General
Players
Rules
Victory_conditions
Setup
1936
1937
1938
1939
Conclusion
We started this game on October 17,
1999 at Teemu's (German player's) home. We will play it once a week (probably
Tuesdays), about five hours at a time. This game report won't probably be as
accurate as our previous ones; it will be very much depending on how much I
feel like writing things up... ;-)
CW & China: Juha Jansson, I'm an old WiF player from times of 5th ed. &
DoD.
US & France: Jan-Jonas Filen, whose only experience
is the three games we have played.
The game is a full-blown WIFFE
deluxe game with Leaders in Flames and almost all optional rules. We aren't
using the following optional rules:
17. Variable weather
19. In the presence of the enemy
38. Defensive shore bombardment
43. 2-dice land combats is used, but with the modification
that attacker's roll determines if he stays face up.
52. Aircraft night missions are only used for strategic
bombing.
64. Japanese command conflict
In DoD3 Major power activates a minor
country itself.
We peacefully agreed which
countries to play (no one even had to buy someone else a beer to get the
country he wanted). We also thought the game will be ended when the result
seems clear, and individual victory is then calculated based on controlled
victory cities.
Game
report
Setup
Because we don't have the original
expansion sets in WiFD, Teemu made some calculations to know how much build
points every major power may spend at the start of the game (we didn't use the
setup values provided in DoD3). He used WiFD 1939 setup and compared it to WiF
5th edition 1939 setup. The difference in build points was added to the build
points we get from the original DoDII setup. After that some powers (France
FREX) get some extra points to compensate their reduced prodution between DOD2
and DOD3.
China sets up two corps and a
division, as well as some forts, to protect the resources in the South and to
excert a ZOC in Canton. Chiang is facing Shanghai. Two corps defend Peking.
Communists set up at the mountain line North of Si-An.
Russia sets up a little bit
everywhere and has the lowest naval ratio. Nothing special.
Germany sets up all fighters and
land units next to Rheinland.
France sets up his MTN and a
weak garrison at the Italian border. All other units are at Maginot line,
except a single HQ in Paris.
Italy has only three corps
against Ethiopians, all in the North. Other land units are scattered in Libya
and North Italy.
Japan has some units at
Chinese border. I wonder what he is up to?
USA has very little naval
units on map. Everything else is in repair pool.
CW built 90 CPs, one AMPH, three TRS
and all cruisers and carriers, which leaves them with the second lowest naval
ratio. Hood, Nelson and a third battleship are in the repair pool. Three naval
bombers start on map in Britain, ready for a quick start...
1936
Jan/Feb 1936
Germany plays 0(g). CW suggest a
treaty and France accepts and activates Poland closer to democratic ideology.
Italy plays 0(g) and ends the turn.
Ethiopians take advantage of their
empty Southern front and rush one corps southwards, flipping it.
CW buys 10 bidpoints, France 8 and
USA 5. Germany finishes BB Scharnhorst.
Mar/Apr 1936
Germany bids high and occupies
Rheinland. Italy also bids high because democrats have so much bidpoints, and
tries a coup in Spain. A civil war erupts, with Republics getting 60% of the
troops and Nationalists 40%. Not quite the result Fascists hoped for. To make
up for it Italy ends the political turn before CW and France have a chance to
play. Damned dice. (Well, actually things went pretty well. The civil war
troops could have easily gone 70-30 to Nationalists.)
Not much happens in Spain.
Nationalists set up in Valencia, Bilbao and in Southern Spanish mountains.
Republics control Madrid, Barcelona, Cartagena and the Southwest part of the
country. Neither side has enough forces to attack, so everybody just tries to
capture as many objectives as possible by moving around.
CW builds battleships after
scrapping the worst ones (can anyone say "Iron Duke"?).
Germany finishes Gneisenau and a TRS.
May/June 1936
CW guarantees Greece. Germany bids for
two options and supports Spanish Nationalists, and sign the Naval treaty.
