AAE Scenario: Europe 1939 (France, USA, Germany, Britain, USSR, Italy)

Hello, I’m new to the boards here but not to the game. I’ve played the Europe board, the new World board, and the Pacific board for some time now, and although I have found things to like about all of them, the World board remains my favorite board.

As I and my playing partners found it, the Pacific board was tons of fun, but it had too many special rules to play on a regular basis. It’s good to pull out every now and again for some fresh air, but it is best enjoyed in small doses.

The Europe board, on the other hand, was intriguing. It was easy enough, playing the regular rules of the board, but the way it was laid out (and my CivII playing memories) suggested that this board could be much more.

Then one day my friend e-mailed me with what would become the rules I present to you now. Over the course of rigorous playtesting and much hypothetical pondering, we labored together to refine the original rules (inspired by some rules elsewhere, admittedly, but my friend can’t remember where) into a highly playable and entertaining game scenario. What you see here is our latest version of AXIS & ALLIES: EUROPE 1939.

We believe that this scenario, beginning as it does in 1939 and covering the (possible) invasions of Poland, France, and the Soviet Union, presents the player with a fuller sense of the scope of World War II in the ETO. Moreover, we have found that this scenario should be easier to learn than AAP.

One final note before I paste the rules here: This board allows for many different possibilities, including the possible neutrality of the Soviet Union, a more effective defense of France, a more effectively fought Italian campaign, and/or a neutral United States. However, we feel that these possible outcomes are mitigated by their relative likelihood - the scenario has been so constructed such that it is commonly preferable for all players involved to follow the course of the war as historically borne out. Enjoy, and feel free to post your playing experiences, along with possible fixes for any problems you find.

Axis & Allies Europe: 1939

VICTORY CONDITIONS: Control two enemy capitals (capitals are comprised of Moscow, Germany, Northern Italy, United Kingdom and United States) for one turn.

There are 5 playing nations: Soviet Union, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom (and minor allied and neutral countries), France/United States. Italy is played using Japanese pieces from one of the other game boards, and France/United States uses United States pieces.

Turn Order: Germany, Soviet Union, Italy, the United Kingdom, and France/United States.

SPECIAL RULES:

Additional IPCs on Turn 1: Germany starts with 12 IPCs to spend on its first turn.
         Italy starts with an extra 6 IPCs to spend on its first turn.
         UK and France start with an extra 8 IPCs to spend between          the two of them.
NEW UNITS MAY ONLY BE PLACED IN THEIR PLAYER’S INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX OR ADJACENT SEA SQUARE. THIS NEGATES THE PACT OF STEEL RULE.

Soviet Union:

The Soviet Union must remain at peace until Germany or Italy initiates hostilities against the Soviet Union. Then it must declare war against both of these countries and no others.

Soviet convoy does not become active until Germany or Italy attacks the USSR.

The Soviet Union may only use half of their income, rounding up, until Italy or Germany initiates hostilities against the Soviet Union.

The Soviet Union may invade any of the pink territories not owned by the Axis and gain plunder from them as Germany would. Note: once one side has gained plunder from a territory, no other country may gain plunder from that same territory.

France/United States:

U.S. convoys become active when the USA enters the war (i.e. France falls).

Maginot Line: French infantry in Eastern France defend on a 3 if attacked from Germany.

The two British Convoys valued at 3 IPCs are French; if France falls they become British. If they have been occupied by Axis naval units, they will still need to be reoccupied by Allied powers.

Mid-East:

The total IPC value of the yellow Mid-East territories is counted to the end of each round. This money is divided between the French and British immediately for use on their next turn (in a fashion similar to British convoys in A&A Pacific).

The Industrial Complex in Egypt may only deploy 1 British unit per turn.

Vichy France:

If France falls to the Axis, French IPCs are claimed by the conquering player and any French land or air units in Vichy France or North Africa immediately become German (they may not move until the following turn). Any remaining French land or air units in Allied territories become British.  French naval units are scuttled (removed from play).  The French convoys become British (if under Axis control at the time, they must be liberated first). From this point forward the French player is now the United States; nothing special happens if France is liberated.

