Best posts made by jim010

This section of the forum is dedicated to the game World War II on the Western Front. Please feel free to ask questions about the game, and share strategies.

This is a boxed game with mounted folding map. Rulebook and charts are printed on high quality glossy paper.

This game is available through Combat Miniatures:
https://combatminiatures.org/collections/historical-board-games/products/world-war-ii-on-the-western-front

Go here for an unboxing video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9zovJIIEcCs&t=563s

It is a game of the lightening fast Blitzkrieg that shattered France in 1940, to the massive Allied push from the beaches of Normandy in 1944, the Western Front was a battlefield of strategy, sacrifice, and high stakes.

Take command of German or Allied forces in this dynamic, turn based strategy game where every choice influences the outcome of the war. Can Germany shatter the Allies in France and threaten the United Kingdom itself in 1940? In 1944, will the Allies break out from the beaches and start their relentless drive across France and into the German heartland? High stakes require bold decisions!

Outwit your enemies, manage your resources, and rewrite the story of the West in the ultimate World War II showdown!

Even though this game comes with its own rules, game mechanics and map, consider this to be an unofficial expansion to Axis & Allies 1940: Europe, as you will need the pieces from that game to play.

The game includes rules for terrain, such as forests, mountains, rivers, wetlands, and beaches. Game mechanics allow for rapid exploitation and reinforcement. The optional event cards add unpredictable events, such as storms, civil unrest, and political interference.

Two scenarios are included in the game:

The Battle of France, May 10th, 1940. The Germans are about to launch their long awaited invasion of France and the Low Countries. The French, British and Belgian armies are positioned north of an expected German attack, but the Germans have their forces ready to smash through the Ardennes forest. As the Allied player, you will need to quickly reposition your forces to blunt the German attacks, and maybe even push them back to Germany. As the German player, you have the initial advantage of the Allies being in the wrong place, but you will need to be fast to reach Paris before the Allies regroup.

D-Day to the Rhine, June 6th, 1944. The Allies land in France. Will the Germans contain the Allied breakout, or are the Germans better to defend behind the Siegfried Line? As the Allies, you will enjoy numerical superiority in planes, tanks, and men. But as you drive deeper into France and then into Germany, you will find that keeping your armies supplied is a real challenge. The German player will need to either contain the Allies, or at least slow the Allied breakout and advance to keep them out of Germany. Taking advantage of the long Allied supply lines and bad weather will be crucial …

What is included? The components found in the base set are:

• 1 18x27 mounted folding game map
• 1 colour illustrated rulebook
• 1 double sided battleboard
• 4 double sided set-up charts & player’s aid
• 30 event cards for The Battle of France
• 30 event cards for D-Day to the Rhine
• 3 Off Board Cards

In the deluxe set, the following is also included:

• storage pouches
• Control markers for France, Germany, UK, US, and the neutral countries in the game
• Fortress markers
• Beachhead markers
• Supply markers
• Strategic Damage markers
• Entrenched markers
• Mulberry Harbour marker
• Airfield markers
• tokens for trucks, air transports, and airborne
• 6 Dice

Lol. This was way bigger than just the 6th army! Thing is, if he was paying attention, he could have prevented me from cutting him off. All he needed to do was reinforce just one of the spaces I had to attack, and that would have done it.

Regardless, he wasn’t winning anyway.

@erinmores unless you live in Alberta, that would be hard.

Some action shots of the 1940 scenario:

Well, managed to cut off the Chinese on the coast. Don’t think he’ll be able to supply them, so sayonara!

No battles. I changed the bids, but rather than edit, I just did it over.

Action shots of the 1944 scenario:

So the Chinese counterattacked to free the units in the coast and succeeded. Small victory, though. I have air power, and they don’t. But they have consolidated their infantry into several armies (this game, like World War II in Europe, has stack limits so can’t put everything into one space like Axis & Allies).

I need to back off now and think about how I am going to hit all the islands and kill as many western units as possible. Will need to pull some planes and ground units from China.

This was the official way of bidding in the league many moons ago. But I suppose I’ll have to get used to the new bidding rules. I definitely understand why teh bids are so high with the unit placement limits.

@FranceNeedsMorePower
It is its own game, with its own rule set and game mechanics. But the base set does not include:

• control markers
• miniatures and chips
• supply tokens
• fortresses
• entrenched markers
• damage markers
• air bases

You will need Axis & Allies 1940: Europe for most of the miniatures and markers. If you have Battle of the Bulge, then you have the trucks and supply tokens. If you have D-Day, you will have the fortress markers.

There is a deluxe set that has everything except the miniatures and chips, however. But since it relies on the player already owning Axis & Allies games, I have to call it an ‘expansion’. But considering that this is aimed at Axis & Allies players, I don’t think this is a problem.

Q.
Well this FAQ has certainly been helpful. Hopefuly we can have something written out by Friday? (at least the major issues)

A.
There will not be anything “official” by Friday, as we like to wait a while before publishing an official FAQ to see what issues pop up.  However, I will summarize the three errors in the Rulebook and the half dozen clarifications that I’ve made so far by then.

