front Allied Line
6120, 6121-5922, 5923, 5824, 5723-5524, 5524-5223, 5223-5024, 5024-4823, 4823-4624, 4624-4222, 4222-4023, 4023-3721, 3622-3421, 3321-3323, 3224, 3123-2725, 2725-2729.
18.3.4 Salonika Front Allied Front Line
1210-1213, 1312-1315, 1416, 1417-1218.
18.4 Preparation for Play
A. Place all units and chits scheduled to arrive after Strategic Turn L in the appropriate holding boxes on the east map.
B. Place the Turn Marker on the April 1917 space on the Turn Record Track with the Allies West/Central Powers East side face up.
C. Place the BR/BE, FR and GE Trench Status Markers in the -2 space on the Trench Status Track.
D. Place the Allied and Central Powers Trench Status Markers in the -1 space. Place the Central Powers VPs Marker on the 10 space of the General Records Track.
E. Place the Allied Cities Held and VPs Retaken Markers on the 0 space.
F. Place the Ploesti Resource Marker on Strategic Turn N.
G. Lens, Longwy, and Mons are active Central Powers Resource hexes.
H. Place eight Devastated Zone Markers in the following hexes on the Western Front: 6012, 5912, 5812, 5813, 5711, 5712, 5612, 5613.
I. Up to 10 British units may be placed in the Allied Available Units Box.
Transcription note: the printed rules letter two consecutive paragraphs "H" in 18.4; they are lettered H and I here.
18.5 Special Events Chits
18.5.1 Allied
A. Place these Special Events Chits in the Allied pool: two NE chits, the French AAC, Mustard Gas, Mine, Convoy, Foch, GK Entry, FR Mutiny, and RTC.
B. All other Allied C to K event chits have been played.
C. All Allied air units are available.
18.5.2 Central Powers
A. Place these Special Events Chits in the Central Powers pool: two NE chits, RO Entry (even though RO has already joined the Allies and been collapsed), two Stoss chits, Mustard Gas, Bruchmüller, and Richtofen.
B. Place one U-boat chit in the Strategic Warfare Box.
C. All other C to K event chits have been played.
D. All German air units are available except for Immelmann and Boelke.
18.6 Allied Setup Particulars
A. The Allies set up first on both maps.
B. On the Western Front each front line hex must contain at least one Allied unit to start.
C. On the Italian front hexes 2412-2417, 2618, 2920, 3021, 3022, 2927, 2829, 2729, 2629, 2529-2328 must contain one or more Italian units to start.
D. There is no requirement to fill every front line hex on the eastern map.
E. Deploy all HQs support side up.
18.7 Belgium
A. Belgium starts with 2 RPs.
B. All Belgian units must deploy in hexes W6810 and W6811.
18.8 Britain
A. Britain starts with 4 RPs.
B. Remove from play the BR 10, 13, 52, 53, 54, 31N and 71N Divisions. (They have been sent to the Middle East.)
C. Place two cavalry divisions in the dead pile.
D. All British units are at one step strength.
E. Put five 3-4 and one 3-4-4 divisions on the Salonika Front.
F. All remaining British units start on the Western Front.
G. No British unit may start south of hex row W58xx.
18.9 France
A. France starts with 4 RPs.
B. Remove from play the ITL and LFD units.
C. Place four 2-3-4 and two 2-4 infantry divisions on the Salonika Front.
D. All remaining French units start on the Western Front.
E. No French unit may start north of hex row W57xx.
18.10 Italy
A. Italy starts with 0 RPs.
B. Place two 2-4 divisions on the Salonika Front.
C. All remaining Italian units start on the Italian Front.
18.11 Romania
A. Romania is collapsed and has 0 RPs.
B. Place six 1-2-4 divisions and the 1-6 corps in the dead pile.
C. All remaining Romanian units start within two hexes of E2726.
18.12 Russia
A. Russia starts with 0 RPs.
B. Remove from play the 7th, 8th, 9th, 11th and GD Army HQs (used up in the Brusilov Offensive).
C. The Fall of the Czar has taken place.
D. After converting all required divisions to Provisional Government status, place all remaining Russian units on or east of the Russian/Romanian front line.
E. Up to 20 units may be placed in the Allied Available Units Box.
18.13 Serbia
A. Serbia starts with zero RPs.
B. Place five 2-4 divisions and the 1-6 division in the dead pile.
C. Place the remaining units on the Salonika Front.
18.14 The US
The first American unit will arrive on Strategic Turn O.
18.15 Central Powers Setup Particulars
A. The Central Powers set up second on both maps.
B. No Russo-Romanian front units may deploy in Albania, Bulgaria, Serbia, Montenegro, Greece, or Turkey.
C. All Salonika Front units must start in Albania, Serbia, Bulgaria, or Greece.
D. On the Western Front and on the east map all front line hexes must contain one or more Central Powers units to start. (There is no such requirement on the Italian Front.)
E. All HQs are deployed support side up.
18.16 Austria-Hungary
A. Austria-Hungary starts with 0 RPs.
B. Place two 1-6 corps in the dead pile.
C. One HQ, 19 divisions and the 88KBD begin on the Italian Front.
D. Two divisions begin on the Salonika Front.
E. Place two infantry divisions on the Russo-Romanian Front north of hex row E42xx. These must start stacked with German units.
F. All other Austro-Hungarian units begin on the Russo-Romanian Front south of hex row E42xx.
18.17 Bulgaria
A. Bulgaria starts with 0 RPs.
B. The Bulgarian HQ and eight divisions (all at two step strength) begin on the Salonika Front.
C. Two divisions begin anywhere inside Romania.
18.18 Germany
A. Germany starts with 8 RPs.
B. Place 12 infantry divisions in the dead pile.
C. Some, any, or all German cavalry divisions may start the game already converted to infantry, as desired.
D. Up to 20 divisions from any front except Salonika may start in the Central Powers Available Units Box.
E. The OHL unit begins the scenario available for use.
18.18.1 Western Front
A. 1st through 7th HQs
B. 151 divisions
C. Place the H-L fort markers in hexes: 5913, 5814, 5713, 5614.
18.18.2 Russo-Romanian Front
A. 8th through 12th HQs, Sud HQ
B. 72 divisions (at least half of which must have a printed defense factor of three or higher)
18.18.3 Salonika Front
3 divisions.