Plunder:

If the Axis conquer any of the minor allied powers or neutral British-occupied territories (all of which are originally under the jurisdiction of the British player), that Axis country immediately gains “plunder” from the bank equal to twice the IPC value of the territory conquered to spend on their following turn (territories with no IPC value yield a plunder of 1). This only works the first time a territory of this nature is conquered.

Pact of Steel:

Axis powers can deploy units using each other’s Industrial Complexes.

Lend-Lease:

Allied units in Red territories can be absorbed by the Soviet Union during the Soviet’s purchase phase.

Other Rules:

Strategic Bombing raids can only destroy up to the IPC value of the territory in which they are conducting the raid.

Fighters cost 10, Carriers 16.  Tanks defend on a 3.

Destroyers can bombard.

The United States gets an industrial complex.  No new ones can be built.

Allied units may not enter Soviet territory until the Axis initiates hostilities against the Soviets.

If France falls, all Mid-East IPCs go to the UK by default. They may not be given to the United States.

The British marker is used on the side of the IPC chart to keep track of Mid-East territories.

UNIT PLACEMENT

GERMANY: 13 IPCs
Germany: 8 infantry, 4 tanks, 2 artillery, 2 fighters, 1 bomber, 1 Industrial Complex, 1 AA gun.
Austria: 2 infantry, 1 tank, 1 artillery.
Czechoslovakia: 5 infantry, 1 artillery, 1 fighter.
Hungary: 3 infantry, 1 tank, 1 artillery, 1 fighter.
Finland: 2 infantry.
Baltic Sea: 1 battleship, 1 destroyer.
Danish Sea: 1 transport, 1 sub.
Denmark Strait: 2 subs.
Barents Sea: 2 subs.
Mid-Atlantic: 2 subs.
South Atlantic: 2 subs.

SOVIET UNION: 18 IPCs
Moscow: 1 infantry, 1 artillery, 1 Industrial Complex, 1 AA gun.
Leningrad: 1 infantry, 1 fighter, 1 Industrial Complex, 1 AA gun.
Stalingrad: 1 infantry, 1 Industrial Complex, 1 AA gun.
Archangel: 1 infantry, 1 Industrial Complex, 1 AA gun.
Siberia: 1 infantry, 1 tank.
Turkestan: 1 infantry.
Caucasus: 1 infantry.
Ukraine SSR: 1 infantry.
Belorussia: 1 infantry.
Russia: 1 infantry.
Karelia: 1 infantry.
Iran:  1 infantry.
White Sea: 1 transport, 1 sub.

ITALY: 9 IPCs
Northern Italy: 5 infantry, 1 artillery, 1 bomber, 1 Industrial Complex, 1 AA gun.
Southern Italy: 2 infantry.
Libya: 2 infantry.
Sicily: 1 fighter.
Rumania: 2 infantry.
Bulgaria: 1 infantry, 1 tank.
Central Mediterranean: 2 subs.
Tyrrhenian Sea: 1 destroyer, 1 transport.
(Sardinia unoccupied).

UNITED KINGDOM: 19 IPCs
United Kingdom:  2 infantry, 1 tank, 1 artillery, 1 fighter, 1 bomber, 1 Industrial Complex, 1 AA gun.
Canada:  1 tank, 1 Industrial Complex.
Malta:  1 fighter.
Atlantic:  1 battleship, 1 destroyer, 1 transport.
Celtic Sea:  1 transport.
English Channel:  1 destroyer.
North Sea:  1 sub.
Davis Straight:  1 transport.
Straight of Gibraltar:  1 destroyer.
Eastern Mediterranean:  1 destroyer, 1 transport.
(Gibraltar and Iceland unoccupied; 2 convoys worth 5 IPCs).
Mid-East:  (see special rules for Mid-East income).
Egypt:  2 infantry, 1 Industrial Complex* (see special rules)
Trans-Jordan:  1 infantry.
Syria:  1 infantry.
Iraq:  1 infantry, 1 tank.
(Palestine unoccupied)
Neutral and Minor Allies:  (do not contribute to UK income)
Poland:  3 infantry, 1 fighter.
East Poland:  1 infantry.
Yugoslavia:  4 infantry.
Greece:  2 infantry, 1 artillery.
Crete:  1 infantry.
Denmark:  1 infantry.
Norway:  1 infantry.
(Baltic States, Vyborg, and Bessarabia unoccupied).