Q.
Has Krieg answered if battleships can repair at friendly ports? (not just their own)

A.
Yes, they can.  This is one of the errors I mentioned above - battleships can be repaired at any friendly naval base that is capable of mobilizing sea units.  The other two errors are that the US can’t move units into neutral territories while it is neutral, and you must have been in control of a naval base at the beginning of your turn in order to mobilize sea units from it.
Note that control of a naval base is not the same as control of the territory that it’s in.  You control a naval base if you either control the territory it’s in or that territory is one of your original territories and it’s contested.

Q.
This came up last night: Italy (on the same turn) took control of Trieste (by an unopposed land movement from Albania) and sailed a fleet into SZ 18.
Does Austria roll for mines against the Italian ships? My presumption is yes, since Trieste is Austrian controlled at the start of the Italian turn.
That is, all combat is considered simultaneous.

A.
Yes.  Italy doesn’t gain control of the territory until the Conduct Combat phase.

Q.
To what extent does a fleet have to declare its intentions for a 2 space move?
I assume that a fleet sailing into enemy SZs can, if it hits mines in the first, decide not to continue to a 2nd even if it originally intended to.
But what if it intended to amphibiously assault after the 2nd move; is it still legal to call off the attack?
Example: Russian fleet sailing from Petrograd intending to AA Kiel but suffering from mines in SZ 11.

A.
Mines are rolled for after ship movement is completed, so you can’t stop moving if you hit a mine in the first sea zone.  You can, however, call off an amphibious assault.

Q.
Are contested sea zones treated exactly as per contested land areas for movement purposes?

A.
There is no such thing as a contested sea zone.  Sea zones are either friendly or hostile, depending on the presence of enemy surface warships.

Q.
I guess to summarize, does control default to the original owner regardless of how the territory became contested?

A.
Yes.

Q.
OK, wrong terminology; what I meant was can a fleet sharing SZ1 with an enemy fleet sail away and attack an enemy fleet in SZ2 ignoring the enemy in SZ1?

A.
Yes.

Q.
Sorry if this has been asked already. I have some questions about amphibs asssults, air support and the order.
In an amphib does the defenders first strike art shot (kill shot) happen before the dog fight, or after the dog fight?
Sorry if there is more in the rule book about this, I very well may have missed it. What I’ve read about def first strike art don’t mention air support (just says fire a kill shot at 3 or less). Plus and an attacking ftr offloading from a transport could be lost to def first strike art fire so there might not be a dog fight (from this thread?). I’m amusing the first strike art shot is done before the dog fight (and that’s what I used below), of course if the dog fight was done first, them wouldn’t it upgrade you def art for a kill shot @ 4 or less? (I’m so confused).

So you would do

1. Navy battle (if applicable).
2. Bombardment (if applicable).
3. Off load attackers units from transport
4. Defenders first strike art shot @ 3 or less (kill shot) if def has art.
5. Remove attackers causalities from units transported by sea from #4 , and they don’t get to return fire (an attacking inf participating from adjacent land territory would suffice for “must have inf last man standing”)
6. Dog fight to the death (if both sides have ftrs) determine air superiority.
7. Fight remaining land battle as normal (upgrading art if one side gains air support)

If the above order is wrong please set me straight

A.
The pre-emptive artillery strike is simply inserted before the land battle for assaults only (not reinforcements).  It is not affected by air superiority.  Any and all offloading units are subject to being hit, and are removed immediately.  The land battle ensues normally, with the exception of possible battleship bombardment being included (assaults only).  See page 22 of the Rulebook.

The order of events is:

1. Sea battle
2. Offload units
3. Pre-emptive artillery strike
4. Land battle (including battleship bombardment, if any)

Q.
In an amphib (sea battle was won by attacker, or nonexistent) if attacker has a ftr on a transport it does it participate in the dog fight as if it flew over right (subject to defending first strike art from above).

A.
Yes.  Remember, we’re talking about battles that last weeks, if not months.  Amphibious air units (like tanks) are being unloaded in crates from transports and brought ashore.  During this process, they can be hit by the pre-emptive artillery strike.  After they are ashore (assuming they make it), they are prepared for fighting and may participate in the land battle.

So cut off those units in southern China and this time they died. It is hard not to go on the offensive in China with Japan, but I always make that mistake. Should be gearing up for the Pacific, not conductng full scale operations in China when I can’t replace lost men at this stage. Now I’m weak in northern China.

@barnee said in Introduction to World War II on the Western Front:

@FranceNeedsMorePower

“just an expansion” ??? C’mon now. It’s much more than that :)

A hundred bucks doesn’t go as far as it used to. Save 10 a month and you’ll be there in no time :) Or maybe you’ll get a Christmas present :)

Unfortunately no, 100 doesn’t go that far anymore …

US and ANZAC and UK are still neutral. Once at war, they can set up those convoys if he wishes. Upto $20 can be lent or received by any nation.

Hope you had a chance to go over the rules?

@barnee Hi Barnee! I did not do ‘Over the Top’. I am not familiar with that game, sorry.

The Communists are advancing in the north. I can’t afford to invest anything up there yet. I am just about ready to declare war and advance in the Pacific.

It is the end of fall1941. Next turn is winter 1941. I am going to attack a turn early.

@tmartin Message me

I’m attacking!

@FranceNeedsMorePower You can message me for details on the deluxe set.

I attacked. Went well. But a few more things I need to take. The subs from Darwin hurt my Philipines and Brunei convoys.

US needs to build transports to get his convoys to ANZAC going.

Chinese armies are getting big. And the Communists are a big threat. I need to bring my attention back to China.