Briefing
The Race to theSea La course ?a mer Wettlauf zum Meer Version: 2.1 PBEM, German & Entente PO See the attached design notes document (PDF format) for version history. 1. UNIT COLOURS 1.1. French units Active: white on olive green Reserve: khaki on olive green Territorial: grey on olive green Colonial: red on olive green Marine: light blue on olive green 1.2. Belgian units Field army: white on dark green Fortress units: blue on dark green 1.3. British units Regular and TF: white on tan Navy: blue on tan 1.4. German units Active: white on grey Garde: black on grey Reserve: blue on grey Landwehr: dark red on grey Marine: light blue on grey 2. HISTORICAL BACKGROUND After Joffre's successful counter-attack at the Marne, the French and German armies are essentially stalemated from the Swiss border to the Aisne River. Both Falkenhayn and Joffre try to outflank each other's northern wings in a manoeuvre that will eventually see both opponents reach the Northern Sea. This last segment of movement warfare before the German spring offensives of 1918 will remain in history as 'The race to the sea', an improper denomination if there ever was as 'the sea was the term, not the objective' (Foch). 3. HOUSE RULES They are intentionally kept to a minimum, with only one deemed compulsory and two optional, to be agreed beforehand by the players. 3.1. Compulsory house rule Bridge blowing is strictly forbidden, except in named locations and where the ][ sign is placed on the map. 3.2. Optional house rules 1 - Players should not watch the replay at the beginning of their PBEM turn. Given the very low theatre recon levels in the scenario, that tedious task is rather useless anyway. This should help simulate the lack of accurate information commanders had at the time as to enemy dispositions. 2 - Players should turn the No Borders option on (in the Advanced Rules panel), to help recreate the difficulty of locating the enemy in a still fluid battlefield. This should incite the players to effectively guard key rear or flank positions and use their cavalry assets to screen the bulk of their forces when on the move. 4. SIGNIFICANT EVENTS 4.1. Variable triggers The event variable (EV) starts at 0 If Calais (17,20) falls the EV goes up by 20 points If Dunkerque (34,17) falls, the EV goes up by 20 points If Boulogne (8,30) falls, the EV goes up by 20 points If Abbeville (15,57) falls, the EV goes up by 10 points If Arras (45,50) falls, the EV goes up by 10 points If Amiens (29,67) falls, the EV goes up by 10 points If Antwerp (98,11) is taken, the EV goes up by 5 points If Lille is taken, the EV goes up by 5 points If the EV reaches 30 points, there is a one-turn check with a 30% chance the B.E.F will be withdrawn from the front and regrouped further south to cover the lower Seine around Rouen. If the EV reaches 50 points, there is a one-turn check with a 50% chance the B.E.F. will be withdrawn from the front and regrouped further south to cover the lower Seine around Rouen. If the EV reaches 70 points, there is a one-turn check with a 75% chance the B.E.F. will be withdrawn from the front on the next turn and regrouped further south to cover the lower Seine around Rouen. 4.2. Location triggers If Veurne (43,16) is taken, there is a one-turn check with a 20% chance that the Belgian army will cease to fight and be withdrawn entirely. If Antwerpen still holds past the historical date for the fall of the city (turn 19 - october 9th), the Entente receives 5 VPs for each turn it can hold on to the city. 4.3. Destruction of headquarters and units If King Albert Headquarters is destroyed, there is a 20% chance during three turns that the Belgian army will cease to fight and be withdrawn entirely. If Foch Headquarters is destroyed, the Entente side suffers a 90% shock for three turns before his successor can hold the reins and restore the situation. The destruction of every Belgian field brigade is worth 5 VPs, any other unit is worth 2 VPs (to make sure the Entente player has the incentive to save the Belgian army and put it out of harms way). Fortress and fixed garrisons are excluded from this mechanism. 4.4. Refugees effects If Lille (56,34) is approached by German troops nearer than 8 hexes, refugees will affect a four-hex zone around the city for 2 turns. Antwerp (98,11) suffers from refugees effect in a two-hex zone around the city when the Germans begin to attack the outer ring of fortifications. The effect lasts for 5 turns or as soon as the Germans occupy Antwerpen itself. 4.5. Supply-related events German side: When Antwerp falls, Germans get a temporary boost in supply: +2 for four turns When Lille falls, Germans get a temporary boost in supply: +2 for four turns If Amiens falls, Germans get a temporary boost in supply: +2 for two turns If Arras falls, Germans get a temporary boost in supply: +2 for two turns If Calais falls, Germans get a temporary boost in supply : +2 for four turns If Dunkerque falls, Germans get a temporary boost in supply: +2 for two turns If Boulogne falls, Germans get a temporary boost in supply: +2 for two turns If Bruxelles (97,26) is captured by the Entente, the Germans will suffer from a decrease in supply: -5 Note that these are one-time boosts or decreases: successive loss and capture of these cities by the German side has no supply-related effect whatsoever. Entente side : If Lille (56,34) falls, the Entente side suffers from a decrease in supply: -2 If Arras (45,50) falls, the Entente side suffers from a decrease in supply: -2 If Amiens (29,67) falls, the Entente side suffers from a decrease in supply: -2 If Dunkerque (34,17) falls, the Entente side suffers from a decrease in supply: -2 If Calais (17,20) falls, the Entente suffers from a decrease in supply: -3 If Boulogne (8,30) falls, the Entente suffers from a decrease in supply: -2 Note that if any of these cities is retaken by the Entente, supply is restored to its prior level after a three turn delay. 5. OTHER POINTS OF INTEREST 5.1. Max Rounds per Battle It is set at 4. 5.2. Attrition divider It is set at 4. 5.3. Topographic and naming conventions Locations above 20,000 inhabitants are noted in capital letters, those below that threshold in lower case (see the MAP section of the accompanying design notes document for further explanations). River names are given within brackets. 5.4. On map forces The German player should be aware that the whole of I. Bayrische A.K. is located at Charleroi (100,46) at the beginning of the game. 5.5. Reconstitution No unit reconstitutes 6. THANKS I'd like to thank Jean-Luc Betin, Sam Mudd and Piero Falotti for the time they spent playtesting this scenario, for their tips and advices and also for sharing their design experience. Many thanks too to Francois Roche for pointing out inaccuracies in the French TOamp;Es. Viele Danke also to Stefan G?ng for his help with the German names and OOB. Eventually, I'd like to thank all the good people at TDG and WarfareHQ that have provided me with valuable advice and counseling: Ben Turner, Jarek Flis, Rhinobones among others. Special thanks go out to Sylvain Domen for his help with Antwerp and the Belgian railway system. Marc Martinez

