World War II in Europe now at HBG

Now the map is large already as it is, and crowding does take place.  You need to be tidy and chip whenever possible.

In cases where the zone is overflowing like the 2 spaces n Belgium, just do what we always do during the battle - pull the pieces and place somewhere else.  The left is the units in Brussels and the right is Liege.

Before any dice are rolled, it is now the Allies turn.  France and UK can move their units.

The Allies can choose to reinforce any space being attacked by the Germans, but they CANNOT move a unit from a space that is being attack by German ground units.

The Allies do a risky move and reinforce Brussels with any plane that makes it and as many infantry as possible up to the ground stack limit.  Planes have no limit since they are in the air.

By moving their units into Brussels, they are subjecting all their units to ‘surprise attack’.  Belgium is being attacked for the first time, so ‘surprise attack’ rules apply to all units that belong to Belgium as per the set-up as well as all units in the affected spaces.

Terrain bonuses still apply, however, and the Allies are defending from behind a river that the Germans have to cross.  This gives all defending infantry a +1 defence bonus.

Now it is Combat phase.

The German infantry attacking the French fortress dies a miserable death, but both spaces in Belgium are captured.  Although Brussels cost the Germans dearly.  But it cost the Allies much more, reinforcing with the planes was probably a bad idea.

Germans can now do blitzkrieg.  The Tac that was held back and the 3 tanks in Frankfurt blitz into Sedan.  The French units there suffer ‘surprise attack’ from the blitz.

Germans win in Sedan.  All planes land on their original airbases where they started the turn.  All ships return to the ports they came from.

Now is redeployment phase for both Allies and Axis.

The Axis and Allies redeploy their units.  The Allies have to redeploy first, and then the Germans do so.  Since Germany has 8 rail points, 8 infantry are railed from other areas into Sedan to prepare for the next turn.

Britain has another transport that was built last turn that they are now going to use to start another convoy.

Both sides now buy and place their units in the build boxes.

Germany collects $55
France collects $35
UK collects $56

Buys are not placed immediately.  They go into the build boxes.  The boxes are numbered 1 - 8, and there is a list of units in certain boxes.  Look for where a unit needs to be placed, and the unit is placed in that box.  Infantry, transports, artillery and others go in box 1, while battleships go in box 8.

At the end of each turn, all units move up a box.  So a battleship that was in box 8 moves to box 7.  Units that are in box 1 that need to be moved up are to be built and are placed on the board.

It is the end of winter 1939, and next turn it is spring 1940.  Happy New Year.

Those are the convoys.

In order to collect for money over seas, you need to trace a line from each space you own that is worth money to a port.  From that port, you must trace a line over water to a port on the other side.  From that port you trace to a homeland industrial zone.

That line that goes from port to port needs to be delineated.  You could just draw a line on the map to show the route of the convoy, but that can get messy.  I use the Bulge markers to show the route.

On the convoy, you need to have a transport.  That transport can carry $10.  If you are collecting more, then you need another transport.

That transport can be attacked anywhere along its route.

The convoys can have their route changed, new ones created, old ones removed.  They are not permanent and changeable.  The only way to do this is to mark out the route using tiles.  I use the markers from Bulge, but a player can use whatever works for them.

Spring 1940.  Axis retain initiative.

Germany Attacks Norway and Yugoslavia.  Those nations are affected by ‘surprise attack’.

Germany also decides to gamble and hit Paris from across the river and knock out France early, rather than take Cherbourg and then hit Paris the turn after and avoid crossing the river.

Once again, the single German infantry is sent in to tie down the French in the fortress.

German moves are done, now the Allies make their countermoves.

UK decides to land 3 infantry using 3 newly purchased transports form last turn, and land in Brussels.

The French can’t put anymore units into Paris, so the tanks in Brest and artillery in Cherbourg will hit the Germans left in Sedan.

The units in Paris and Sedan have been removed and placed to the side.  In the second pic, the units on the left are in Paris, the ones on the right in Sedan.

Germans barely hold onto Sedan, and barely take Paris.  looks like avoiding crossing the river and instead trying to take Cherbourg would have been better.  Norway goes off without a hitch, as does Yugoslavia.

Germans have taken heavy casualties and will need to rebuild.

In this game, lines of supply are important.  All ground units must be able to trace a line of supply from the space they are in to a supply source.

Supply sources are:
1 Your capital or your ally’s - unlimted
2 capital belonging to your minor ally - limited
3 fortress - limited
4 supply token - limited

If you cannot trace supply back to a source, then the unit is cut off.  To supply the unit over water, you need to set up a convoy.

The German infantry in Oslo is cut off.  The Germans then set up a convoy to supply the infantry and keep them active.  1 transport can supply 10 units.  A transport is also used to carry money back to the home country upto $10, but a transport can do both at the same time.

For example, a transport can carry supply for 2 infantry.  It still has space for supply for another 8 units.  Or it can carry $8.  Any combination is possible so long as the sum of the units supplied and money being carried does not exceed 10/transport.

The German player looks really weak on land. Also, why does the Ruhr have 2 airbases? How so they work with two?

I’m not trying to play a super serious game, as I am in the middle of report cards right now.  Germany could be played smarter than what I am illustrating.  But they have some time to build back up, hopefully.  Always count on your opponent to do something stupid - which in this case is myself…

Normally, the best thing to do is hit a space with all air power and reinforce the flanks to prevent being cut off.  Then once the spaces you want are captured, use rail to bring in reinforcements on redeployment phase and use that space as a launching point for an attack the following turn.  France usually falls in summer 1940 - sometimes in the fall 1940.

As for the 2 airbases:

All industrialized spaces and minor capitals can hold 1 plane.  Player nation capitals can hold 2 planes.  This can be increased by adding a fortress or an airbase.  While fortresses can only be built in certain places and must remain there for the reminder of the game or until captured, airbases can be moved by rail.  And they can be stacked.

For example, UK is allowed to build a fortress on London.  London is already a player nation capital that can hold 2 planes.  The fortress adds the abilty to have 1 more plane for a total of 3.  Then the UK is allowed to build a maximum of 3 airbases.  If UK chooses, all 3 airbases can be placed on London for a total of 6 planes on London.

Germany collects $88 (base $45)
UK collects $60 (base $35)

It is now summer 1940.  Italy is now activated.