Briefing
Europe Aflame The Second World War Version b November 2006 PBM only. Apologies to anyone who's downloaded earlier versions of this scenario but these changes do make it more interesting to play and historical A webpage with more details about this scenario can be found here Please check there for latest updates and links. Full briefing is included in the zip file This version of the scenario has been produced to deal with problems that were identified with the scenario supplied with TOAW III - this was a conversion from the TOAW Century of War 3.4d, and some players had identified possible bugs. 1. Changes earlyer versions This should be the final version of the Europe Aflame scenario for the Century of Warfare engine - version 3.4 (d). Added the Baltic States as pro-Axis neutral: mobilise if Allied unit moves adjacent or attacks, or if the Axis player chooses an Eastern Crusade game. Surrender if Kovno falls or - in a normal game only (i.e. not an 'Eastern Crusade' game) - once Paris falls. Stalin was then able to pressure the three states into disbanding their armies, followed by the usual rigged elections, arrests and deportations. If they're going to disappear, what point is there in ever invading before then? It will raise the attacking Red Army's proficiency and, if the Allied player is execting the German to try a 'Sealion' after the Fall of France it will allow Soviet troops to be deployed forward for an attack. Added the Iranians as pro-Axis neutral: mobilise if Allied unit moves adjacent or attacks, or a 75% chance within eight turns when the Russo-German war starts, in which case the British get a new corps - 'Iraqforce' in Basra. VERY low proficiency, as historically they were simply brushed aside in a week or so, but might be a nuisance if not taken out. Surrender if Tehran falls, which is also an Axis supply point. Split the giant 'Hiwi' corps into regimental sized units, appearing over time in different Russian cities and getting progressively better armed and trained. Vlasov's two divisions appear in Prague in mid-1944. If the Axis take their pre-war builds as a TO, the Red Army will get the existing pre-war mobile reinforcements, whether or not an 'Eastern Crusade' game is chosen If the Axis don't take the reinforcements, the Red Army will not get theirs, whether or not an 'Eastern Crusade' game is chosen Instead, if an 'Eastern Crusade' game is chosen, the Red Army will raise four Red Cavalry armies of one HQ and two '3 - 4' cavalry corps each, and the Stalin Line will be further extended, although it still won't cover the entire front. This will give the Axis player a genuine choice when he sees the French extend the Maginot Line: under version 3.4 (b) there is currently no point in his not taking the pre-war builds, since the Red Army will get their 1930s extras anyway as soon as the 'Eastern Crusade' is chosen. The idea behind this is that if Stalin doesn't see the Germans raising more mobile forces in the 1930s he still executes Marshal Tukhachevski, and relies instead on traditional fortifications and cavalry armies to counter an 'early' German move east. If the Axis decide not to take the Eastern Crusade option they'll have to blast their way through the extended Maginot Line, but the Russians will get neither their mobile 1930s extras, nor the forts and cavalry. I think this makes more sense, and may make an Eastern Crusade game more challenging for the Axis. I've also taken the 122mm howitzers away from the Russian cavalry and replaced them with 82mm mortars, which seems more likely The rail line from the Crimea now runs along a narrow embankment through the Sivash Sea to Mariupol, which it did, rather than across the Perekop Ithmus. Ibn Saud will now mobilise as a small pro-Axis ally in Arabia if the Axis take Alexandria. Added military police squads to the higher level HQs: this allows them, if positioned correctly, to manage traffic control, which affects movement and stacking. Some minor changes to the map, OOBs, and formation proficiencies (poor old Panzer Armee Afrika was permanently stuck on 10% maximum supply!) 2. Author notes This scenario is an extensive rewrite of Trey's '1939 - The Road To War'. It is an attempt to recreate the European Theatre of WWII in its entirety, together with operations in the Middle East, Scandinavia and the Horn of Africa. The game starts a few months before the historical outbreak of the Second World War with the negotiation of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, and is designed to allow players to pursue (possibly radically) alternate strategies. However, all the essentials of WWII in Europe are included: it is by no means a fantasy scenario. By choosing the appropriate options the Axis Player can attempt to pursue the 'historical' campaign. In many ways we had all the fun, after Trey did the hard work. In our defense, the Event List has been extensively rewritten, the order of battle has been expanded, and more detail has been added to the map. Some players