Slitherine

quote:

9.3 Compulsory declarations
Germany must declare war on Poland in the first impulse of any game that starts in Sep/Oct 1939. No major power may make any other declaration of war in that impulse.

France and the Commonwealth must declare war on Germany on their first impulse after Germany has declared war on Poland. No major power may make any other declarations of war in that impulse.

quote:

19.5.1 Eastern Poland
The USSR can exercise its Nazi-Soviet Pact rights to occupy eastern Poland during any Allied land movement step. However, it can only exercise those rights if Poland has not been conquered.

You exercise those rights by moving a land unit into any hex of eastern Poland.

Once you exercise those rights, the part of Poland to the east of the partition line becomes conquered by the Soviets. Move any Axis units there to the nearest Axis controlled hex they can stack in. Any Allied (except Soviet) units there are destroyed. They are removed from the game (internment) until Germany and the USSR are at war, at which point they may be added to the Commonwealth force pool if the Commonwealth player so desires.

Axis units may not cross the partition line after the USSR exercises its rights unless Germany and the USSR are at war.

Anytime after 1941, the Commonwealth can add a randomly chosen Polish MOT and MECH to its force pools if, at that time:
• The USSR has exercised its rights under the pact; and
• Poland has been conquered by the Axis; and
• The USSR and Germany are at war.

All the Polish units covered by this rule are treated as British for all purposes.

quote:


20. The Axis declares war on: (if Japan declares war place USA entry chit in the USA (Ja) entry pool else place it in the USA (Ge/It) entry pool)
Poland, Spain, Turkey or any American country (1 USA entry chit and a 20% chance of another will be added to the USA entry pool)
Belgium, Finland, Rumania, Sweden or Switzerland (There is a 80% chance of a USA entry chit will be added to the USA entry pool)
Other minor (There is a 30% chance of a USA entry chit will be added to the USA entry pool)

quote:


19.5.1 Eastern Poland
The USSR can exercise its Nazi-Soviet Pact rights to occupy eastern Poland during any Allied land movement step. However, it can only exercise those rights if Poland has not been conquered.

You exercise those rights by moving a land unit into any hex of eastern

26. The USSR controls Eastern Poland (There is a 70% chance a USA entry chit will be removed from the USA (Ge/It) entry pool)
The USSR can exercise its Nazi-Soviet Pact rights to occupy eastern Poland during any Allied land movement step. However, it can only exercise those rights if Poland has not been conquered (see 19.5.1 Eastern Poland).

quote:

19.6 Soviet border rectification
The Soviet Union laid claim to territory held by several of its neighbours. As a result of the Nazi-Soviet partition of Poland, it recovered the land it claimed from that country. Subsequently, with German approval, it absorbed the Baltic States, satisfying further claims. This rule covers its claims over Rumania and Finland.

19.6.2 Rumania

The USSR claims Bessarabia
During any Allied declaration of war step (after the first) while Rumania is neutral, the USSR can claim Bessarabia.

The German player (acting as Rumania) must either allow the claim or deny it.

Rumania denies the claim
If Rumania denies the USSR’s claim, the USSR must immediately declare war on Rumania.

Germany can enforce a peace between Rumania and the USSR during any peace step if:
• no hex of Rumania, outside of Bessarabia, is Soviet controlled; and
• Germany and the USSR are not at war.

If Rumania and the USSR come to peace:
• Rumania again becomes a neutral minor country;
• the USSR keeps control of Bessarabia provided there is a Soviet land unit anywhere in Bessarabia; and
• Germany can declare Rumania, Hungary and Bulgaria aligned with Germany during any later Axis declaration of war steps.

If the USSR conquers Rumania:
• Germany can declare Hungary aligned with Germany during any later Axis declaration of war step; and
• Bulgaria can never align with Germany but the USSR can declare it aligned with the USSR during any later Allied declaration of war step.

While Rumania and the USSR are at war:
• Germany can declare Hungary aligned with Germany during any Axis declaration of war step; and
• Bulgaria cannot align with either Germany or the USSR.

31. The USSR declares war on:
Poland, Spain, Turkey, or any American country (2 USA entry chits and a 50% chance of another will be removed from the USA (Ja) entry pool)
Belgium, Finland, Rumania, Sweden or Switzerland (1 USA entry chit and a 80% chance of another being removed from the USA (Ja) entry pool)
Other minor country or Vichy France (There is a 90% chance of a USA entry chit being removed from the USA (Ge/It) entry pool)

quote:

If Rumania and the USSR come to peace:
• Rumania again becomes a neutral minor country;
• the USSR keeps control of Bessarabia provided there is a Soviet land unit anywhere in Bessarabia; and
• Germany can declare Rumania, Hungary and Bulgaria aligned with Germany during any later Axis declaration of war steps.

quote:

19.7 Axis minor countries
Yugoslavia
An Axis major power that controls Athens can declare that Yugoslavia is aligning with it during any Axis declaration of war step if:
• Yugoslavia is neutral; and
• Italy, Hungary, Rumania, Bulgaria, Greece and Albania are all Axis controlled.

quote:

19.5 The Nazi-Soviet pact
In all World in Flames scenarios that start after Jul/Aug 1939 and before Jul/Aug 1941, the USSR and Germany have a Nazi-Soviet pact in place that regulates their spheres of influence. They signed their pact on the 23rd August 1939 and Germany broke certain of its clauses on the 22nd of June 1941.