FRANCE:  17 IPCs
France:  3 infantry, 1 artillery, 1 fighter, 1 Industrial Complex, 1 AA gun.
Eastern France:  1 Tank, 3 infantry, 1 artillery.
Vichy France:  2 infantry.
Tunisia:  1 infantry, 1 artillery.
Morocco:  1 infantry.
Bay of Biscay:  1 transport, 1 sub.
Western Mediterranean:  1 destroyer, 1 transport.
(Corsica, Netherlands-Belgium, and Algeria are unoccupied; 2 convoys worth 3 IPCs).

@ Gewehr: Actually, the USA does wait in these rules until France falls.

@ Imperious Leader: As noted in the preliminary text I supplied in the first post, My friends and I have indeed play-tested this scenario. I would not say that we have play-tested it to the point where I cannot possibly see any room for improvement, but we have reached the stage where all glaring balance issues have been sorted out.

In the interest of brevity, I will not here type a typical game in its entirety. Instead, I will list some features of gameplay that my friends and I have noticed while playing this scenario:

1. Very risky early actions with few units.
2. France’s defensive policy has a HUGE impact on the outcome of the game sometimes.
3. Germany’s offensive options allow for interesting alternate histories (e.g. never declaring war on the Soviet Union).
4. The Pact of Steel allows the Axis to engage the enemy with their naval vessels much more effectively than in most AAE games.
5. Aircraft Carriers have a somewhat limited utility in this scenario (my opinion, of course).
6. Late-game looks a lot more like normal AA, with large battles between tank forces on land and the like.
7. Italy is very small, but fun to play as.
8. Division of the Axis powers makes for a more diverse enemy.
9. Axis countries rely to a great deal on inertia - they cannot compete economically with the Allies at almost any point - but they are not weak by any means.
10. Britain is generally more powerful on this map.

As an interesting aside, Soviet violation of the  has been disabled because we found that, generally, if the USSR had declared war on Germany in 1939 the war would have been won quite shortly - both in real life and during playtesting on this scenario.

@ tekkyy: When the USSR is not at war, several options are available to it, some of them rather tricky. The first is of course to start building up what forces it can with half its IPCs, readying itself against the day when the Germans will come. Another option would be to hoard all collected IPCs during peace for a sudden outpouring when the Germans finally to decide to make their move. Another would be to begin building naval vessels and using them to block Axis movement throughout the naval theater of operations. Yet another idea, perhaps the most crafty of them all, would be to begin moving Russian infantry into Allied territories, thus forcing the Axis to begin hostilities against the USSR if they want to take a given Allied territory that has Russian troops in it.

@ Gewehr: the Axis are allowed to invade the pink states and gain plunder from them without starting a war with Russia. I know this is historically innaccurate, but I like to think that had the Germans been more sure of themselves at the start of hostilities, they could have blitzed all the way to the Russian border or nearly so before the Russians got there. And if the German player doesn’t occupy these territories on the first turn, the Russians are more than welcome to them.

In your game, how are the French doing? If they have fallen (which I presume they have, since you say the US is in the war), do remember the Vichy France Rule. It can be critically important to the balance of the game. Also, how did you manage to take Iceland? I forget if that is a British territory or what. If not, remember to gain plunder from your conquest  :evil:

Corsica and Sardinia are to be considered one island, do you think I need to specify that?

Good god, how did you let Russia get so big? They ARE using only half of their income, right?

How do you like the game, then?