enjoy extensive briefings, while others would rather get into the game straight away. Accordingly, this briefing will present the bare minimum of information needed to play, in as concise a form as possible. The accompanying text file will contain a more detailed overview of events, suggestions for play, designers' notes and general musing. We have tried to design the scenario to follow the broad historical flow of WWII, with appropriate alterations where the game diverges from history. Players really do need to read this basic briefing to be able to play Europe Aflame properly: to appreciate the full range of options and play well, you also need to study the text file in some detail. It is a measure of the flexibility of TOAW that it has been possible to create such a wide-ranging game: inevitably there are a few oddities which we have done our best to eradicate or rationalise. The game has been extensively playtested for years, but given the complexity of the Event List it is impossible to anticipate every possibility. Any feedback will be very welcome. (We first started this 6 years ago!) 3. House Rules (Player enforced) Players may not attack, or move their units into, other countries until they are formally at war, or allied. (Only Germany, the Soviet Union and the UK start the scenario as active participants.) The News Briefing is very comprehensive and specifies when countries enter the game. Play as if an exclusion zone covers non-participating countries until they join either side. If you want to invade a country you must first pick the appropriate Theater Option to declare war (or possibly bring it in as an ally). Please note that you must wait until the start of the turn after you pick the Option before actually entering the country. THIS IS ABSOLUTELY CRITICAL. If no option exists you may not invade that country (at least yet). Keep a very close eye on the News Briefing and the Theatre Options, as these will change dramatically according to the dynamics of the game. Once a country enters the game it is permanently involved, unless forced to surrender. Bessarabia, the Baltic States, Iraq, Arabia and Iran are exempt from this rule and may entered by either side physically able to do so, although the Baltic States and Iran will then mobilise their armed forces. This rule is essential because inactive countries' units are unable to move until the turn after a declaration of war (or alliance). As the Axis moves first in a turn, this still allows Germany its historical preference of attacking a neutral country before the latter can deploy its foces. No Axis units may enter the US, Canada, South America or Nigeria. No units may be disbanded, unless forced onto a 'sea supply road' or over a neutral border, when they must be (except that guerillas may stay in place and try to get back home). Partisans (Guerilla and Irregular Infantry units) may not voluntarily leave their home country, neither may the British 'Home Guard' units triggered by an Axis invasion, nor the German Volksturm, or other Garrison-type units (e.g. Spanish 'Guardia Civil'). The sandy coloured units of the 'Panzer Group Afrika' formation and German airborne and marine units are the ONLY German units that may move by sea or carry out sea assaults in North Africa and the Middle East, including sea assaults on the Mediterranean islands. Only the historical Afrika Corps will be available initially, when Italy enters the war. Additional units will become available as the islands of Malta, Cyprus, Crete and the key ports of Alexandria and Gibraltar are taken. This is to represent the problems of supply across the Mediterranean. The captured islands, but not mainland North Africa or the Middle East, may then be garrisoned by regular German units moving by normal sea movement. This restriction does not apply to German satellites (i.e. Spain, Vichy France, Italy, Axis Turkish or the small rebel Arab and Iraqi units), NOR to regular German units that can enter the area by land movement, i.e. through Turkey. 4. Significant Events Shock bonuses and penalties caused by Events apply across the entire scenario: generally it is best to use them for their historical purposes. The Axis Player has a shock bonus in the first years of the war, except during Winter 1940 and 1941, representing superior training and equipment. A Cease-Fire Event stops all combat in the winter (variable length) of 1939-40 (the 'Sitzkrieg'). Similar, shorter 'cease fires' occur in Autumn 1941-2-3-4, representing storms and mud. The United Kingdom surrenders following the loss of Birmingham, the Soviet Union surrenders with the loss of both Moscow and Stalingrad, other countries surrender following the loss of their capital (after a possible delay). Vichy France has its capital at Lyons, but may surrender following the loss of Algiers. The loss of Messina (Sicily) may cause the surrender of Italy, but only once Tripoli has fallen. Kovno (Lithuania) functions as the Baltic States' capital. The Allies suffer a two-turn 