France plays 0(g) and Italy rises his production. Stalin accuses Marshall
Tuchachevski of treason and has him and a few officers shot. After this they
end the turn.
Germany ships an INF division to
the mountain hex of Valencia. Near the end of the turn Republics try a 4:1
attack against this lone division, but they fail to capture Valencia (A 90%
chance to kill it, and we failed... sigh.).
Italy was going to attack Greece,
but after CW guaranteed it (just in time), they start moving units
towards Ethiopia. In the meantime an Ethiopian infantry has captured Mogadishu!
Germany lays down a CV and two
battleships. CW keeps building old battleships and new cruisers. A naval race
has begun.
July/August 1936
CW guarantee Poland and activates
Germany's +2 from Venezuela so that it doesn't move. Germany and Japan play
0(g) (France would have been first, since we missed the fact that
Commonwealth's PE is only 1 because of low naval points, and since CW had to be
first to guarantee Poland, France had to drop down to let CW do it. Seems it
was a good move since it also prevented Japan from getting an easy Tojo).
USA plays also 0(g), as well as Italy. In the end France play their elections.
Germany builds a whole bunch of
cruisers, CW only one. Making politics is expensive.
Sep/Oct 1936
Germany bids high for two options.
First they make an economic agreement with Sweden for iron ore, and then
guarantee Sweden, activate it and end the turn before Italy and CW get to play.
Italy has gathered enough forces to
attack in Ethiopia. After succesful fractional odds and Selassie's HQ support
rolls they get a 4:1 table against the lone MIL and kill it. In Spain the
situation has developed into a stalemate and units are just shuffled.
Nov/Dec 1936
Italy bids high and supports the
rebels in Spain. CW is second and guarantees Belgium (We figured it's more
important than the US elections, given Germany's army deployment. And besides,
what does it matter who plays first? It's not that probable to end the turn
anyway.). After that I throw one and three, and end the political turn
just before USA can play their elections. (Not good for US entry. Those
dice must hate me. That's got to be it.)
Italy ships a weak INF corps (like
they had anything else but weak infantries?) to Spain. Not much else
happens, since even Italian strikes (two 2's) in Ethiopia fail. Just the usual
merry-go-round in Spain.
1937
Jan/Feb 1937
USA rises production. Germany rises
production. Italy makes an economic agreement with Turkey and gets their two
resources. Japan rises production and ends the turn, just before Russia, France
and CW get a chance to rise their production. (What an imaginative
political turn.)
Italy again strikes in Ethiopia,
but again fails to flip anything. In Spain units are just shuffled.
Mar/Apr 1937
Germany makes an alliance with
Sweden and activate it next to fascist ideology! CW rise their production. USA
joins the naval treaty and finally activate Venezuela in democratic ideology.
Then they end the turn, before Russia and France have a chance to play.(Mika,
as Russia, was pretty pissed off since we talked him into going after USA...
that's 3 BP/turn loss. Since CW and USA were both at a final bid of 6, Russia
had to be at 5 or he would have gone before both democrats. CW is short of
money as it is, so gear up and not buying a lot of bidpoints seems like a
priority for them.)
Again Italy strikes in Ethiopia,
and this time they flip Selassie. Then they attack and manage to kill one unit.
Selassie loses his HQ, because it is only a 3 combat factor unit. More
merry-go-round in Spain.
Japanese soldiers arrange an
incident at the Peking Bridge! They use this as an excuse to invade an out of
supply Hainan with a division. In the North units step forward and flip in the
mountains. They also capture a defenceless city East of Peking and cause an
international incident by raping the poor, helpless women there. Nothing else happens
because of bad weather, except that at the end of turn Republican Congress is
concerned about the war in China! (A one was needed and rolled!).
May/June 1937
France goes first and shows also
democrats are concerned about Sweden's future by guaranteeing them and
activating them closer to center hex. Then Russia can rise their production.
Germany backs up the rebels in Spain and ends the turn.
