The Great War 1914-1918: Clash of Empires

Mexico was not independent during the civil war. It was under French control.

This is an update on a project I began some time ago, Axis & Allies: World at War.

The goal is to create a single, custom game map, ruleset, and playset for use in private games. In short, creating an Axis & Allies variant similar to Global War, but without the intent to mass produce or sell the product commercially. This means that I will engage a professional mapmaker to create a high-quality play mat and play aids (e.g., charts, roundels, cards, etc.).

In terms of mechanics, this will be a card-driven game like Amateurs to Arms and Mr. Madison’s War bolted onto the Axis & Allies core rules. Basically, players will draw from decks of cards that set global conditions, activate neutral nations, and let them activate units in given territories. Rather than being able to move all units every turn, players will spend Operations Points to move specific armies. Additional Operations Points can be obtained through card play, from possession of strategic resources, and by building and placing supply columns. The latter are units that move along with armies, allowing the player to activate that stack every turn for free. They may, however, be captured by the enemy.

The game will feature both territories and point-to-point movement. Possession of a given number of points within a given territory translates to ownership, which yields a production value in IPCs. The game pieces will be a mixture of plastic pieces and traditional counters.

We will use an alternate history to bring all corners of the map into play. The map is inspired by both Harry Turtledove’s Great War series and an alternate history saga known as The Feast of Eagles, which imagined a world in which Europe remained largely divided after the Wars of Religion. The major conflict in North America is between the United States and the Confederate States. In South America, Argentina squares off in a naval race with Portugal, which retains its Brazilian colony. In Europe, a Franco-Russian alliance is opposed by the British and the Austrians. Minor powers include Castille (British-allied), the Two Sicilies (French-allied), Poland (allied with Sweden), and a restored Byzantine Empire. At the onset of the twentieth century, the French also dammed the Mediterranean, flooding the Lake Chad Basin. A similar project was undertaken in the Congo. Along with the Great Lakes, both African “world lakes” are accessible by a new canal infrastructure that admits oceangoing vessels. Japan squares off in the Far East against an ascendant Russia, a China of dubious strength, and the United Netherlands, not to mention the British.

At this point, I have a notional set of units. Again, feedback would be excellent, especially by folks that are good at optimizing builds. Which proposed units are unlikely every to be built?
Axis and Allies Units.pdf

Here’s a little “mini-game” I developed years ago, so I figured I would post it here. It plays pretty well in my experience. Let me know your results if you decide to play it. Also, feel free to ask me about anything you need clarification on.

It is based off of E&W, but as the title suggests, you can use Imp Games’ East & West map or Xeno Games’ World at War; the territories, IPC values, and SZs used in the game are identical on both maps, you just need to swap ownership.

Enjoy!
Jihad.JPG
Jihad.doc

The Great War (1914)

_It is the summer of 1914. The Archduke Franz Ferdinand (heir to the throne of the Austro-Hungarian Empire) and his wife have just been assassinated in Sarajevo. In retaliation for this offense, Emperor Franz Joseph of Austria-Hungary has declared war on Serbia, an ally of Russia. This sparks a world of controversy and very quickly large military powers such as Germany, The Ottoman Empire, France, and Great Britain join in the fray. Two allegiances emerge, The Central Powers & The Allied Powers, with one goal in mind: WAR!

Do you have the economic aptitude and tactical know how to help your nation survive The Conflict and rescue a world in peril. Are you brave enough to face tanks, planes and other modern warfare in order to lead your alliance to victory? “The Great War” has begun, and ready or not, you better lace up your boots and prepare for battle._

The Game:
_The Conflict is a global-strategy based game designed around the economic and military conditions of Europe in 1914. Players play in one of two alliances, The Central Powers or The Allied Powers, to defeat their opponents. Players choose among seven nations (Austria-Hungary, Germany, Great Britain, France, Italy, Ottoman Empire, and Russia). After selecting a nation, players take turns completing their objectives during each round.

Note: The Conflict requires players to strategize both economically and militaristically in order to win the game._

Combat System:
The Conflict has been extensively tested and designed by gamers for gamers. Players will take their turn each round to strengthen their tactical advantages and defend the borders of their nation. Each turn is broken down into Phases. Players must complete each previous phase in order to proceed onward with the rest of their turn. If a player decides to enter into combat with another player, they must, along with their opponent, roll a set number of D12 dice to determine the outcome of each individual battle. The Conflict uniquely deducts a combat penalty from the player with the weakest military strength in a territory. This combat penalty is taken off all of their dice rolls during the individual combat. The combat penalty allows for the strongest opponent to have a real-world advantage over their enemy, if they have a larger military presence in the area. Players can develop multiple (land, naval, and air) strategies to succeed. They can utilize 11 military units with unique capabilities to complete specific goals, upgrade technology, play one of three victory scenarios, as well as try a variety of player preferences.

Game Pieces

Expected Release Christmas 2011
PRE-ORDER YOUR COPY TODAY!
http://www.legiongaming.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1&products_id=2

yea no problem.

Enjoy them.

@eddiem4145:

I have downloaded the rule book from Xeno games before. In fact I printed it out. I would be willing to fax it to you if they do not have the download still.

Incidentally, I have played their online (so to speak) email version. I bought it in 2004 with the promise of a newer more practical version. Yes it has been 6 years. They are still working on it. I never asked for my money back. There last update was october of last year. If they ever get it out, it probabbly will be great.

eddiem4145@yahoo.com

These guys make WOTC look good.

Has anyone here bought this game and can reveal their impressions?

Hi All,

I’m actually a bit slow in posting this. But Jutland for the Empires of History game began shipping to our retailers and is also now available at the Guild of Blades website.

http://www.guildofblades.com/compact.php

Jutland is a Compact Series game. One of our new and improved compact games, Jutland includes a 17" x 22" full color game map, 170 full color game counters with Chitboard backing, game rules and D10 in a full color box and all for just $7.95.

Enjoy,

Ryan S. Johnson
Guild of Blades Publishing Group
http://www.guildofblades.com