18.19 Turkey
A. The Ottoman Empires starts with 0 RPs.
B. Put four 2-4 divisions in Romania.
C. All remaining units deploy inside Turkey.
19.0 Abbreviations and Historical Identifications
| Code | Name |
|---|---|
| A | Setup Code (3.3) |
| AAC | Assault Artillery Corps |
| AF | African |
| AH | Austria Hungary |
| AK | Alpenkorps (actually a division) |
| ALP | Alpini |
| AS | Australia |
| B | Setup Code (3.3) |
| BD | Brigade |
| BE | Belgium |
| BLW | Bavarian Landwehr |
| BN | Battalion |
20.0 Aces
Aces are indicated with the ace symbol on their counters.
| Country | Ace |
|---|---|
| Britain | Albert Ball |
| France | Rene Fonck |
| Germany | Oswald Boelcke |
| Germany | Hermann Goring |
| Germany | Max Immelmann |
| Germany | Manfred von Richtofen |
| Germany | Ernst Udet |
| United States | Eddie Rickenbacker |
Optional Rules and Scenarios
The Polish Independence, Italian Entry rules, and the pre-war event chits are quite optional, but the other optional rules should IMO always be used.
21.0 Miscellaneous Optional Rules
21.1 West Front Double Turn Restriction
If the side with the initiative wishes to change the initiative (per Rule 6.17) from the east map to the west map (i.e., take a double turn in the west) it must, during the Initiative Determination Phase, have a continuous line of friendly units (combat units and/or HQs) on the Western Front (not Italy) from the Channel Coast or Holland or North Map Edge to Switzerland or the South Map edge. Thus, an Allied line running from 5701 to 3621 (for example) would qualify and allow an Allied double turn, but a line from 5601 would not.
21.2 Russian Shell Shortages
The Russian shell shortage of mid-1915 is represented in the main body of rules by delaying the entry of several Russian headquarters. Under this rule the Russians suffer an additional penalty.
A. No Russian headquarters may be flipped to its artillery support side on Strategic Turns B, C, and D.
B. The Russian GD headquarters, once used on attack (not defense), may never be flipped back to its artillery support side. (This represents the limited number of truly elite troops available in the Guard Army.)
21.3 Polish Restoration
The promise of Polish independence was used by both the Central Powers and the Allies to try to gain military advantage, but in the end neither side proved willing to pay the real political cost of fully playing the Polish card. The following allows players to experiment with the Polish option.
A. Only one Polish restoration declaration may be made per game, based solely on which side declares its first (if at all).
B. Once declared, Polish restoration cannot be retracted.
21.3.1 Allied Declaration
A. The Allies (or if team play, Russia) may exercise this option, by declaring the restoration of Poland, at the end of any Resource Phase they control both Lodz and Warsaw.
B. For the Allied side such a declaration has the following effects:
-
+1 DRM for the Fall of the Czar die roll on all subsequent Russian Revolution Phases. (Warsaw and Lodz still count as Russian cities for that roll.)
-
On all subsequent Resource Phases the Allies receive two additional "at large" RPs that may be spent by Britain, France, Italy, and/or Russia. These RPs are never lost, no matter what the fate of Polish territory on the map.
21.3.2 Central Powers Declaration
A. The Central Powers may declare the restoration of Poland at the end of any Resource Phase they control both Lodz and Warsaw.
B. Such a declaration has the following effects:
-
Warsaw and Lodz are no longer considered Central Powers victory hexes for the remainder of the game.
-
The Allied Polish Legion and Polish Volunteer units never enter the game, though any already in stay in.
-
The Central Powers gain two German and two Austro-Hungarian RPs per subsequent Resource Phase as long as they control both Lodz and Warsaw. (If Austria-Hungary collapses, those two bonus RPs are lost.)
21.4 First Use of Gas
The first side to use any form of gas may suffer as a result of adverse world public opinion.
A. Roll one die at the time of the first use (by either side).
B. If the first use was made by the Allies, on a 6, the Central Powers gain 1 VP.
C. If the first use was made by the Central Powers, on a 6, the Central Powers lose one victory point.
D. Rolls of 1-5 are always no effect.
21.5 Bribing Italy
Italy entered the war out of a desire to acquire Trent and Trieste. Germany tried to convince Vienna to give up those Italian-populated areas in order to keep Italy neutral, but the Austro-Hungarian offer came too late.
A. The Central Powers may delay the placement of the Italian Entry Chit into the chit pool at a cost in VPs.
B. At the start of Strategic Turn C, the Central Powers must announce if they will make the bribe and, if so, the size of the bribe. Expenditure of VPs delays the placement of the Italian Entry Chit to the Strategic Turn in the chart below.
| VPs | Turn |
|---|---|
| 2 | G |
| 3 | K |
| 4 | O |
C. The chit's entry into the pool may never be delayed past Turn O.
D. If the bribe is made, no territorial adjustments are actually made on the map. The idea is, the effort is expended to get "serious" talks underway that succeed in delaying Italian political progress toward entry on the Allied side.
21.5 Scheffer-Boyadel
Only once during the war, at Lodz in late 1914, did any sizeable body of troops survive encirclement. The German 25th Reserve Corps, commanded by Gen. Scheffer-Boyadel, broke out of a Russian trap, destroying the 6th Siberian Division in the process. This rule allows players to recreate that exceptional event.