19.5.3 Breaking the Nazi-Soviet pact
If a German controlled unit enters any hex in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania or Turkey or declares war on any of these countries, then the Soviet player can break the Nazi-Soviet pact during any Allied declaration of war step. Setting up the Baltic States’ convs is not considered entering a hex in these countries.

If a Soviet controlled unit enters any hex in Denmark, Greece, Hungary Norway, Sweden or Yugoslavia, then the German player can break the Nazi-Soviet pact during any Axis declaration of war step. Once broken, there is no longer a neutrality pact (see 9.5 Neutrality pacts), nor a trade agreement (see 5.1 Trade agreements), between Germany and the USSR.

quote:

Rumania allows the claim
If Rumania allows the claim, it stays neutral and Bessarabia becomes part of the USSR for all purposes until the USSR controls no hex in Bessarabia. At that point, Bessarabia again becomes part of Rumania. The USSR cannot declare war on Rumania until the USSR is at war with Germany.

Allowing the claim immediately reduces the resources the USSR supplies to Germany by 1 (see 5.1 Trade agreements).

In the next Axis declaration of war step, Hungary and Bulgaria make demands on Rumania for Transylvania and South Dobruja respectively. Germany, as mediator, must either allow both claims or deny both.

If Germany allows their claims:
• Transylvania becomes part of Hungary for all purposes. Germany can declare Hungary aligned with Germany during any later Axis declaration of war step.
• South Dobruja becomes part of Bulgaria for all purposes. Germany can declare Bulgaria aligned with Germany during any later Axis declaration of war step.
• Germany can declare Rumania aligned with Germany during any Axis declaration of war step if Germany has declared war on the USSR (not if the USSR has declared war on Germany), is at war with Yugoslavia, or controls Belgrade (Yugoslavia).

quote:

5.1 Trade agreements
In each turn, Germany must lend lease 2 build points to the USSR while the USSR must supply Germany with 7 resources (2 of them must be oil). These numbers can change if circumstances vary. For each of:
• Finland;
• Latvia;
• Estonia;
• Lithuania;
• Bulgaria;
• Hungary;
• Rumania; and
• Turkey, that an Axis major power either declares war on or aligns with (see 9.7 Controlling new minors, 9.8 Aligning minors and 19 Minor countries), reduce the number of resources the USSR must supply by 1 (minimum 0). Reduce the ordinary resources before you reduce any oil resources.

Reduce the number of resources by 1 from the turn that Finland allows a USSR claim on the Finnish borderlands (see 19.6.1 Finland) and by 1 from the turn that Rumania allows a USSR claim on Bessarabia (see 19.6.2 Rumania). Note that each minor country only reduces resources once even if claims are allowed and the minor is declared war on or aligned.

quote:

13.6.1 Resources
Resources are printed on the map. The total resources in each country are recorded on the factory and resources table.

There are two types of resources - general resources and oil resources.
Oil and general resources are the same, except for strategic bombardment (11.7 Strategic bombardment) and the optional oil rule (AfA option 48 ~ see 13.5.1 Oil (AfA option 48)).

quote:

ORIGINAL: Centuur

Germany cannot affort to lose any oil resources due to strategic bombardment IMHO. They need every resource they can get their hands on for production as soon as possible in the game. Economics are everything in this game and even more important than the possible reactions regarding US entry. A 1939 build point extra is a huge boost for the Axis. This is also the reason I usually play aggressive with the Italians too. Screw the US! Go to war and see what happens. Dangerous: of course, but I've concluded a long time ago that for the Axis the first turn of the game is of utmost importance. Is it long: the prospects of an Axis win are good. Is it short: you might get into problems.

If the weather stays good in SO 1939, Germany should, apart from conquering Poland and Denmark, try to conquer the Netherlands (and if possible next impulse Belgium too...). They need the resources and the hexes on France before winter comes along. Now, if the Axis are really, really lucky with the weather staying nice in the first turn of the game, you might even see the demise of France happening... In one game, I lost France in SO 1939 due to continuing nice weather and the turn refusing to end together with a couple of very nice die rolls for Germany on attacks that turn (attacks which go into the area of: "well, the turn will end soon, so let's take a few low odds attacks while the weather is still nice and soften up the French a little bit"). How I hated the die that first turn as the allies...

