World in Flames (5th Edition) - After Action Report - Part 1

Paul was right - this quiz answer was a strategic level WW2 game.

Australians Create Great Games Too

After finishing Crimea, I thought of other games I had which had great counters too. This one came to mind that I bought ages ago - World in Flames - about 1995 I think. I don't recall why now, because WW2 is not my period, but I did play it solitaire a bit at the time (as I had lost track of my wargaming friends by that time). I really like the plane counters that they provide that show the different types available.

Clockwise from the top left are air-air strength, naval attack, strategic bombardment and ground attack. The circled number is the range. (The arrow for the French bomber means that it can double its range if it halves its strengths.)

This game has a number of nice touches.

• When you purchase a unit, you draw it out of a cup, so do not know if it will be a hero or a goat.
• Your high command has to decide whether to focus on navy, land or a combination. This requires compromise.
• After each attack, land units are flipped over unless they achieve a break through. However, a general can flip them back (just once per turn) into active mode so they can exploit situations.
• Very different naval, land and air combat systems

Best of all - it was designed by the "Australian Design Group". They are not as prolific as John Michael Young, but they have a few winners

September 1939

Germany has just declared war on Poland and Britain and France have declared war on Germany. The Soviet Union has agreed to the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact. (Click the map to expand.)

 

Germany had the first impulse and launches an land impulse. It attacks towards Lodz and infiltrates elsewhere. The  German Airforce supports the panzers while the Polish airforce does its best.

The French and British respond with a daylight strategic bombing of the German factories.

The results are mixed - the British bombers are mauled, but the French get through to their target and remove a production point from the Germans. Using the Maginot Line as a base, the French attack Saarbrucken and shatter the German position there.

The Germans, unfazed, enter Warsaw and Poland surrenders. Before they do, the Poles launch some desperation attacks and destroy some of the attacking formations. The French attack again towards Cologne, but some unstuck and take heavy casualties. 

The turn ends surprisingly early as a heavy winter comes early. (Global CO2 concentrations had little impact on the weather 80 years ago!) The toll has been high.

At the end of the turn, your production plans for the next turn are laid out. The Germans go for boots on the ground, the British for their navy and the rest a bit of mix. These are placed on a chart that shows when they arrive.

Despite the onset of winter, the Fuehrer demands the recapture of Saarbruken. The Germans throw 6 corps at it and their Stukas. The French are smashed and the remaining forces return to the Maginot line. They retaliate with another strategic bombardment, this time at night. The fighters duel for the sky, so the bombers have to abort.

The campaign season comes to a close with nothing further than the Soviets quietly taking the Baltic States. Everyone is too busy to complain!

Winter 1939-1940

By the roll of the die, a very severe weather takes place - so heavy than in January no air operations are permitted. All that happens for the next few turns is rebuilding armies and upgrading airforces. The French, British and Germans need more pilots. The Italians and Russians follow suit because it seems like a good idea.

And ditto the next month

The winter continued into March/April and the high command convinced the Fuehrer to wait.

Finally in May the weather cleared. Germany promptly declared war on Belgium and the Netherlands

 

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Crimea - Part 1 - Battle of Alma

Comments

[PythonMagus]

I saw that as i researched the blog article. The $129 price tag was a bit scary. I can buy Yeoman for that. I also note there is a new edition since my purchase. I might have to acquire that.

There is a pacific map in this edition too, and definitely room on the pinpong table, but not enough hours in the day to fight a war in Poland and China at the same time.

[Paul]

There is a computer version of this game, which also includes the Pacific theatre, produced by Matrix Games: http://www.matrixgames.com/products/296/details/World.In.Flames