A. Once per game during any Attrition Phase, the Central Powers may select one OOS German stack of up to four divisions (any excess present in the hex would remain OOS) on the east map outside the Balkans, declaring it to be commanded by Gen. Scheffer-Boyadel.
B. The stack is considered in supply for that Attrition Phase and the immediately following combat phase.
C. It is eliminated if still OOS in the following Attrition Phase.
21.6 Fortress Surrender
A. Fortifications and heavy fortifications, and any mobile units in them, which only have fortress supply may surrender.
B. At the end of each Strategic Turn starting with Turn C, an isolated fortress hex surrenders on a roll of 4-6.
C. Roll for surrender only if the opposing side has a number of combat units adjacent to the fort at least equal to the total number of units (not steps) in the fortress, counting the intrinsic fortress defense step as one unit.
Example: Lotzen is cut off from all Central Powers supply sources. Two German divisions are in the fortress. Roll for the surrender only if three or more Allied divisions are in any of the adjacent hexes.
21.7 Western Front Trench Warfare
Players wanting to further recreate the "trench warfare" mentality of the western front high commands should use this rule.
A. Starting with the Jan/Feb 1915 turn, all combat units on the Western Front starting their movement adjacent to an enemy unit have their movement allowance halved. (In other words, they use their printed-on-the-counter allowance.)
B. HQs moving anywhere on the Western Front map that move more than their printed MF are immediately flipped to their non-support side.
C. These restrictions end for both sides immediately following the play of the first Shock Troop Conversion chit, or the entry of any replaceable Allied tank unit onto the map, whichever occurs first.
21.8 The Red Army
A. If the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk has not been declared, the Allies may begin forming the Red Army on the second Strategic Turn following the Bolshevik Revolution.
Example: If the Bolshevik Revolution occurred on Turn N, the Red Army could begin forming on Turn P.
B. Each eligible Strategic Turn, provided the Central Powers has yet to declare a treaty, roll one die. That is the number of on-board Provisional Government divisions (in regular supply) immediately converted to Russian 3-4-4 divisions. These new Red Army units have their full printed combat factors available.
C. Russia gets one 0-2 HQ unit each Strategic Turn it builds Red Army units. (These HQ never provide support, only supply.)
D. Russian still gets no RPs, so if there are not enough Provisional Government divisions on the board to make a conversion, the excess Red Army divisions called for by the roll are lost.
E. Red Army units may not stack, move through, or attack in conjunction with, any other Allied units.
F. The Central Powers may still declare the Brest-Litovsk Treaty on any Strategic Turns after the Red Army is formed.
G. This rule may be used in any scenario.
22.0 1915 Scenario
22.1 In General
A. This scenario begins with the New Units Phase of the May 1915 Turn, and ends no later than the end of the June 1919 Turn.
B. All applicable normal rules apply.
C. Play begins with the Allies moving first on the west map and the Central Powers moving first on the east map.
22.2 Sides
A. The Central Powers consist of Austria-Hungary, Germany, and the Ottoman Empire.
B. The Allies consist of Belgium, Britain, France, Italy, Montenegro, Russia, and Serbia.
C. The Italian entry event chit is considered to have been pulled during the May 1915 Chit Pull Phase. Italian units are deployed in Italy, but may not move or attack (nor may Central Powers units enter or attack into Italy) until June 1915.
D. Bulgaria, Greece, Romania, and the US are still neutral.
22.3 Start Lines
A. The Allied front lines are listed below.
B. The Central Powers front lines are those hexes adjacent to the Allied front line to the east or north on the west map, and to the west on the east map.
C. Friendly fortifications and heavy fortifications that begin play behind the front lines of the opposing side are considered to have been destroyed.
22.3.1 Western Front Allied Front Line
6811-6612, 6612-6411, 6311, 6211, 6111-5910, 5811, 5710-5511, 5512, 5412-5312, 5313, 5214-5217, 5117-5120, 5221-5224, 5224-4922, 4823-4827, 4827-4628, 4629-4529, 4429, 4329, 4229-3831.
22.3.2 Italian Theater Allied Front Line
The Italian/Austro-Hungarian border.
22.3.3 Russian-Allied Front Line
5816, 5817, 5717, 5718-5420, 5319-5118, 5118-5116, 5116-4714, 4615-4414, 4414-4115, 4015-3716, 3717-3518, 3518-3520, 3621-3624, 3524.
22.3.4 Serbian-Allied Front Line
The Serb-Montenegrin/Austro-Hungarian border.
22.3.5 Gallipoli Allied Front Line
Anzac/Suvla, Cape Hellas.
22.4 Prepare to Play
A. Place all units and chits scheduled to arrive after Strategic Turn D in the appropriate holding boxes on the east map.
B. Place the Turn Marker on the May 1915 space on the Turn Record Track, with the Allied West/Central Powers East side face up.
C. Place the BR/BE and FR Trench Status Markers in the -1 space on the Trench Status Track.
D. Place the GE Trench Status Marker on the -2 space.
E. Place the remaining Trench Status Markers in the NE space.
F. Place the Central Powers VP Marker on the 6 space on the General Records Track.
G. Place the Allied Cities Held Marker on the 1 space.
H. Place the VPs Retaken Marker on the 0 space.
I. Place the US Entry Marker on Turn O of the Turn Record Track.
J. Place the Lens, Longwy, and Mons Resource Markers on Strategic Turn A on the General Records Track; they will be active on Turn E.