As Germany: my first focus is on the French and not on the Balkans. The Balkans are not a primary objective to me.

However, other players might want to try to crush Yugoslavia in SO 1939 to press the USSR into claiming Bessarabia as soon as possible (before the Axis controls Belgrade and align Rumania). That is of course a valid strategy in this game, if the USSR doesn't set up his European army and airforce on the borders of Bessarabia (which I would regard as being a mistake by the USSR).

quote:

ORIGINAL: Centuur

To align Yugoslavia, the Axis have to:

1. Control Athens
2. Control Hungary, Bulgaria, Albania, Italy and Rumania.

To get this done in 1939, the Italians have to first conquer Greece. To do that with the small army the Italians have (which they also need to use to defend the French-Italian border) and a huge CW/French navy in the Med is not possible. It is far to easy for the French fleet to sail into Italian waters, which the Italian Fleet than needs to answer. The Italians can only use combined impulses when neutral, and the activities limits of combined impulses for Italy are very, very poor. So Italy needs to DoW a Major before it can even consider to take Greece out. And even than it hasn't got the troops available to make this possible...

Also: Germany needs to deny the USSR claim, thus forcing a war between the USSR and Rumania. During that war, Bulgaria can't be aligned by the Germans and there is the danger on the Ploesti oil fields...

Personally I think the Balkans aren't of any strategic importance to Germany before the fall of France. After that it really depends on the situation at that time.

I would, as the Italians, DoW the French and see if it is possible to pursue gains into Tunesia, Algeria and Morocco towards Gibraltar, which is the key point of the Med. Greece can wait, perhaps even for ever.

And the German garrison in Poland? The USSR army lacks manpower to DoW the Germans early 1940. 8 lousy German controlled INF means the USSR has to gather 32 Garrison points to get the job done. That's simply not possible for the USSR in the early stages of the game. The USSR builds are tanks in the first couple of turns, not the fast appearing INF...

quote:

9.2 How to declare war
All major powers on this side announce which major powers on the other side they are declaring war on this impulse. They then all announce which neutral minor countries they are declaring war on this impulse.

quote:


As for " the French navy on the move to kill the Italian fleet" it's a surprise impulse for France.

quote:

15.1 Surprise effects
Naval units
If a port attack or a naval combat at sea only involves units controlled by major powers declaring war, and the major powers they are declaring war on, the surprised units always get 0 surprise points. The attacking major powers get the normal number (this will increase the number of net surprise points the attacker can spend, if there is any combat).

quote:


"Than you will get the alignment of countries as stated. Now there is a problem with the Italian/German DoW on Greece and the German DoW on Greece. This means a lot of US entry die rolls (not very nice for the axis)."

Italy has a 70% chance of a USA entry chit will be added to the USA entry pool.

Greece is an "Other minor"
Italy has a 30% chance of a USA entry chit will be added to the USA entry pool.
Germany has a 30% chance of a USA entry chit will be added to the USA entry pool.

This is highly acceptable to me.

quote:


7. Italy declares war on CW or France or both (70% chance a USA entry chit will be added to the USA (Ge/It) entry pool)

20. The Axis declares war on: (if Japan declares war place USA entry chit in the USA (Ja) entry pool else place it in the USA (Ge/It) entry pool)
Poland, Spain, Turkey or any American country (1 USA entry chit and a 20% chance of another will be added to the USA entry pool)
Belgium, Finland, Rumania, Sweden or Switzerland (There is a 80% chance of a USA entry chit will be added to the USA entry pool)
Other minor (There is a 30% chance of a USA entry chit will be added to the USA entry pool)

quote:


"German forces need to defend the French-Italian border, since a large part of the Italian forces will be in Albania with the Italian HQ's to reorganise units which flip because the Italians can't afford to spend a lot of time in Greece."

I choose to call out and use the Italian reserves.

quote:


"I assume the Italian has got a DIV on a SCS (no AMPH are available for invasions...) to invade Athens if the Greeks don't setup a unit in Athens."

Why have only 1 division?

quote:


Breaking down
You build divisions in the usual way (see 13.6.5 Building units). Alternatively, you can break down a face-up corps or army that isn’t in an enemy ZOC into divisions at the start of the production step. Each corps or army breaks down into 1 division of the same type and 1 INF or MOT division (your choice). SS corps break down into 1 equivalent SS division and 1 SS or normal INF or MOT division.

quote:

Impulse one: Germany aligns Rumania, Italy moves a SCS with a Div into the Eastern Med (Italy is neutral and neutral countries can only move a single ship as a naval move. So you can move a max of two DIV to threathen Greece) and is, together with the massing of units in Albania, advertising it's intent to attack Greece.