Germany ships a MTN corps in
Bilbao. China starts withdrawing from Peking, Shanghai and Canton, having received
their reserve militias on board. Only one GAR is left in Peking. Japan
slaughters Peking at 7:1 after a Chinese bomber clears through. US Congress
hasn't even heard about that place, let alone the other city SE of it. Japan
also makes an invasion directly to Shanghai. Again Congress is too much caught
up with their new Republican President to notice what happens in Asia.
Japan attacks Chinese units in the
Northern plains with 5:1 blitz (Chinese picked the table) and kills one unit, but
doesn't get the city. Some cities are occupied but only one results to a chit.
Jul/Aug 1937
France rises production. USSR and Germany play
0(g). Italy makes an economic agreement with Saudi Arabia, and CW increases her
credit limit. Then they end the turn before Chinese (!) get to play.
Japan occupies Canton and some
other cities, but doesn't make any attacks and only gets one chit. In Spain
Republican troops try to attack Bilbao (defended only with a division) with
a cavalry corps. After shore bombardment battles it is 2:1 table and the
battling units kill each other.
Germany has built a lot of naval
units and very little land units. (Seems Germany isn't in much of a hurry
to go to France. Maybe CW should be worried though?)
Sep/Oct 1937
Germany supports Rumania against
unjustified Hungarian and Bulgarian land claims! USSR and France play 0(g) and
end the turn before Italy can play.
Lots of good weather in the North
Temperate. First Japan attacks Chinese units in the Northern plains with 3:1
assault table, and rolls a ten and kills two strong Chinese units without
flipping (a 10% chance... )! One impulse later, they try a 3:2 +1
attack across a river against HQ Chiang and an INF, and succeed again in
killing both (a 20% chance) and taking the hex (30% chance).
Suddenly Japanese units are two hexes from Chungking, with no Chinese units in
between or in the city itself!
Chinese start evacuating their
Southern (fortified) front and pulling back to mountains. They manage to
slip units between the flipped Japs and Chungking. (Two forts were left
empty for the Japs to overrun... in retrospect, maybe they could have been
placed better. Or the Japs could have rolled lower in either of their
successful attacks... :-( That alone would have been enough, given Chinese next
turn's reinforcements...) When turn nears its end, Japan occupies these forts
and the two resources they were originally built to protect. Now Japan controls
five Chinese resources, but because of Chinese ZOCs can only transport three of
them. US Congress notices this development with great concern.
Nov/Dec 1937
Russia suggests a treaty. Germany
agrees to send one build point in exchange for two oil and two resources. If
Poland is conquered by either of them, control is split along the Russo-German partition
line. Germany also agrees that Russia can send one less resource for each
Russian neighbouring country Germany joins in, and will agree to any Soviet
border rectification demands. US entry is split evenly and Germany even pays
for this treaty! (That's what I call negotiation... that's the way to go, Mika! BTW,
technically Germany couldn't pay for this treaty, but since they can make
"any conditions that depend on the treaty making countries" in their
treaty, it could be done in a more complex way. So we decided it can be done
more easily, too...)
Then France suggests a treaty. CW answers but they don't change their existing
trade agreement (1 CW RES to France). After that USA also joins in the treaty,
both with Russia (no trade) and France (two oil to France). Italy then plays
0(g) and ends the turn before China can play. Japan still ends up owing the
Peking Bridge incident.
Nothing happens anywhere, except
that Japanese troops assault a Chinese INF in the Southern mountains and kill
it. They also attack Nanning in the mountains next to French Indo-China border,
but only manage to retreat the GAR towards Kunming. US congress disapproves the
city's occupation.
1938
Jan/Feb 1938
Germany gears up production.
Russia, seeing this militarization, follows their example. Italy guarantees
Turkey and activates it to center hex. Then France sort out their internal
political difficulties by playing 0(c) after their missed 1937 elections and
ends the turn before CW can play.