22.5 Special Events Chits
A. Place Allied C Event Chits except Gallipoli and IT Entry into the Allied chit pool.
B. Place Central Powers C Event Chits into the Central Powers chit pool except Chlorine Gas, SB Typhus, and U-boat.
C. The Chlorine Gas chit has been played.
D. Place the SB Typhus Chit on the Jan/Feb 1915 space of the Turn Record Track.
E. Place the U-boat marker in the Strategic Warfare Box.
22.6 Allied Setup Particulars
A. The Allies set up first on both maps.
B. On the western front each front line hex must contain at least one Allied combat unit.
C. On the Italian front all Italian units deploy anywhere in Italy.
D. On the Russian front each front line hex must contain at least one Allied combat unit.
E. All non-Russian HQs are deployed support side up.
F. All Russian HQs are deployed 0-2 side face up.
22.7 Belgium
A. Belgium starts with 1 RP.
B. All Belgian units must set up in hexes W6810 and W6811.
22.8 Britain
A. Britain starts with 0 RPs.
B. Place the 1AS and NZ units at Anzac/Suvla on the east map.
C. Place the 29 (at one-step strength), and 63RN units at Cape Hellas. Place any two units in the dead pile. Place the 42 and 52 divisions in Calais.
D. The remaining units set up on the west map between hex rows 66xx and 62xx, inclusive.
E. All British units with two steps start in their reduced state.
22.9 France
A. France starts with 3 RPs.
B. Remove from play the LFD unit.
C. Place the FR 1 division at Cape Hellas.
D. Place the FR 2 division at Calais.
E. Place any five units in the dead pile.
F. All remaining units set up anywhere on the western front, but not stacked with British or Belgian units.
22.10 Italy
A. Italy has 0 RPs.
B. Deploy all units in Italy.
C. See 22.2 and 22.6.
22.11 Russia
A. Russia starts with 0 RPs.
B. Russia randomly chooses any 106 of the available non-HQ units, placing the remainder in the dead pile.
C. Deploy the drawn units and HQs (0-2 sides face up) anywhere on the Russian side of the start line subject to 22.6.
22.12 Serbia/Montenegro
A. Serbia begins with 0 RPs.
B. Place all Serbian units in Serbia, and all Montenegrin units in Montenegro.
22.13 Austria-Hungary
A. Austria-Hungary starts with 0 RPs.
B. Place three 1-6 corps and any four infantry divisions in the dead pile.
C. Place 15 combat units on the Italian front.
D. Place one division at hex E2912. E. Place 10 combat units on the Serbian front.
F. Place one HQ in each of the following hexes on the east map: 4312, 3714, 3616, 3319.
G. Place all remaining units on the Russian front south of hex row 44xx.
22.15 Germany
A. Germany has 2 RPs.
B. Place any three Germany infantry units in the dead pile.
C. On the east map place the German 11th Army HQ in hex 3914, and the Sud HQ in hex 3418.
D. Place one HQ in each of the following east map hexes: 5418, 5316, 5114, 4613.
E. Deploy all remaining HQs on the western front.
F. Place 51 combat units on the Russian front with no more than 20 units north of hex row 50xx.
G. All remaining German units deploy on the western front and/or in the Central Powers Available Units Box.
H. OberOst is available for use.
22.16 Ottoman Empire
A. The Ottoman Empire has 2 RPs.
B. Place one 2-4 unit in the dead pile.
C. Place six 2-4 divisions in hex E1024.
D. Place all remaining units in hex E1023.
23.0 Additional Chits
23.1 In General
The following Pre-War Event Chits (PWEs: 10 for the Allies, and 10 for the Central Powers) allow players the option of changing certain pre-war planning and force structures for the various armies in the game. As such, their play may be added as a preliminary only in the full campaign scenario by mutual agreement of all players beforehand.
23.2 Procedure
A. Create 10 PWE chits for both sides using any available blank counters.
B. Number each of them with one number, 1-10 as described in the list below.
C. Each side places its PWEs in a separate opaque container.
D. Each side randomly draws (without looking) three chits from its PWE chit pool without revealing them to the other side.
E. Each side must play one of the drawn chits and may choose to play a second.
F. Certain chits are listed as being incompatible with certain other chits of that side, meaning they may not be played together.
G. Reveal the chits to be played to the other side.
H. Some chits may be canceled by chits of the opposing side. To incorporate the effect of the chits into play, follow the instructions given below when setting up for the campaign scenario.
23.3 Allied PWE Chits
| Chit | Name | Effects |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Czar Michael | Nicholas II was forced to abdicate during the 1905 Revolution, and the throne passed to his brother, Michael, who proved more willing to share power with the parliament (Duma). Treat the Czar Takes Command event chit as No Event instead. |
| 2 | Russian Plan 19 | Eliminate all Russian fortifications (but not heavy fortifications). Russian HQs may be flipped to their support side on Strategic Turns B, C and D. |
| 3 | French Plan Michel | French F units may deploy on border hexes with Belgium, Luxembourg and/or Germany. |
| 4 | Defense to the Limit! | Better French defensive tactics in 1914. The French do not suffer a 1R column shift when attacked on Turns 1 and 2, but they still do suffer the 1L shift on the attack. |
| 5 | Alternative BEF Deployment | At-start BEF units deploy within one hex of Ostend, Dunkirk, Calais, or Boulogne, or arrive on Turn A (Allies' choice). |
| 6 | Larger BEF | Historically the British held back units in England in 1914 to guard against an improbable German invasion. In this variant all British B and C units arrive on Turn A. This chit is not compatible with Allied PWE 5. |
23.4 Fisher's Gambit Special Rules
A. British units may not move or attack on Turn 1.
B. Hex E5403 is considered an Allied port and Ultimate Supply Source, and Allied units can be sea moved freely in and out of it. Once the hex is controlled by the Central Powers this status ends permanently.
C. In an exception to Rule 3.4, the Central Powers may use Strategic Movement to move up to a dozen units into Berlin and/or Stettin on Turn 1.
D. Allied units may not enter or control map edge hexes in Germany on the east map (but they may attack into them).
E. Ignore rules 8.3 and 11.7, since the British now control the Baltic Sea.
F. Allied units (including Russian) may freely use sea movement in the Baltic and may also use Baltic ports as Ultimate Supply Sources.