'Blitzkrieg' penalty after the Axis declares war on the Low Countries. The Case Yellow ('Blitz France') Option gives the Axis a three turn shock bonus. After those three turns, the Axis suffers a shock penalty for two turns. Shortly thereafter, assuming France has not yet been conquered, an Option to resume the offensive appears. Choosing that Option will give the Axis a further shock bonus for ten turns. The Barbarossa Option inflicts a shock penalty on the Allies for about eight turns, and an air shock penalty for four turns. It triggers automatically if not used six turns after a German DoW on the USSR. If Germany declares war on France, or the Low Countries, Poland will join the Allies. (Exception: if France has 'extended' the Maginot Line, Poland will never join the Allies unless attacked by the Axis.) An Option for the Western Allies to declare war on Germany appears after Germany has declared war on a neutral country, apart from Turkey or Greece (i.e. not the Soviet Union). Once Germany is at war with France an Axis Option appears to bring Italy into the war. Doing so before Axis units are within two hexes of Paris will cause Greece and Yugoslavia to enter the war on the Allied side if they've been attacked, or as active neutrals (i.e. they can redeploy within their own countries). The entry of the US into the war is dependent upon the US Entry Variable. This variable is automatically increased over time. In addition, aggressive actions by the Axis, such as declaring war on neutral countries, will tend to increase this variable, as will choosing the various Pre-War Build Options. Similarly, aggressive actions by the Allied Player (e.g. invading Holland, Belgium) will tend to decrease it. Once the variable reaches 100 the United States will enter the war. When the variable reaches 50 the Allies get various forms of US aid ('Lend-Lease' Destroyers, etc.) , at the cost of reducing the US Entry Variable . Capture or loss of certain key hexes (e.g. Narvik, Baku) will cause significant shifts in supply. Capturing some hexes will also result in "bonus" units being received as reinforcements, or will dump additional material in the replacement pool. About 30 turns after the United Kingdom goes to war with Germany the Royal Navy will cut ore shipments from Norway. To reverse the consequent supply loss the Axis Player needs to capture Narvik. Should the Allies recapture Narvik the Axis once again suffer the supply loss. A large part of the US and Soviet reinforcements and replacements are dependent on the turn they enter the war. Some German reinforcements are determined by the number of turns it has been at war with the Soviet Union. Minor countries may enter the war without themselves having been attacked, based on the progress of the game. Several countries have the potential to enter on both sides. It is therefore important to maintain covering forces on even 'neutral' borders and to keep watching the News Briefing. Further details can be found in the accompanying text file. Players who haven't read the lengthier briefing should be aware that most Theatre Options come with a built-in downside: e.g. the extension of the Maginot Line greatly weakens Allied influence in Central and Eastern Europe and German Pre-War Builds increase the likelihood of earlier US Intervention. There are no 'free lunches' Germany: two 10-15 Light armoured corps; two 5-9 Panzergrenadier divisions; one 5-4 Anti-tank brigade; one 11-2 Motorised artillery brigade; one 6-7 Mechanised reconnaissance corps; one 4-6 Waffen SS paratroop division and one 1-6 Waffen SS fighter unit (Himmler wins the political battle with Goering for a separate SS Air Force) Soviet Union: two 11-14 Mechanised armies; three 9-12 Motorised armies and three 6-12 Infantry shock corps Both sides (including their potential allies) start with equal Victory Points, so that players can keep track of how the game's developing on an exchange of points basis: however, we strongly recommend agreeing Victory Conditions in advance, based on your historical idea of the period This concludes our essential briefing. There are many more events, including Theatre Options such as extending the Maginot Line to the sea in the pre-war years; having the Allies invade a neutral Belgium; or Germany pressuring Eastern Europe - including Poland - into an Anti-Bolshevik Crusade, leaving the UK and France as neutral onlookers (at least until the Axis penetrate into Russia). For details on this and much more you are encouraged to consult the accompanying text file. Extensive playtesting has shown that you really need to read the Full Briefing to get the most out of this very ambitious scenario: it would be a pity to get a hundred turns in and then find that some special event upsets your master plan. The Full Briefing can appear daunting, but there is a lot of information that can be skipped through. If you prefer not to go into too much detail before starting to play, do steady your nerves for some shocks. Ulver Nielsen and Mark Stevens*