Weather is horrible and nothing
happens anywhere.
Mar/Apr 1938
Italy bids high and guarantees
Sweden. USA gears up. Germany makes an alliance with Sweden and activate it in
Fascist ideology, next to Germany. As a secondary option they support rebels in
Spain. Then CW pays 19 BP, gears up (they only have 3 BP to their new
credit limit, -30) and
ends the turn before Russia can play.
Democrats decide to act after
Commies, and Fascists go first. Weather is fine. Germany, seeing that CW
doesn't have enough money to DoW anyone, declares war on Netherlands! Eight
Dutch convoy points and one fast cruiser are placed in NEI, other naval units
in Rotterdam. Germany kills the lone Dutch infantry in Amsterdam, but flips in
the process. Meanwhile Japan attacks Si-An at 2.7:1 and captures the city! New
York Times gets new headlines once news of Japanese atrocities reach the US.
Japan also kills a lone communist infantry which came as a reinforcement in the
city two hexes North of Si-An, but doesn't occupy the city.
Dutch sub and two cruisers revenge
Germany's intrusion to their country by sailing to Baltic Sea and sinking all
three German convoys! Germany has only one convoy point in reserve. Also two CW
task forces sail to the Baltic. (After examining the situation closer, we
remembered that CW could DoW Germany instantly if France is willing to pay part
of the cost. After even closer inspection, we remembered that according to the
current rules version, CW could DoW Germany during their first impulse of the next turn, not
just during the political turn. Casus bellum only expires after the first CW
impulse. This opens up many possibilities, since then CW and France could next
turn upgrade their treaty to level three. Then during the first impulse CW and
France DoW Germany, and France joins Czechoslovakia in reactionary... since
Germany wouldn't yet have their reserves on map, Czech units would run all over
German industrial centers... in which case Teemu said he'll quit, because he
didn't realize casus bellum expires at the end of CW first impulse. Of course,
since democrats are low on money, fascists could buy a lot of bidpoints and all
three bid in front of CW and France, and probably end the turn before they can
play their treaty... of course, it will cost them tens of build points. There
is also the problem that Czechoslovakia isn't currently under France in the
political display, and has a CW +2...)
Not much else happens; von Leeb and
an INF march into Rotterdam scuttling the two Dutch CP. Italy attacks in
Ethiopia and kills a militia. US Congress still doesn't like Japan's
militaristic policy in China.
May/Jun 1938
Fascists bid high to prevent the
Czech disaster. First Germany plays their war option for Netherlands. Italy then
guarantees Yugoslavia, activates it into center hex and ends the turn before
Japan, Russia and France can play.
Initiative order is
Democrats/Fascists/Communists. Chamberlain denounces Hitler's expansionistic
policy and declares "We will not rest before we see the German nation in
ashes and Hitler put out of his misery!". Besides propaganda, their only
significant action is succesfully ground striking von Leeb in Rotterdam.
Germany responds by declaring war on Belgium, and CW joins it in. Two Belgian corps
are placed in Brussels, and Germany takes the city with 10:1 table. Once again
Italy attacks Addis Abeba and kills one unit; it's the same MIL they killed
during the previous turn. In China Japan succesfully strikes leader Chiang and
attacks the Southern factory city, but only kills the Chungking militia.
Germany doesn't have enough money to declare war on France this turn; on the
other hand, they don't have enough troops, either. Reserves don't come on the
map until next turn.
Nationalists have been very active
in Spain. They have captured everything in the South and are definately
winning. Republics only control Barcelona, Madrid, one resource in the South
and a port and a resource in Northwest.
At the end of the turn US Congress
still loathes Japanese occupation in China. Fascists win the intelligence rolls
and Japan gets one intelligence point.