G. Petrograd, Kronstadt, Talinin, Riga, Libau, Königsberg, Danzig, and Stettin are ports. Both Danzig and Stettin are inland ports. Control of hex E5512 is required to use Danzig. Control of hexes E5406, E5306, E5305, and E5206 is required to use Stettin.
H. Treat the Jutland chit as No Event.
I. The Allies may transfer up to 6 RPs to Russia per turn, in addition to any for controlling Constantinople.
J. When first playing this chit, the Allies roll one die. Treat a 1-3 as all equaling a roll of 3, otherwise use the number rolled. The Central Powers gain this number of CPs, representing British naval losses incurred gaining control of the Baltic.
K. This chit is not compatible with Allied PWE chits 5 or 6.
23.5 Central Powers PWE Chits
| Chit | Name | Effects |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Austrian Plan R | All Austro-Hungarian at-start B units set up as if they were at-start A units. No Serbian units may enter Austria-Hungary on Turn 1. |
| 2 | Less Naval Construction | A smaller German navy allows Germany a larger army. See special rules below (23.6). |
| 3 | More Naval Construction | A larger German navy makes for a smaller Germany army. See special rules below (23.7). |
| 4 | More U-boats | The Germans put more pre-war emphasis on constructing U-boats then on constructing battleships. See special rules below (23.8). |
| 5 | Germany Invades Holland | Remove units totaling twelve attack factors from German W at-start units and all Strategic Turn A units permanently from the game. Both sides may freely enter Holland. German units may now set up anywhere in Holland or Belgium within three hexes of Aachen (W6526). |
| 6 | Albert Caves In | The Belgian Government gives in to German demands. Remove all Belgian units permanently from play. Treat all Belgian fortifications and heavy fortifications as destroyed. Move the U.S. Entry marker to Strategic Turn P. The Central Powers may not count Belgian victory cities towards a win, including Sudden Death victory, but may count them to avoid a loss. |
23.6 Less German Naval Construction Special Rules
A. German Strategic Turn A and B units are now available at-start as either W or E units (Central Powers choice). The British always win at Jutland (7.23).
B. If the Central Powers decide to play this PWE, they must immediately announce this decision to the Allies before the Allies make their PWE commitment choices.
C. If this PWE is played and the Allies play Fisher's Gambit (Allied PWE 7), the die roll for Royal Navy losses is altered. A roll of 1-2 yields 1 VP to the Central Powers; a roll of 3-4 yields 2 VPs, and a roll of 5-6 yields 3 VPs.
D. This PWE is not compatible with Central Powers PWE chits 3 or 4.
23.7 More Naval Construction Special Rules
A. Subtract 16 attack factors from the German at-start W or E units. These units now begin in the dead pile and may be replaced normally.
B. Subtract 2 from the Jutland die roll.
C. This PWE is not compatible with Central Powers PWE chits 2 or 4.
D. If the Central Powers decide to play this PWE, they must announce this decision to the Allies before the Allies make their PWE commitment choices.
E. If this PWE is played and the Allies play Fisher's Gambit (Allied PWE chit 7), the Central Powers receive 6 VPs.
23.8 More U-boat Special Rules
A. The Central Powers roll two dice (instead of one) to determine the effects of U-boat warfare (a 4 or higher still moves up USA entry).
B. The Central Powers may not cancel U-boat warfare.
C. The Allies add one to their die roll at Jutland.
D. This chit is not compatible with Central Powers PWE chits 2 or 3.
E. If the Central Powers decides to play this PWE, they must announce this decision to the Allies before the Allies make their PWE commitment choices.
F. If this chit is played and the Allies play Fisher's Gambit (Allied PWE Chit 7), the die roll for Royal Navy victory point losses is always a 6.
23.9 Von Moltke the Elder Special Rules
A. The Central Powers must set up at least 100 attack factors of W units as E units.
B. Belgium and Luxembourg are now neutral and their territory may never be entered by units of either side.
C. The British enter the war on Turn B. BEF at-start and Turn A units are treated as Turn B reinforcements.
D. The British Turn A RP is lost.
E. Place the USA Entry marker on Turn P.
F. Normal victory conditions are not used. The Central Powers win if they have 8+ VPs (after Allied subtractions) and have concluded a Brest-Litovsk Treaty by the time the US enters the war.
G. Any other result is an Allied victory.
H. This chit is not compatible with Central Powers PWEs 5, 6 and 7.
I. This chit cancels Allied PWEs 5, 6, 7 and 10.
24.0 1916 Scenario
24.1 In General
A. This scenario begins with the Chit Pull Phase of the Jan/Feb 1916 turn, and ends no later than the end of the June 1919 turn.
B. All applicable normal rules apply.
C. Play starts with the Allies moving first on the east map, and the Central Powers moving first on the west map.
24.2 Sides
A. The Central Powers consist of Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria, Germany, and the Ottoman Empire.
B. The Allies consist of Belgium, Britain, France, Italy, Russia, and Serbia.
C. Montenegro has been eliminated.
D. Greece, Romania, and the US are neutral.
24.3 Start Lines
A. The Allied front lines are listed below.
B. The Central Powers front lines are those hexes adjacent to the Allied front line to the east or north on the west map, and to the west on the east map.
C. Fortifications and heavy fortifications which begin play behind the front lines of the opposing side are considered destroyed.
24.3.1 Western Front Allied Front Line
6811-6612, 6612-6411, 6311, 6211, 6111-5910, 5811, 5710-5511, 5512, 5412-5312, 5313, 5214-5217, 5117-5120, 5221-5224, 5224-4922, 4823-4827, 4827-4628, 4629-4529, 4429, 4329, 4229-3831.
24.3.2 Italian Theater Allied Front Line
This front follows the Italian/Austro-Hungarian border with the following exceptions: 2412, 2414-2416, 2517-2819, 3021, 2829, 2729, 2529-2328.
