1 - Victory Point Games

2 NO RETREAT 3: THE French Front May-JUNE 1940 v2.4Fortifications (hexagon-shaped) orParatroops (round). A unit’s Designationidentifies it based on that formation’shistorical name or that of its commander.Sample Event CardGerman Event on top (green-gray) Card #French Event on bottom (blue)Events withthese symbolscan only beplayed asEvents whenthey are paidfor with anInitiativemarkerInitiative markersThese round markers are veryimportant. They are used to pay forkey actions such as playing certainEvent cards, replacing losses,putting units in Reserve; or, whenallowed, flipping them to theirBlitz!/Shock! sides for Combat.Players receive them at the start of most turnsby discarding Event cards and they areoccasionally awarded by combat results.Initiative markers are the game’s “money.”They represent Supplies, OperationalLeadership, Support Assets (Artillery andAirplanes), Troop Replacements, etc.[3.0] SETTING UP THE GAMEPlace the map between the players. TheGerman player sits along the east edge andthe French player on the west edge. ThePlayer Aid Mat is placed between themalong the north edge. Each player takeshis/her Combat Results Table sheet.Refer to the Scenarios section of this bookfor set up instructions (also see 14.14).[4.0] SEQUENCE OF PLAYHow the Turns Work: Before playersconduct their respective Player Turns, amutual Housekeeping Phase takes place toorganize things. Each Game Turn consists ofa German player Turn followed by a Frenchplayer Turn. During each player’s turn, severalPhases (e.g., Movement and Combat)are conducted in strict sequence. Each Phasemust be completed before the next begins.My Turn; Your Turn: The player who iscurrently conducting his Player Turn iscalled the Phasing Player. His opponent isknown as the Non-Phasing Player.ProcedureNew Game Turn HousekeepingA. Advance the Game Turn Marker: Advancethe Game Turn marker on the Turn Track. Ifthe 12th turn was just completed, or anArmistice was declared, the game ends andthe winner is determined.B. New Game Turn Events Phase: Any Eventlisted on the Game Turn Track for the newGame Turn (i.e., the box the Game Turnmarker was just moved into) is noted and, ifapplicable, implemented at this time (see 13.4for a complete listing and explanations).C. New Game Turn Victory PhaseAutomatic Victory is checked (12.2 & 12.3).Sudden Death/Operational Collapse (12.1)and Plan Scoring (12.7.1) are also checked onturns denoted by a Death’s Head (T) symbol.German player Turn1. Card Phase: The Phasing player must discarddown to two (2) cards and then usually drawsfour (4) more cards (see 5.2).2. Supply Check Phase: Place Unsuppliedmarkers on both sides’ units that cannot tracea valid Supply Line at this time.3. Organization Phase: The Phasing playertakes this turn’s allotted Initiative markers,takes Reinforcements, Replacements andEvacuates Units. Both players can also buymore Initiative markers by discarding cards or(Phasing player only) convert them toBlitz!/Shock! markers.4. Movement Phase: The Phasing player canmove his units on the map, including movingone (only) off the map to the Reserve Box.5. Combat Phase: All Voluntary, and then allInvoluntary, Battles are Declared and Resolvedas per the Battle Sequence in any order thePhasing player desires.6. Marker / Unit Removal Phase: Some unitsand markers are removed from the map.7. Mutual Reserve Phase: The Phasing playermay put his unit(s) in the Reserve box back onthe map; then the Non-Phasing player may dothe same with his unit(s) in the Reserve box.French player TurnThe French player becomes the “Phasing Player”and repeats the above seven Phases, in order,that the German player just completed.Exception: The French player declares mostVoluntary Battles during the Organization Phase(see the Player Aid Sheets for the sequencing).[5.0] THE CARDSGeneral RuleYou draw cards, one at a time, from theDraw Pile during your Card Phase. TheDraw Pile is reshuffled when there is onecard left in it (that card is not drawn!) or asinstructed by the play of certain Events.Systems Development by Alan EmrichCards generate game events or are resourcesdiscarded for more Initiative markers. Aftertheir use, cards are placed, face-up, in aDiscard Pile next to the Draw Pile.Note, the 10 Plan cards are not in the regulardeck, and drawn differently (see 12.7).Appropriate TimingEvent cards are played when theircorresponding actions are performed duringthe Sequence of Play (4.0).For Example: You can only play a card that givesyou a free unit upgrade during your ownOrganization Phase, not during your opponent’sCombat Phase.Card play is sequential. That is, cards areresolved in the order that they were playedunless their effects conflict, in which casethe card played last takes precedence.If both players play a card at the same time,the player whose Player Turn it is decidestheir play order; either his own card first, orhis opponent’s.Once is EnoughBecause cards are retrievable from the DiscardPile and thus reusable, this Rule applies:The exact same-named Event cannot occurtwice during a single Player Turn.Cases[5.1] Discard Step: The Card Phase beginsby discarding. You can retain only two (2)cards in your hand before drawing at the startof your turn, so you must discard any excesscards in your hand at this time.[5.2] Draw Step: After discarding (ifnecessary) during the Discard Step (see 5.1),you usually draw four (4) cards from theDraw Pile and add them to your hand. Thefollowing conditions can affect the Frenchplayer’s per turn Draw Rate (DR):-1 French card if the German playercontrols the 3 Ports.-1 French card if a German unit occupiesany number of Paris hexes.+1 French card if the Anglo-FrenchUnion! event is in effect (14.13.2).[5.3] Events: The cards have text in boxes.The Green boxes are Events playable onlyby the German player, while the Blue boxesare Events playable only by the Frenchplayer. Thus, the effect of each card isdifferent depending upon who has it in hishand. Once played, cards are discarded.[5.3.1] Event Effects: Events describetheir exact timing and use on the cardsthemselves. When not specified, you canperform that Event any time.[5.3.2] Event Precedence: When there isa conflict between Event text and theRules, the Event text takes precedence.