Jul/Aug 1938
Russia plays 0(g) and activates
Sweden to the edge of Fascist ideology. Germany demands Sudetenlands, and as a
secondary option plays their war option for Belgium. Italy makes an economic
agreement with Yugoslavia. As a secondary option they support rebels in Spanish
civil war (it's the second time Italy does it; Germany has supported them
three times). Japan finally plays their Peking Bridge Incident option and
activates Netherlands a long way from the center hex, to a hex between Communism
and Democracy, a little closer to Communism than Democracy. When Olli doesn't
end the turn democrats negotiate what to do, and decide they'll let
Czechoslovakia go. France just plays 0(g). Fascists wonder what the hell is
happening. When turn doesn't end (Yes!), the reason why demos were willing
to let the Czechs go is revealed. Feeling mighty after gearing up production to
peace time maximum, Chamberlain gets nasty: "We can no longer just watch
by while innocent civilians are slaughtered in Ethiopia. From this moment on,
no Italian ship, whether a warship, transport or convoy, is allowed to pass
Gibraltar or Suez Canal. The Sudetenland occupation will be avenged
later." US Congress sees this procedure as "a completely reasonable
response to Italian crimes against humanity" (no chit).
Axis leaders are badly surprised.
They thought transports can't be denied passage. Italy seems to be in trouble;
their whole army and all of their aircraft are now out of supply in Ethiopia.
All they can do is wait until until they have a level three treaty with another
fascist, and either use their (Japanese) transporters to bring those
troops back to Italy, or transport German troops to assault Suez.
As a secondary option CW plays
their war option for DOWing Germany. Then US president vetoes Neutrality Act,
and USA finally ends the turn after activating Saudi Arabia from the center hex
to next to USA. China still hasn't played any options in this game.
Germany gets Doenitz and CW Dowding
as their "reserve" leaders. Germany just doesn't happen to have any
subs on map. Mao and Cavagnari are drawn. Initiative order is
Democrats/Fascists/Communists.
CW guards their convoys since
Germany just received a lot of cruisers as reinforcements (as well as their
first Stuka). Germany has other plans. They declare war on France (+2
chits), crack an offensive chit in a land action on von Bock, and kill
three French stacks at the border (one at Lille, one South of it, and one
West of Metz) without
flipping. Japan uses poison gas in Chungking; US Congress is outraged. Olli
strikes Chiang (in Chungking) back to the cup and then attacks the
factory city in the South again (I forgot it's name again), this time
at 3:1+1. City is taken with no Japanese losses; the attackers even stay face
up (apparently because they relaxed after the battle by raping the women in
the city; US Congress is again deeply concerned). Once again there is an exploitable
hole in Chinese lines.
Chinese respond by pulling back
their line to mountains, abandoning the Easternmost mountain hex and flipping
four corps. (That hex was surrounded from four sides - and besides, the
units were needed elsewhere.) France rearranges their line and Commonwealth lands
Gort and one infantry in Rouen (I had sent the two remaining transporters
elsewhere - how stupid of me!). There are still holes in French lines (East
of Rouen, and west of Metz); Germans can ooze through. And they do. The
French retreat before the Germans, until CW strikes the hex East of Rouen and
flips both corps (with two ones - not bad!). Now the Northern front is
secure, even though there is a one-hex hole. In the East units are placed to
ZOC German units behind a river, but they manage to capture an undefended Lyon
and assault and take lightly defended Metz. Teemu's HQs are flipped and too
much behind, and it prevents him from crossing Seine (?) South of Paris. German
lines are as fragile as the French though - there are no units left behind the
lines, and the line even contains two holes (one near Metz, one on the
North Sea coast). Too bad the French have no units to spare ;-)
Russia has been building up on the
Persian border. In Spain Republican troops only control a resource and a port
in NorthWest part of the country. Their only objective is to delay the end as
long as possible.
Germany DOWs Denmark, and US
Congress is again very worried (rolled a '3'). Two Danish steamboats
set up at Fredrikshavn, 6 CP in Greenland. Germany runs over the old
battlecraps, but to Teemu's annoyance they just rebase. Germany conquers
Copenhagen with a MOT division.
