Matrix Games

Strategic Command is back, and this time it is bringing you the Great War!

Relive this momentous conflict from the opening shots of 1914 to the final offensives. From the bloody fields of Flanders to the sweeping advances in the east, the fighting in Italy, the Balkans and Middle East, Strategic Command: World War I covers all the main aspects and theaters of the war.

Undermine the enemy’s will to resist through diplomacy and political intrigue while mobilizing your forces and developing new technologies and ways of waging war. From the Tank to the Aeroplane, the Submarine to the Aircraft Carrier, this war witnessed a massive outpouring of new weapons, and all of these are at your disposal to research and deploy.

Using the same upgraded engine as their recent hex-based WWII Grand Strategy games, Strategic Command: World War I allows you to enjoy the challenges faced by commanders on both sides of the 20th century’s first great conflict.

From the High Seas Fleet to Lawrence of Arabia, the Russian Revolution and the Zimmermann Telegram, the war will be won through strategic ingenuity as well as force. Can a German invasion of France capture Paris in a sweeping advance via Belgium? Can a naval blockade defeat the Central Powers? Will Russia succumb to revolution? All these questions and many more are yours to answer.

WWI Features

• This is our first WWI game using hexes.
• France, Italy, Russia, Serbia, the UK and the USA will be facing off against Germany, Austria-Hungary and the Ottoman Empire in our flagship campaign.
• Many other countries will likely enter the war on either side, such as Belgium, Greece, Portugal and Romania. Not forgetting of course the immense contribution of the British Empire to the Entente’s war effort.
• New unit types have been added including ANZACs, Mountain Corps and Ground Attack Aircraft.
• New movement and entrenchment ability that ties into our Dynamic Movement model. This allows players to have more effective assaults into no man's land when it is time to go on the offensive.
• Naval Mines can be laid to protect your sea lanes – or to impede those of your opponent.
• Germany’s use of Unrestricted Naval Warfare has been fully overhauled.
• Reconnaissance Bombers will fulfil their historic role of spotting for the Artillery.

WWI Campaigns

• 1914 Call to Arms
• 1914 Triple Alliance (where Italy joins the Central Powers)
• 1917 Fate of Nations

Improvements since our original WWI game:

• This game features a greatly improved interface and a return to hexes.
• It can be played in four languages: English, French, Spanish or German.
• Friendly Majors can be set to be AI-controlled, and this selection can be adjusted at any time in the game. You can even switch sides should you wish to.
• Games can be played via a PBEM++ Multiplayer server with a Challenge Lobby and seamless in game sending/receiving of turns.
• The war is fought on a 20 mile per hex map of Europe, North Africa, the Middle East and the Atlantic, as seen in our recent WWII: War in Europe release, though with some special modifications suitable for WWI, such as the addition of Ypres and Gallipoli.
• Victory will require developing new military doctrines to improve your commanders’ abilities, the combat effectiveness of your units, and even your ability to deploy new technologies like the Tank and Fighter aircraft.
• You can minimize the Decision box to examine the map and assess the situation prior to responding to any Decisions, and many decisions have additional notes providing their historical context and advice.
• Enhanced Fog of War clearly shows the limits of your units’ spotting range.
• Dynamic Movement allows units that haven't used up all their Action Points to be de-selected and re-selected again later, making planning your moves so much easier.
• Naval Cruise allows you to move your naval units swiftly over longer distances.
• Naval units can only be reinforced in stages, preventing instant repair following significant damage.

Mission Statement
Our aim with the Strategic Command series is to make attractive, playable and historical games. Our goal for this release is to make a WWI game using our improved engine that will provide one of the best strategic level re-creations of early 20th century warfare while also being a whole lot of fun to play.