24.3.3 Russian Allied Front Line
6120-6121, 6121-5922, 5923-5824, 5723-5524, 5524-5223, 5223-5024, 5024-4823, 4723-4624, 4523-4324, 4224-4123, 4024-3923, 3922-3524.
24.3.4 Salonika Allied Front Line
A. There is no front line as such, but Allied units may set up anywhere within two hexes of Salonika.
B. Central Powers Salonika Front units may set up in Albania, Serbia, and/or Greece north of hex row E12xx in any supplied hex not occupied by an Allied unit.
24.3.5 Gallipoli Allied Front Line
Gallipoli has been evacuated and that campaign is over.
24.4 Preparation for Play
A. Place all units and chits scheduled to arrive after Strategic Turn G in the appropriate holding boxes on the east map.
B. Place the Turn Marker on the Jan/Feb 1916 space on the Turn Record Track, with the Allied East/Central Powers West side face up.
C. Place the BR/BE, FR, and GE Trench Status Markers in the -2 space on the Trench Status Track.
D. Place the other Trench Status Markers in the -1 space.
E. Place the Central Powers VP Marker on the 9 space on the General Records Track.
F. Place the Allied Cities Held Marker and VPs Retaken Marker on the 0 space.
G. Lens, Longwy, and Mons are active Central Powers resource hexes.
H. Place the US entry chit on the N space of the Turn Record Track.
24.5 Special Event Chits
A. All eight Allied C event chits have been played.
B. All Allied air units are available.
C. Place all G event chits in the Allied pool.
D. All eight Central Powers C event chits have been played.
E. All Central Powers air units are available.
F. Place all G event chits in the Central Powers pool.
G. The Turn C U-boat chit has been played and canceled.
H. The Central Powers may not cancel any future U-boat chits.
24.6 Allied Setup Particulars
A. The Allies set up first on both maps.
B. On the western front each front line hex must contain at least one Allied combat unit.
C. On the Italian front all non-Alpine front line hexes must contain at least one Italian combat unit.
D. On the Russian front each front line hex must contain at least one Allied combat unit.
E. All HQs are deployed support side face up. See below for other Allied deployment restrictions.
24.7 Belgium
A. Belgium starts with 2 RPs.
B. All Belgian units must set up in hexes W6810 and W6811.
24.8 Britain
A. Britain starts with 3 RPs.
B. All British units start at one step strength.
C. Remove the British 13, 52, 53 and 54 divisions. (They are in Egypt.)
D. Place one British 3-4-4 and four 3-4 divisions on the Salonika front.
E. Place two 1-2-6 units and any other four infantry units in the dead pile.
F. The remaining units set up on the western front map north of hex row 58xx.
24.9 France
A. France starts with 0 RPs.
B. Remove from play the ITL and LFD units.
C. Place four French 2-3-4 units on the Salonika front.
D. Place any four units in the dead pile.
E. All remaining units set up anywhere on the western front, but not stacked with British or Belgian units.
24.10 Italy
A. Italy starts with 0 RPs.
B. Place two Italian units on the Salonika front.
C. Deploy all other units within the restrictions of 24.6.
24.11 Russia
A. Russia starts with 0 RPs.
B. Russian begins with any 15 combat units in the dead pile.
C. All remaining units are set up anywhere on or east of the Russian Allied front line, subject to 24.6.
24.12 Serbia/Montenegro
A. Montenegro has been eliminated.
B. Serbia starts with 0 RPs.
C. All Serbian units except the HQ begin the game in the dead pile.
D. Place the HQ at Salonika (E1116).
24.13 Central Powers Setup Particulars
A. The Central Powers set up second on both maps.
B. All front line hexes on both maps must contain at least one Central Powers combat unit except for the Italian and Salonika fronts.
C. All HQs are deployed support side up.
24.14 Austria-Hungary
A. Austria-Hungary starts with 0 RPs.
B. Place two 1-6 corps in the dead pile.
C. Place one HQ and 19 combat units on the Italian front.
D. Place three combat units in Montenegro.
E. Place four combat units on the Salonika front.
F. Place all remaining units on the Russian front, with no more than four north of hex row 46xx.
24.15 Bulgaria
A. Bulgaria starts with 0 RPs.
B. All Bulgarian units are at two-step strength.
C. Place four units anywhere inside Bulgaria.
D. Place all remaining Bulgarian units on the Salonika front.
24.16 Germany
A. Germany starts with 3 RPs.
B. Deploy 47 German divisions and four HQs (which must include the 11th and Sud HQs) on the Russian front. Only the Sud HQ and up to six divisions may deploy south of hex row E46xx.
C. Deploy four German units on the Salonika front.
D. Deploy all remaining HQs and combat units on the western front.
E. The OHL unit is available for use.
24.17 Ottoman Empire
A. The Ottoman Empire starts with 3 RPs.
B. Place all units anywhere inside the Ottoman Empire.
25.0 1918 Scenario
25.1 In General
A. This scenario begins with the Chit Pull Phase of the Jan/Feb 1918 turn, and ends no later than the end of the June 1919 turn.
B. Use the Red Army optional rule (21.8).
C. This scenario has special Central Powers victory conditions that supersede those of the campaign game.
D. Play begins with the Allies moving first on the East Map and the Central Powers moving first on the West Map.
25.2 Sides
A. The Central Powers consist of Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria, Germany, and the Ottoman Empire.
B. The Allies consist of Belgium, Britain, France, Greece, Italy, Bolshevik Russia, Romania, Serbia, and the US.
C. Montenegro has been eliminated.
D. Romania and Russia have collapsed.
E. There are no neutrals left that can enter the game.
25.3 Start Lines
A. The Allied front lines are listed below.
B. The Central Powers front lines are those hexes adjacent to the Allied front line to the east or north on the West Map, and to the west on the East Map.
C. Fortifications and heavy fortifications that begin play behind the front lines of the opposing side are considered destroyed.