Japan attacks the flipped Chinese
in the mountains, but only kill an INF division on both sides. They also occupy
the Northernmost resource, and the remaining Commie city North of Si-An - the
one the Commies occupied at the start of the war. US congress is once again
concerned. Then Japan attacks a Commie mountain corps (on the mountain) NE of Si-An, but only
lose a TERR.
Commies pass on impulse three but
fail to end the turn. Then all democrats pass and end the turn. A 0-2 partisan
appears in China. USA gets an entry chit in both German and Japanese entry
pools. Germany conquers Denmark and scuttles the two Danish coal barges. China
and France get one intelligence point.
(We decided we will start playing
the way the rules say about owed DOWs: they have to be played as primary
options. We also realized, thanks to Mike Aien, that CW couldn't buy Ethiopian
units without playing 0(b), so CW was given 4 BP and Italy a conquered
Ethiopia.)
Sep/Oct 1938
CW bids nine (bought) bid
points to play before fascists. They make an alliance with Norway and activate it
under their political marker. Then I throw the unbelievable double-one and end
the turn before I can offer a treaty as a secondary option, and the French can
answer... (DAMN DAMN DAMN!!! I was so pissed off we searched for the die about five
minutes - have you ever noticed how strange places those dice bounce into, when
you throw them around? ;-)
Chiang and Rundstedt are picked.
Weather roll 9: raining in North
Temperate. Initiative order is Fascists/Democrats/Communists.
Impulse 1. Germany attacks the lone
Billotte at 7:1 and kill it. They keep oozing towards Paris. CW ships a MIL in
Rouen, moving Gort behind the city.
Impulse 2. Fine weather. Japan
again uses gas on Chiang with two bombers, but miss. US congress doesn't care (Yes,
even they can miss some things the Fascists do...). Germany strikes a hex
two hexes North of Vichy. Heroic French fighters shoot down the only German Stuka, at -2
table! However, an artillery manages to strike two units face down East of
Paris. Teemu attacks the hex at 2:1 +2 blitz table, and get a 1/R. One French
corps and a heavy AA is retreated to a (now) isolated pocket towards North, over
a cavalry corps. One corps retreats through Paris to South of Rouen.
France fix their lines, for the
little there is to do. CW sails their AMPH in North Sea, embarks a MOT and
invades a hex in Netherlands next to German border at 7:1 +1 table! They still
have two transporters unused.
Russia is getting bored, and to get
some action they DOW Persia and conquer it in one impulse, but lose a MECH
division in the process.
Impulse 3. Germany rails one
corps to Hamburg, and one face up to Amsterdam using Rundstedt. CW responds by
picking up Gort and a militia, and dropping them in Netherlands, and captures
the Dutch resource.
Impulse 4. Germany sends a couple
more corps to Netherlands, captures the Dutch resource and ends the turn.
Japan gets one entry chit and
France and China get two intelligence points.
Now a brief lookup at the political
situation:
Italy is stacked with Portugal,
Austria and Hungary. Sweden is in the outern Fascist faction, one hex closer to
Communism than Democracy, double-allied with Germany, and has a Japanese +2.
Rumania is in neutral zone, next to Fascism on Democratic side, but has a
German -4.
CW is stacked with Venezuela, Poland and an allied Norway, and has joined
in Belgium. Czechoslovakia and Saudi Arabia are in center democratic faction,
but not under USA.
Netherlands is between Communism and Democracy, closer to Communism, six
hexes from the center hex but has a CW +1 and German -4. Brazil is where it
started. Argentina and Chile are in the center, but both have a huge number of
Fascist pluses (about +10). Ireland is where it started, but has a huge amount
of Democratic (and a little less Fascist and Communist) minuses. If activated
properly, Iraq and Bulgaria would race to the edge of Communism, Siam and
Yugoslavia near Democracy, and Finland one hex towards Fascism. Then again,
most of them could be activated so that they remain in the center hex.