Briefing

Europe Aflame

The Second World War

Version b November 2006 PBM only.
Apologies to anyone who's downloaded earlier versions of this scenario but these changes do make it more interesting to play and historical

A webpage with more details about this scenario can be found here Please check there for latest updates and links.

Full briefing is included in the zip file

This version of the scenario has been produced to deal with problems that were identified with the scenario supplied with TOAW III - this was a conversion from the TOAW Century of War 3.4d, and some players had identified possible bugs.

1. Changes earlyer versions

This should be the final version of the Europe Aflame scenario for the Century of Warfare engine - version 3.4 (d).
Added the Baltic States as pro-Axis neutral: mobilise if Allied unit moves adjacent or attacks, or if the Axis player chooses an Eastern Crusade game. Surrender if Kovno falls or - in a normal game only (i.e. not an 'Eastern Crusade' game) - once Paris falls. Stalin was then able to pressure the three states into disbanding their armies, followed by the usual rigged elections, arrests and deportations. If they're going to disappear, what point is there in ever invading before then? It will raise the attacking Red Army's proficiency and, if the Allied player is execting the German to try a 'Sealion' after the Fall of France it will allow Soviet troops to be deployed forward for an attack.
Added the Iranians as pro-Axis neutral: mobilise if Allied unit moves adjacent or attacks, or a 75% chance within eight turns when the Russo-German war starts, in which case the British get a new corps - 'Iraqforce' in Basra. VERY low proficiency, as historically they were simply brushed aside in a week or so, but might be a nuisance if not taken out. Surrender if Tehran falls, which is also an Axis supply point.
Split the giant 'Hiwi' corps into regimental sized units, appearing over time in different Russian cities and getting progressively better armed and trained. Vlasov's two divisions appear in Prague in mid-1944.
If the Axis take their pre-war builds as a TO, the Red Army will get the existing pre-war mobile reinforcements, whether or not an 'Eastern Crusade' game is chosen
If the Axis don't take the reinforcements, the Red Army will not get theirs, whether or not an 'Eastern Crusade' game is chosen
Instead, if an 'Eastern Crusade' game is chosen, the Red Army will raise four Red Cavalry armies of one HQ and two '3 - 4' cavalry corps each, and the Stalin Line will be further extended, although it still won't cover the entire front.
This will give the Axis player a genuine choice when he sees the French extend the Maginot Line: under version 3.4 (b) there is currently no point in his not taking the pre-war builds, since the Red Army will get their 1930s extras anyway as soon as the 'Eastern Crusade' is chosen. The idea behind this is that if Stalin doesn't see the Germans raising more mobile forces in the 1930s he still executes Marshal Tukhachevski, and relies instead on traditional fortifications and cavalry armies to counter an 'early' German move east. If the Axis decide not to take the Eastern Crusade option they'll have to blast their way through the extended Maginot Line, but the Russians will get neither their mobile 1930s extras, nor the forts and cavalry. I think this makes more sense, and may make an Eastern Crusade game more challenging for the Axis.
I've also taken the 122mm howitzers away from the Russian cavalry and replaced them with 82mm mortars, which seems more likely
The rail line from the Crimea now runs along a narrow embankment through the Sivash Sea to Mariupol, which it did, rather than across the Perekop Ithmus.
Ibn Saud will now mobilise as a small pro-Axis ally in Arabia if the Axis take Alexandria.
Added military police squads to the higher level HQs: this allows them, if positioned correctly, to manage traffic control, which affects movement and stacking.
Some minor changes to the map, OOBs, and formation proficiencies (poor old Panzer Armee Afrika was permanently stuck on 10% maximum supply!)

2. Author notes

This scenario is an extensive rewrite of Trey's '1939 - The Road To War'. It is an attempt to recreate the European Theatre of WWII in its entirety, together with operations in the Middle East, Scandinavia and the Horn of Africa. The game starts a few months before the historical outbreak of the Second World War with the negotiation of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, and is designed to allow players to pursue (possibly radically) alternate strategies. However, all the essentials of WWII in Europe are included: it is by no means a fantasy scenario. By choosing the appropriate options the Axis Player can attempt to pursue the 'historical' campaign.

In many ways we had all the fun, after Trey did the hard work. In our defense, the Event List has been extensively rewritten, the order of battle has been expanded, and more detail has been added to the map.