Briefing

The Race to theSea

La course ?a mer
Wettlauf zum Meer

Version: 2.1
PBEM, German & Entente PO
See the attached design notes document (PDF format) for version history.

1. UNIT COLOURS

1.1. French units

Active: white on olive green
Reserve: khaki on olive green
Territorial: grey on olive green
Colonial: red on olive green
Marine: light blue on olive green

1.2. Belgian units

Field army: white on dark green
Fortress units: blue on dark green

1.3. British units

Regular and TF: white on tan
Navy: blue on tan

1.4. German units

Active: white on grey
Garde: black on grey
Reserve: blue on grey
Landwehr: dark red on grey
Marine: light blue on grey

2. HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

After Joffre's successful counter-attack at the Marne, the French and German armies are essentially stalemated from the Swiss border to the Aisne River. Both Falkenhayn and Joffre try to outflank each other's northern wings in a manoeuvre that will eventually see both opponents reach the Northern Sea. This last segment of movement warfare before the German spring offensives of 1918 will remain in history as 'The race to the sea', an improper denomination if there ever was as 'the sea was the term, not the objective' (Foch).

3. HOUSE RULES

They are intentionally kept to a minimum, with only one deemed compulsory and two optional, to be agreed beforehand by the players.

3.1. Compulsory house rule

Bridge blowing is *strictly* forbidden, except in named locations and where the ][ sign is placed on the map.

3.2. Optional house rules

1 - Players should not watch the replay at the beginning of their PBEM turn. Given the very low theatre recon levels in the scenario, that tedious task is rather useless anyway. This should help simulate the lack of accurate information commanders had at the time as to enemy dispositions.

2 - Players should turn the No Borders option on (in the Advanced Rules panel), to help recreate the difficulty of locating the enemy in a still fluid battlefield. This should incite the players to effectively guard key rear or flank positions and use their cavalry assets to screen the bulk of their forces when on the move.

4. SIGNIFICANT EVENTS

4.1. Variable triggers

The event variable (EV) starts at 0
If Calais (17,20) falls the EV goes up by 20 points
If Dunkerque (34,17) falls, the EV goes up by 20 points
If Boulogne (8,30) falls, the EV goes up by 20 points
If Abbeville (15,57) falls, the EV goes up by 10 points
If Arras (45,50) falls, the EV goes up by 10 points
If Amiens (29,67) falls, the EV goes up by 10 points
If Antwerp (98,11) is taken, the EV goes up by 5 points
If Lille is taken, the EV goes up by 5 points

If the EV reaches 30 points, there is a one-turn check with a 30% chance the B.E.F will be withdrawn from the front and regrouped further south to cover the lower Seine around Rouen.