Major powers have gathered the
following amount of entry chits:
|
GE: 13 |
IT: 2 |
JA: 13 |
RU: 2 |
CW: 4 |
FR: 1 |
US: 2 |
CH: 0 |
Nov/Dec 1938
CW again bought bid points, this time
six, bids them all, guarantees Sweden and activates it out of Fascism. As a
secondary option they suggest a treaty. Then Italy suggests a treaty and
Germany plays his war option afterwards for Denmark and France. As a secondary
option they accept the Italian treaty. Then comes France's turn to accept CW
treaty proposition - now CW sends one oil to France. At the same time USA
decides to send fleet to Pearl Harbour! About four Japanese and nine German
entry chits remain face down - others are revealed. France then activates
Yugoslavia into Democratic ideology, denying Italy their resources. Then Russia
plays his war option for Persia and ends the turn before USA can play.
Timoshenko and Mannerheim are
picked.
Initiative order is Fascists/Democrats/Communists.
1st impulse. Fine weather! Germany
strikes Paris with artillery, flips one unit and attacks Paris from three
hexes. Terrible airfights take place over Paris: one French fighter and one
bomber, and two CW bombers fight against three German fighters. All three
German fighters are downed (at -2, 0 and +2 tables), two first with pilots!
Teemu makes the fractional odds rolls and also von Bock's HQ support, while
Pretelat fails. Odds are 3:1-1 (with Darlan defending) and result is -/-. Japan
uses gas on Chiang (USA doesn't care) and strikes it face down. Then they
attack the mountain line at 2:1, but result is 2/1. They also attack the
communist mountain corps North of Si-An, and even though China picks a blitz
table (3:1), it is killed.
France and CW make a counterattack
on a lone Kiel militia two hexes North of Paris at 4:1-1 and kill it and occupy
the hex. CW reorganises both his infantries with transporters.
2nd impulse. Storm/Rain/Fine. Germany
plugs the hole North of Paris. France has rushed his new MECH to the front and
attacks the hex North of Paris, where two units are flipped, at 2:1+2, becoming
3:2+2. France loses a MOT division, Germany a MIL and has to retreat - a great
victory for the democrats! Germany has only two hexes on Paris now!
3rd impulse. Snow/Snow/Storm.
Fascists roll 1 and end the turn.
Japan gets one intelligence point
and one US entry chit.
1939
Jan/Feb 1939
CW again bids first, but this time
they play 0(g) and activates Fascist minuses from Spain before Nationalists win
the civil war. USA gives a gift of destroyers to CW, generating tension against
Germany. Italy suggests a treaty and uses Russian and German minuses in Rumania
brilliantly - Rumania ends up next to Fascism on the neutral zone as far away
from Russia as possible (next to the edge of Fascism near the hex marked with
'W'). Germany gears up and ends the turn before they can answer the Italian
treaty as a secondary option, and before France can play.
Kuznetsov and Raeder are picked. Germany
gets again one Stuka, after the previous one was dropped four months ago...
Movement order is
Democrats/Communists/Fascists.
1st impulse. Snow/Snow/Storm. Russia
DOWs Iraq and advances near Baghdad, but doesn't attack. Germany attacks the
French "motti" two hexes North of Paris. After almost all French and
CW planes fly, the final table is 3:1+2 blitz (from original 47:5 minus snow),
and German units don't even flip.
2nd impulse. Storm/Rain/Fine. CW
flies his 9-range NAV from Norway, where it landed after the previous turn, to
Baltic Sea and first aborts the German fighter, and on the second combat round
sinks the one remaining German convoy point. Russia crushes Baghdad at 10:1.
Germany straightens their lines by pulling a little back in the South France!
Teemu states that if others want to start the game over, he will agree. All is
quiet in China.
After their 3rd impulse Democrats roll out.
Japan gets three intelligence points and one US entry chit in tension pool.