25.3.1 Western Front Allied Front Line
6811-6711, 6612, 6613-6311, 6212-6111, 6012-5813, 5712-5314, 5315, 5216-5217, 5117-5120, 5221-5223, 5123-4922, 4823-4827, 4827-4628, 4629, 4529, 4429, 4329, 4229-3831.
25.3.2 Italian Front Allied Front Line
The Italian-Austrian border to hex 2511, 2412-2415, 2315-2318, 2419, 2319-2321, 2222-2223, 2223-2025.
25.3.3 Russian/Romanian Front
6221-5922, 5824, 5723-5524, 5524-5223, 5223-5024, 5024-4023, 4823-4624, 4624-4222, 4223-4024, 3923-3625, 3524, 3425-3324, 3224, 3123-2725, 2725-2729.
25.3.4 Salonika Front
1210-1213, 1312-1315, 1416, 1417-1218.
25.4 Prepare for Play
A. Place all units scheduled to arrive after Strategic Turn O in the appropriate holding boxes on the East Map.
B. Place the Turn Marker in the Jan/Feb 1918 space on the Turn Record Track, with the Central Powers West/Ally East side face up.
C. Place the BR/BE, FR and GE Trench Status Markers on the -2 space on the Trench Status Track.
D. Place all other Trench Markers on the -1 space.
E. Place the Central Powers VP marker on the 11 space on the General Records Track.
F. Place the Allied Cities Held and VPs Retaken markers on the 0 space.
G. Place the Ploesti marker on Strategic Turn N.
H. Lens, Longwy, and Mons are active Central Powers resource hexes.
I. Place eight Devastated Zone markers on the West Map in hexes: 6012, 5912, 5812, 5813, 5711, 5712, 5612, and 5613.
25.5 Special Event Chits
A. Place Allied Turn O Event Chits in their cup, with both Turn C No Event chits.
B. All other Allied chits have been played.
C. The RTC and French AAC units are available.
D. The Convoy Chit is in the Strategic Warfare Box.
E. The British Tank BN is eliminated.
F. All gas chits and the Mine Attack chit have been used.
G. All air units are available except for Ball, who is KIA.
H. Place Central Powers Turn O Event Chits in their cup, with both Turn C No Event chits.
I. All other Central Powers chits have been played.
J. The flamethrower chit and all gas chits have been used.
K. All air units are available except for Immelmann and Boelke, who are KIA.
25.6 Allied Setup Particulars
A. The Allies set up first on both fronts.
B. On the west map, all front line hexes must contain at least one Allied unit. There is no such requirement on the east map.
C. All HQs are deployed support side up.
25.7 Belgium
A. Belgium starts with 5 RPs.
B. All Belgian units must set up in hexes W6810 and W6811.
25.8 Britain
A. Britain starts with 6 RPs.
B. Remove from play the BR10, 13, 52, 53, 54, 3IN and 7IN Divisions. (They are in the Middle East.)
C. Place any two cavalry divisions in the dead pile.
D. All British units are at one-step strength.
E. The Allies may place up to six British (not ANZAC, CND or PT) units on the Salonika Front, and up to four other British units on the Italian Front.
F. All other units must deploy on the Western Front in or north of hex row 54xx.
G. Up to 15 units may start in the Available Units Box.
25.9 France
A. France starts with 3 RPs.
B. The Allies may place up to six French units on the Salonika Front, and up to four French units on the Italian Front.
C. All other units start on the Western Front in or south of hex row 55xx.
25.10 Greece
A. Greece starts with 2 RPs.
B. Place the three Greek units on the Salonika Front.
25.11 Italy
A. Italy starts with 0 RPs.
B. Place two Italian units on the Salonika Front and two on the Western Front.
C. All other units start on the Italian Front.
25.12 Romania
A. Romania is collapsed and starts with 0 RPs.
B. Place six 1-2-4 divisions and the 1-6 corps in the dead pile.
C. All remaining Romanian units begin set up within two hexes of E2726.
25.13 Russia
A. The Bolshevik Revolution has taken place and Russia has collapsed.
B. All non-Provisional Government units have been eliminated. Place 80 Provisional Government divisions on or east of the Russia/Romanian Front line. All others have been eliminated.
C. For the purposes of the Red Army optional rule, the Bolshevik Revolution took place on Strategic Turn N.
25.14 Serbia
A. Serbia starts with 1 RP.
B. Place four 2-4 divisions and the 1-6 division in the dead pile.
C. The remaining units start on the Salonika Front.
25.15 The US
A. The US entered the war on Turn L.
B. One US division starts on the map anywhere on the Western Front.
25.16 Central Powers Setup Particulars
A. The Central Powers set up second on both maps. B. In this scenario all Shock Troop units have been converted.
C. The Central Powers may divide their forces among the various fronts subject only to rules 3.7, 25.17, and 25.19.
D. All HQs are deployed support side up.
25.17 Austria-Hungary
A. Austria-Hungary begins with 0 RPs.
B. At least 30 Austro-Hungarian units must set up on the front line on the Italian Front.
C. Subject to rule 3.7, all other Austro-Hungarian units may be set up on any of the other fronts.
25.18 Bulgaria
A. Bulgaria starts with 0 RPs.
B. All Bulgarian units start at one-step strength.
C. Subject to rule 3.7, they may set up anywhere in Central Powers controlled territory in the Balkans.
25.19 Germany
A. Germany starts with three RPs.
B. Some, any, or all German cavalry divisions may start the scenario already converted to infantry, as desired.
C. The Central Powers may place no more than 190 divisions on the Western Front, and no more than 12 divisions on the Italian Front.
