general - View From The Trenches

Have you grown tired of the complexities of
THIRD REICH with its endless questions? Have
trouble devoting a day to its play, or lining up five
fairly competent folk to play it? Maybe the colorless
map and oodles of counters put you off. Now
comes liberation from this demon that demands so
much ofour bodies and souls. HITlER'S WAR spells
relief.
The latest edition of HITLER'S WAR is a revision
of a game of the same name first published by
the now-defunct Metagaming in 1981. This new version
contains superior components, a mounted map,
and a much cleaned-up design. The sequence ofplay
has been changed (with strategic warfare now following,
rather than proceeding movement and combat).
Rules for strategic submarine warfare have
been drastically altered (about which more in due
course). Naval warfare has been refined. and greatly
expanded. The player aid charts are significantly
improved, as are the research and development
rules. The physical improvements alone make The
Avalon Hill Game Company's edition worth the
price.
The Game
HITLER'S WAR is a grand strategic simulation
of the Second World War, European Theater of
Operations. The board is small, 16" x 22 ", and the
actual playing area only about 13"x 16". The very
colorful map covers Europe and the Middle East
from the Atlantic Ocean to the Ural Mountains, from
northern Scandanavia to North Africa. Each hex
represents an area about 80 miles across. Do not
be put off by the scale; it is only four hexes from
Normandy to Berlin, and seven from Moscow to
Berlin, but the system makes each of these hexes
critical and the battles raging over them exciting.
Also on the mapboard are the Production Points,
A WESTERNER'S VIEW
German Strategy for HITLER'S WAR
By Michael Palmer
the total of which held by each player gives him
his base of construction (in much the same manner
as the BRPs of THIRD REICH, but with more
realism). And all important sea routes to the rest
ofthe world (the important parts of which depicted
by colored boxes) are shown. On the map, a nice
touch from some recent games, are all the tables
you'll need in the play.
Land counters represent Army and Army Group
headquarters to which the players-Axis, Allied,
and Soviet-can assign infantry, mechanized, tactical
air, paratroop, and amphibious points. Under
the optional rules, these headquarters may be
assigned leaders as well. Individual charts (one each
for the Western Allies, Axis and Soviet players)
track the actual strength of the Armies/Army
Groups. Obviously, some of the counters on the
board will be built up, others only "paper tigers".
An element of''fog of war" enters play. There are
also naval and strategic warfare markers representing
capital ships and carriers, submarines, antisubmarine
warfare units, strategic bombers, escorts,
interceptors, and surface-to-surface missiles. All
players have the potential to build an atomic bomb.
The possibilities and options are endless. Each turn
represents four months. A complete campaign game
consists of eighteen turns.
The combat systems are unique. Armies may
move only within controlled areas. Once at the
"front", they may be launched into enemy territory.
All initial attacks are declared, the units may
either simply assault-killing enemy combat points
in on-board Army/Army Group counters-or
advance entailing no casualties but capturing territory
and making it "friendly". Each unit may
assault only once per turn, but may advance as long
as it continues to roll the die well. Unfortunately,
a consequence ofthe advance devastates any produc-
5
tion points in that hex. (But these can be repaired;
it just costs a bit.) Special rules handle mountain,
invasion, winter and "Off-Map" (those important
other areas ofthe world mentioned above) combat.
There are many subtle methods and strategies to all
this, which I'm certain will be explored in detail
in later articles. Suffice to say, that the combat
system is intriguing enough to warrant extended
study and is much superior to the traditional system
found in THIRD REICH.
As but a single example of this study, consider
the following. In an advance, the mechanized points
of the Army/Army Group are compared to all the
combat points in the opposing army (or the inherent
garrison if unoccupied). The difference between the
two is the range of die rolls needed to succeed. If
the number rolled is within the range, the attacking
Army/Army Group advances into the enemy hex
and the defending Army/Army Group is forced to
retreat into an adjacent friendly hex. (It is possible
for a force containing no mechanized points to attempt
an advance, but only against either unoccupied
or ungarrisoned enemy hexes.) A successful advancing
Army may continue its drive by attempting an
advance against the next enemy hex, but its chance
of doing so is reduced. The attacker must add one
to its die roll for each hex it has already advanced
that turn.
It would seem that one wants to maintain large
purely-mechanized armies, right? Wrong! Any
Army with armor will certainly drive far, but will
let the enemy player in his following turn assault
(a much bloodier proposition for the defender) and
simply wear away the armored force. Since
mechanized points are considerably more expensive
than infantry, the morale is obvious. And, if the
mechanized behemoth has advanced too far unsupported,
the enemy may simply cut its supply line