Mar/Apr 1939
Russia bids for two options and
goes first. First they play war option for Iraq, and then gear up production
and activate Bulgaria under their political marker. Then CW and France play
0(g). CW activates (conquered) Denmark's political marker under his own and
joins it in (In retrospect - thanks to Mike Aien - Denmark was completely
conquered, so I'll lose the six convoy points in Greenland. I guess we'll fix
it on the next session.), France activates Netherlands under him but
doesn't join it in (We don't want it to go Vichy, just in case France falls
;-). Germany occupies Czech rump! Chamberlain and Blum are booted;
Churchill and Daladier take over (+3 CW and +1 French PE - just what we
have been waiting for!). Germany receives two INF, one ARM, one FTR-2 and
LND-3, and two pilots, as well as three factories. Then they activate Rumania
in Fascist ideology. Italy gears up and ends the turn before Japan can play
Tojo.
(CW has 13 bid points and a PE of
5, France has nine bid points and a PE of four. Democrats will probably rule
the politics, at least for a couple of turns, since Germany has no bid points
and Italy has only one. Russia has three bid points, Japan 6, USA five and
China nine. Seems like CW and France don't have to buy bid points for some time
- there are very few political options they have to play in the near future. So
far CW has bought 46 bid points, of which 24 were bought during 1938. France
has bought 17 and USA 29. Japan and Germany both have bought 11 and Italy 22
bid points. Russia has only bought two bidpoints during the course of the game.
China has bought no bid points - but then again, she hasn't played any options,
either.)
Halsey and Guderian are picked.
Germany surrenders!
Italy sees no point in fighting in
Europe alone, and also surrenders!
Germany, after seeing that they
must get on defence at this point of the war, and knowing that USA will soon
enter the war, announces surrender to Democrats and Communists. After hearing
this, Italy follows. Due to "some rules misunderstandings and brilliant
Democratic play" Teemu sees no point in continuing the game, and everyone
agrees that it is more fun to start a new game rather than keep playing for
many months a game where the result seems pretty clear.
Germany had conquered Denmark,
Netherlands and Belgium, absorbed Czechoslovakia and had two hexes on Paris.
Italy had conquered Ethiopia, and was stacked with Hungary, Austria and
Portugal. Rumania was next to Italy on political display. Most Italian troops
were trapped in Ethiopia. Japan had advanced to the mountain line in China, but
China didn't seem to be in a lot of trouble (at this moment at least).
Russia had conquered Persia and Iraq, and was stacked with Bulgaria. CW had
joined in Belgium and Denmark (or what was left of them), was stacked
with Poland, Venezuela and Norway, had a level three treaty with France, four
corps in Netherlands tying down German troops, and a good navy and airforce.
France was stacked with Netherlands and had a decent line against the Germans.
USA had about 45 - 50 entry against both Germany and Japan, and Saudi Arabia
was next to it on political display. Japan wasn't even close to being ready to
confront the USA in the Pacific. Despite some effort on Fascist side, there
were very few minor countries coming to war on Fascist side, but many on
Democratic side. I had even already planned how to get Nationalist Spain under
CW during the next two political rounds (It would have cost a lot,
but Gibraltar is pretty important. Besides, things seemed to be more or less
under control in France, so the money - and the troops that could have been
bought with it - wasn't a problem.). All in all, for Democrats, I have to
say almost everything went according to plan. So the situation was indeed pretty
dark for Fascists.
Teemu owes a beer to Juha and
Jankke.
A.D.G.
Copyright notice
America in
Flames, World in Flames and all their components and kits, in both their
electronic and printed forms, are Copyright 1985 ~ 2002, Australian Design Group.
Permission is
hereby granted to copy these rules electronically for your personal use only,
provided that they are copied in their entirety (including this message). Any
deletion or alteration or on-selling, without the express written permission of
Australian Design Group, is a violation of domestic and international copyright
law.
Please refer
questions and comments to:
Australian
Design Group
PO Box 6253
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93412 USA
or
wiflames@slonet.org.