Some players enjoy extensive briefings, while others would rather get into the game straight away. Accordingly, this briefing will present the bare minimum of information needed to play, in as concise a form as possible. The accompanying text file will contain a more detailed overview of events, suggestions for play, designers' notes and general musing. We have tried to design the scenario to follow the broad historical flow of WWII, with appropriate alterations where the game diverges from history.

Players really do need to read this basic briefing to be able to play Europe Aflame properly: to appreciate the full range of options and play well, you also need to study the text file in some detail.

It is a measure of the flexibility of TOAW that it has been possible to create such a wide-ranging game: inevitably there are a few oddities which we have done our best to eradicate or rationalise.

The game has been extensively playtested for years, but given the complexity of the Event List it is impossible to anticipate every possibility. Any feedback will be very welcome. (We first started this 6 years ago!)

3. House Rules (Player enforced)

Players may not attack, or move their units into, other countries until they are formally at war, or allied. (Only Germany, the Soviet Union and the UK start the scenario as active participants.) The News Briefing is very comprehensive and specifies when countries enter the game. Play as if an exclusion zone covers non-participating countries until they join either side. If you want to invade a country you must first pick the appropriate Theater Option to declare war (or possibly bring it in as an ally). Please note that you must wait until the start of the turn after you pick the Option before actually entering the country. THIS IS ABSOLUTELY CRITICAL. If no option exists you may not invade that country (at least yet).

Keep a very close eye on the News Briefing and the Theatre Options, as these will change dramatically according to the dynamics of the game. Once a country enters the game it is permanently involved, unless forced to surrender.

Bessarabia, the Baltic States, Iraq, Arabia and Iran are exempt from this rule and may entered by either side physically able to do so, although the Baltic States and Iran will then mobilise their armed forces.

This rule is essential because inactive countries' units are unable to move until the turn after a declaration of war (or alliance). As the Axis moves first in a turn, this still allows Germany its historical preference of attacking a neutral country before the latter can deploy its foces.

No Axis units may enter the US, Canada, South America or Nigeria.

No units may be disbanded, unless forced onto a 'sea supply road' or over a neutral border, when they must be (except that guerillas may stay in place and try to get back home).

Partisans (Guerilla and Irregular Infantry units) may not voluntarily leave their home country, neither may the British 'Home Guard' units triggered by an Axis invasion, nor the German Volksturm, or other Garrison-type units (e.g. Spanish 'Guardia Civil').

The sandy coloured units of the 'Panzer Group Afrika' formation and German airborne and marine units are the ONLY German units that may move by sea or carry out sea assaults in North Africa and the Middle East, including sea assaults on the Mediterranean islands. Only the historical Afrika Corps will be available initially, when Italy enters the war. Additional units will become available as the islands of Malta, Cyprus, Crete and the key ports of Alexandria and Gibraltar are taken. This is to represent the problems of supply across the Mediterranean. The captured islands, but not mainland North Africa or the Middle East, may then be garrisoned by regular German units moving by normal sea movement. This restriction does not apply to German satellites (i.e. Spain, Vichy France, Italy, Axis Turkish or the small rebel Arab and Iraqi units), NOR to regular German units that can enter the area by land movement, i.e. through Turkey.

4. Significant Events

Shock bonuses and penalties caused by Events apply across the entire scenario: generally it is best to use them for their historical purposes.

The Axis Player has a shock bonus in the first years of the war, except during Winter 1940 and 1941, representing superior training and equipment.

A Cease-Fire Event stops all combat in the winter (variable length) of 1939-40 (the 'Sitzkrieg').

Similar, shorter 'cease fires' occur in Autumn 1941-2-3-4, representing storms and mud.

The United Kingdom surrenders following the loss of Birmingham, the Soviet Union surrenders with the loss of both Moscow and Stalingrad, other countries surrender following the loss of their capital (after a possible delay). Vichy France has its capital at Lyons, but may surrender following the loss of Algiers. The loss of Messina (Sicily) may cause the surrender of Italy, but only once Tripoli has fallen. Kovno (Lithuania) functions as the Baltic States' capital.

The Allies suffer a two-turn 'Blitzkrieg' penalty after the Axis declares war on the Low Countries.