Impulse two: Allied impulse. Naval impulse for CW and France to move some CL into the Italian waters, thus cutting supply to Albania, if the Italians DoW France or the CW.

Impulse three: Italy DoW's France and Greece, Germany DoW's Greece and aligns Bulgaria. CW takes control of the Greeks. Italy takes a land impulse and moves into Greece. An Italian NAV is used to get the Albanian units in supply, using the only Italian air activity allowed. So no all out attack in the surprise impulse on the remaining French fleet in French ports. France loses the CL it moved into Italian waters? It doesn't care. One Bulgarian unit moves into Greece. Two Rumanian units move into Bulgaria. There will not be an attack on Greek units, since the Italian units are either disorganised for movement through the mountians or not in contact with the Greek MTN. This ends the mighty Italian surprise impulse against the French and the Greeks. Didn't I mentioned before that the Italian activities limits are very, very poor?

quote:

If the set up gives you some latitude (e.g. “Europe” or “Burma”), you can set up the unit in any hex you or a co-operating major power controls in that place.

A neutral major power can only set up in hexes it controls.

quote:

You cannot trace a supply path into a sea area that contains:
• an enemy CV, SCS or aircraft unit with an air-to-sea factor;
• unless it also contains a surface naval unit, or aircraft unit with an air-to-sea factor, (SiF option 11: convoy, TRS, or AMPH only) controlled by any major power or minor country at war with that enemy unit.

quote:

22. The CW or France or both declare war on Italy (1 USA entry chit and a 20% chance of another will be removed from the USA (Ge/It) entry pool).
If the CW and France don't declare war on the Italy in the same impulse this done separately for both the CW and France.

quote:

ORIGINAL: Extraneous
(I just don't feel like figuring the subs attack factors).

quote:

ORIGINAL: Extraneous
I now have 3x INF divisions to invade Athens.

I can add 1x LND 3 and 3 points of shore bombardment. This gives me odds of 9 to 1 against the Greek notational (if you didn't leave a unit in Athens).

You get a +1 for the city.

I get a + 18 for having odds of 9 to 1.

Greece suffers a complete conquest. Oh, yes I over stacked when I take Athens and loose 1x INF division (if I don't get a breakthrough).

quote:

ORIGINAL: brian brian

The best amphibious attack the Italians can ever get in 1939 is 6 factors when in range of their land-based air, some of which has good range. They need 4 impulses to assemble such a landing, or be at war with a Major Power. To get to 6 factors in WiF:FE, they have to be invading from a sea zone with an Italian port so a Motorized division could land from a TRS, or invade from a lower box and increase the notional. MWIF will allow them to get 2 infantry divisions instead, increasing their flexibility a little.

In an average game the Allies put all 3 US Entry chits in the European pool to start, and many CW players use them (perhaps unless they are on the high side) to attack Italy on the 1st turn, taking a shot at the Italian TRS while surprised Italian FTR can't intercept. After that heavy French and Royal Navy forces dare the Italians to leave port and fight.

In the Balkans - Italian, Bulgarian, and Rumanian forces can not co-operate and can achieve little in Greece until Germans arrive, more likely in 1940. Rumanians activated in 1939 could not even march to Greece until late summer 1940 at best unless Yugoslavia was somehow involved in the war. Rumanians activated in Jan/Feb 1940 would not make it to a Greek front until the spring of 1940 at best and would add little.

Most German players allow the claim on Bessarabia, unless the Russians are attempting the claim simultaneously with some other scheme elsewhere and don't have much force on the Rumanian border. Some German players like to block the possibility of any claim by attacking Yugoslavia and aligning Rumania on the 2nd Axis impulse. The von Bock HQ, a medium bomber and a few INF can keep Prince Paul bottled up just fine until 1940. Sure, the Allies could land on the Croatian coast. My my my, says the spider to the fly.





I think the best use of early Axis aggression and the resulting USE penalties is to break down the Italian MTN division at start and use the mountain division to land in Algeria on an Italian surprise impulse. This pressures the Allies more directly than a forlorn 1939 Axis campaign in Greece.

quote:


If the weather stays good in SO 1939, Germany should, apart from conquering Poland and Denmark, try to conquer the Netherlands (and if possible next impulse Belgium too...). They need the resources and the hexes on France before winter comes along. Now, if the Axis are really, really lucky with the weather staying nice in the first turn of the game, you might even see the demise of France happening... In one game, I lost France in SO 1939 due to continuing nice weather and the turn refusing to end together with a couple of very nice die rolls for Germany on attacks that turn (attacks which go into the area of: "well, the turn will end soon, so let's take a few low odds attacks while the weather is still nice and soften up the French a little bit"). How I hated the die that first turn as the allies...