D. Otherwise, German units are subject only to the restrictions of rule 3.7.
25.20 Ottoman Empire
A. The Ottoman Empire starts with 0 RPs.
B. Place the 3-4-4 division in the dead pile.
C. Place up to four Turkish units anywhere in the Balkans in Central Powers controlled hexes.
D. All other units begin anywhere in Turkey.
25.21 Victory
A. In this scenario the Central Powers loses unless they achieve their victory conditions by June 1919.
B. There are no draws possible.
C. Either side may win this scenario according to Rules 4.2, 4.3 and 4.5.
D. Either side may also win according to victory conditions below.
25.21.1 Central Powers Victory Conditions
The Central Powers win if they has achieved two out of three of the following during any Victory Check Phase and have at least 14 VPs:
A. Control of Venice,
B. Control of Salonika, or
C. Control of every city (not just victory cities) in Russia and Russian Poland.
25.21.2 Allied Victory Conditions
If the Central Powers have not won by the end of June 1919, the Allies win.
Design Note: These victory conditions allow players to explore the strategic ideas advanced by German Gen. Max von Hoffman, and others, to "open the ring" surrounding Germany in the east and south, then offering "reasonable" peace terms on the Western Front. While these conditions work well in this 1918 scenario, they should not be used in the other scenarios because they would provide the Central Powers with an unrealistic degree of hindsight.
26.0 Shorter Scenarios
26.1 Allied Grand Offensive (September 27, 1918)
26.1.1 In General
A. Play in Sept, Oct, Nov/Dec turns in 1918 (skip Strategic Turn R).
B. Use West map north of 40xx line.
C. Randomly choose units. I used British 3-4s and some 5-4s, and French low combat factor units. Use the 8-4 and 6-7-4 and 5-6-4 for US.
26.1.2 Deployment in Flanders
- Allies: 8 BR, 1 BR HQ, 6 BR Cav. 8 BE, 1 BE HQ
- Central Powers: 12 GE, 1 HQ
26.1.3 Deployment in France
- Allies (Cambrai to St. Quentin): 40 BR, 3 US, 1 RTC, 1 HQ
- Central Powers: 57 GE (18 of those are Shock Troops), 1 HQ, 4 Hindenburg Line chits
- Allies (St. Mihiel): 13 US, 1 US HQ
- Allies (St. Quentin to Rheims and beyond St. Miheil to border): 31 FR, 2 HQ
- Central Powers: 19 GE, 1 AH, 1 HQ
26.1.4 Front Line
6811, 6711, 6612, 6511, 6510, 6410, 6310, 6211, 6111, 6012, 6013, 5912, 5813, 5712, 5613, 5513, 5414, 5314, 5215, 5216, 5217, 5218, 5219, 5220, 5221, 5222, 5322, 5323, 5224, 5123, 5023, 4922, 4823, 4824, 4825, 4826, 4827, 4828, 4728, 4729, 4630, 4530, 4430, border to end of map
26.1.5 Victory Conditions
Allied Grand: Capture any 5 hexes
Allied Marginal: Capture 1 hex
Central Powers: Avoid Allied victory
26.1.5 House Rule
Allies roll one die per turn to receive a DRM for that number of combats to simulate uneven Central Powers morale.
26.2 Reduce the St. Mihiel Salient (September 12, 1918)
26.2.1 Setup
A. Play same as 26.1.
B. Use only quarter of the West map w/Verdun and St. Mihiel.
C. Allies: 9 US, 1 US HQ, 2 FR
D. Central Powers: 9 GE (6 low combat factor to represent 2nd line units), 1 HQ
E. Setup First 7 US div in 4825, 2 FR and 2 US in 5023, 4922, 4823
F. Place Central Powers units in salient.
26.2.2 Front Line
5218, 5219, 5220, 5221, 5222, 5322, 5323, 5224, 5123, 5023, 4922, 4823, 4824, 4825, 2925, border to end.
26.2.3 Special Rule
Special rule: units can only attack in salient hexes. Rest of front line is assumed to be static or you can fill in w/FR and Central Powers units. I used this short game to teach my opponent the game.
26.2.4 Victory
Allies win overwhelming victory by eliminating the salient.
26.3 Reduce the Arras/Amiens Salient (August 8, 1918)
26.3.1 Setup
A. Play August 1918 onwards. Skip strategic turns.
B. Flip BR HQ every 2 turns.
C. Use northwest corner of the West map (Flanders).
D. 4th British Army: 4 BR, 1 US, 5 BR cal, 5 Aussie (or BR), 4 Canadian (or BR), 1 HQ, RTC, 1 RAF (RTC unit represents 342 heavy MK V and 72 Whippet tanks.) Set up 4th Army from Arras to Amiens.
E. 1st French Army: 3 FR. Set up FR in south.
F. Central Powers (2nd Armee): 13 GE.
If you want to use hist. designations, I have found conflicting info but I present it FYI: 22nd Wurttemberg, 117th were considered completely fit for battle. Five divisions were fit for static ops only (13, 41, 108, 217, ?). Three fit for defense only in quiet sector. Three were in need of replacement (109, 43 Res, ?). Central Powers reinforcements in Sept turn: 5 GE (incl. 119, 43, 209, ?, ?).
26.3.2 Front Line
6811, 6711, 6612, 6511, 6510, 6410, 6310, 6211, 6111, 6011, 5910, 5811, 5711, 5612, 5512
26.3.3 Victory Conditions
Allies: Take at least 5911.
26.4 Salonika (September-November 1918)
26.4.1 Setup
A. Play as in first scenario (26.1).
B. Use East map (Balkans).
C. Allied: 29 divisions, 1 HQ (setup anywhere on front line), (3 GR, 7 SE, 9 FR, 7 BR, 3 IT).
D. Central Powers: 9 BU, 3 AH, 2 GE.
26.4.2 Front Line
1210, 1211, 1212, 1312, 1313, 1314, 1315, 1316, 1317, 1318, 1319, 1320
26.4.3 Victory Conditions
A. Allied Victory: Take Skojpe.
B. Allied Overwhelming: Take Belgrade.
C. Central Powers: Hold.