If the EV reaches 50 points, there is a one-turn check with a 50% chance the B.E.F. will be withdrawn from the front and regrouped further south to cover the lower Seine around Rouen.

If the EV reaches 70 points, there is a one-turn check with a 75% chance the B.E.F. will be withdrawn from the front on the next turn and regrouped further south to cover the lower Seine around Rouen.

4.2. Location triggers

If Veurne (43,16) is taken, there is a one-turn check with a 20% chance that the Belgian army will cease to fight and be withdrawn entirely.
If Antwerpen still holds past the historical date for the fall of the city (turn 19 - october 9th), the Entente receives 5 VPs for each turn it can hold on to the city.

4.3. Destruction of headquarters and units

If King Albert Headquarters is destroyed, there is a 20% chance during three turns that the Belgian army will cease to fight and be withdrawn entirely.

If Foch Headquarters is destroyed, the Entente side suffers a 90% shock for three turns before his successor can hold the reins and restore the situation.

The destruction of every Belgian field brigade is worth 5 VPs, any other unit is worth 2 VPs (to make sure the Entente player has the incentive to save the Belgian army and put it out of harms way). Fortress and fixed garrisons are excluded from this mechanism.

4.4. Refugees effects

If Lille (56,34) is approached by German troops nearer than 8 hexes, refugees will affect a four-hex zone around the city for 2 turns.
Antwerp (98,11) suffers from refugees effect in a two-hex zone around the city when the Germans begin to attack the outer ring of fortifications. The effect lasts for 5 turns or as soon as the Germans occupy Antwerpen itself.

4.5. Supply-related events

German side:

When Antwerp falls, Germans get a temporary boost in supply: +2 for four turns
When Lille falls, Germans get a temporary boost in supply: +2 for four turns
If Amiens falls, Germans get a temporary boost in supply: +2 for two turns
If Arras falls, Germans get a temporary boost in supply: +2 for two turns
If Calais falls, Germans get a temporary boost in supply : +2 for four turns
If Dunkerque falls, Germans get a temporary boost in supply: +2 for two turns
If Boulogne falls, Germans get a temporary boost in supply: +2 for two turns
If Bruxelles (97,26) is captured by the Entente, the Germans will suffer from a decrease in supply: -5

Note that these are one-time boosts or decreases: successive loss and capture of these cities by the German side has no supply-related effect whatsoever.

Entente side :

If Lille (56,34) falls, the Entente side suffers from a decrease in supply: -2
If Arras (45,50) falls, the Entente side suffers from a decrease in supply: -2
If Amiens (29,67) falls, the Entente side suffers from a decrease in supply: -2
If Dunkerque (34,17) falls, the Entente side suffers from a decrease in supply: -2
If Calais (17,20) falls, the Entente suffers from a decrease in supply: -3
If Boulogne (8,30) falls, the Entente suffers from a decrease in supply: -2

Note that if any of these cities is retaken by the Entente, supply is restored to its prior level after a three turn delay.

5. OTHER POINTS OF INTEREST

5.1. Max Rounds per Battle

It is set at 4.

5.2. Attrition divider

It is set at 4.

5.3. Topographic and naming conventions

Locations above 20,000 inhabitants are noted in capital letters, those below that threshold in lower case (see the MAP section of the accompanying design notes document for further explanations).
River names are given within brackets.

5.4. On map forces

The German player should be aware that the whole of I. Bayrische A.K. is located at Charleroi (100,46) at the beginning of the game.

5.5. Reconstitution

No unit reconstitutes

6. THANKS

I'd like to thank Jean-Luc Betin, Sam Mudd and Piero Falotti for the time they spent playtesting this scenario, for their tips and advices and also for sharing their design experience.

Many thanks too to Francois Roche for pointing out inaccuracies in the French TOamp;Es.

Viele Danke also to Stefan G?ng for his help with the German names and OOB.

Eventually, I'd like to thank all the good people at TDG and WarfareHQ that have provided me with valuable advice and counseling: Ben Turner, Jarek Flis, Rhinobones among others.

Special thanks go out to Sylvain Domen for his help with Antwerp and the Belgian railway system.

Marc Martinez

The Race to theSea

La course ?a mer Wettlauf zum Meer

La course ?a mer
Wettlauf zum Meer