The Case Yellow ('Blitz France') Option gives the Axis a three turn shock bonus. After those three turns, the Axis suffers a shock penalty for two turns. Shortly thereafter, assuming France has not yet been conquered, an Option to resume the offensive appears. Choosing that Option will give the Axis a further shock bonus for ten turns.

The Barbarossa Option inflicts a shock penalty on the Allies for about eight turns, and an air shock penalty for four turns. It triggers automatically if not used six turns after a German DoW on the USSR.

If Germany declares war on France, or the Low Countries, Poland will join the Allies. (Exception: if France has 'extended' the Maginot Line, Poland will never join the Allies unless attacked by the Axis.)

An Option for the Western Allies to declare war on Germany appears after Germany has declared war on a neutral country, apart from Turkey or Greece (i.e. not the Soviet Union).

Once Germany is at war with France an Axis Option appears to bring Italy into the war. Doing so before Axis units are within two hexes of Paris will cause Greece and Yugoslavia to enter the war on the Allied side if they've been attacked, or as active neutrals (i.e. they can redeploy within their own countries).

The entry of the US into the war is dependent upon the US Entry Variable. This variable is automatically increased over time. In addition, aggressive actions by the Axis, such as declaring war on neutral countries, will tend to increase this variable, as will choosing the various Pre-War Build Options. Similarly, aggressive actions by the Allied Player (e.g. invading Holland, Belgium) will tend to decrease it. Once the variable reaches 100 the United States will enter the war. When the variable reaches 50 the Allies get various forms of US aid ('Lend-Lease' Destroyers, etc.) , at the cost of reducing the US Entry Variable .

Capture or loss of certain key hexes (e.g. Narvik, Baku) will cause significant shifts in supply. Capturing some hexes will also result in "bonus" units being received as reinforcements, or will dump additional material in the replacement pool.

About 30 turns after the United Kingdom goes to war with Germany the Royal Navy will cut ore shipments from Norway. To reverse the consequent supply loss the Axis Player needs to capture Narvik. Should the Allies recapture Narvik the Axis once again suffer the supply loss.

A large part of the US and Soviet reinforcements and replacements are dependent on the turn they enter the war. Some German reinforcements are determined by the number of turns it has been at war with the Soviet Union.

Minor countries may enter the war without themselves having been attacked, based on the progress of the game. Several countries have the potential to enter on both sides. It is therefore important to maintain covering forces on even 'neutral' borders and to keep watching the News Briefing. Further details can be found in the accompanying text file.

Players who haven't read the lengthier briefing should be aware that most Theatre Options come with a built-in downside: e.g. the extension of the Maginot Line greatly weakens Allied influence in Central and Eastern Europe and German Pre-War Builds increase the likelihood of earlier US Intervention. There are no 'free lunches'

*Germany: two 10-15 Light armoured corps; two 5-9 Panzergrenadier divisions; one 5-4 Anti-tank brigade; one 11-2 Motorised artillery brigade; one 6-7 Mechanised reconnaissance corps; one 4-6 Waffen SS paratroop division and one 1-6 Waffen SS fighter unit (Himmler wins the political battle with Goering for a separate SS Air Force)

Soviet Union: two 11-14 Mechanised armies; three 9-12 Motorised armies and three 6-12 Infantry shock corps

Both sides (including their potential allies) start with equal Victory Points, so that players can keep track of how the game's developing on an exchange of points basis: however, we strongly recommend agreeing Victory Conditions in advance, based on your historical idea of the period

This concludes our essential briefing. There are many more events, including Theatre Options such as extending the Maginot Line to the sea in the pre-war years; having the Allies invade a neutral Belgium; or Germany pressuring Eastern Europe - including Poland - into an Anti-Bolshevik Crusade, leaving the UK and France as neutral onlookers (at least until the Axis penetrate into Russia). For details on this and much more you are encouraged to consult the accompanying text file.

Extensive playtesting has shown that you really need to read the Full Briefing to get the most out of this very ambitious scenario: it would be a pity to get a hundred turns in and then find that some special event upsets your master plan. The Full Briefing can appear daunting, but there is a lot of information that can be skipped through.

If you prefer not to go into too much detail before starting to play, do steady your nerves for some shocks.

Ulver Nielsen and Mark Stevens