Historical Paths of Glory Version 2c Paths of Glory and Original Historical Paths of Glory Scenario by Ted Racier Historical Scenario Version 2c by C Schwalm Despite the fact that PoG is not an historical simulation per se I think the Historical PoG scenario has potential. However, as it currently stands, there is still too little incentive to leave Italy be. Also war status can be manipulated, particularly by the CP Player, such that forcing Russia from the war or bringing in the Yanks is near impossible and pursing either strategy leaves a deck with a OPS average of less than 3. One should note that US Entry and Russian Capitulation give rise to a zero-sum game. Both sides essentially forfeit 2 VP if the Yanks and Reds do not show under Historical PoG as it stands. In the end, why bother? And why decease your OPS average so miserably? In any event I've done some tinkering and have come up with the following that I think is a bit better than Historical PoG as it now stands, is balanced without requiring adherence to an unwritten rule (read: "We'll act historically") and requires no suboptimal play from a strategic perspective. Incentives have been switched with the idea of making history more attractive but with some room for variation within a much smaller band than the campaign game. All standard campaign game rules apply unless specifically altered below. General: Set-up using the complete optional set-up (see 4.2.4). The CP Player must open with Guns of August as an Event. Germany and France have Mandatory Offensives on Turn 1. Entrench may not be played as an Event on Turn 1. Use the optional 8 card-hand (without the expansion cards). The 3 German "trench busters" require at least one German army. If an AH(IT) MO is rolled and possible the Central Powers Player rolls a second die. If the result is even the AH(IT) MO stands. If the result is odd the AH(IT) MO "slides" to an AH MO. The Central Powers Player may, before drawing cards for the first game turn of Total War, choose to automatically draw HLTC as part of his hand. Romanian corps can not leave or attack out of Romania; Turkish units may not leave or attack out of the NE; Belgian units may not leave, BUT may attack out of, Belgium (including Calais, Cambrai, and Sedan). Units forced to do so (e.g. via retreat) are placed in the Eliminated Box. All cards advancing the U.S. Commitment Track marker (including 14 Points) as well as Landships, the 3 German "trench busters" and von Hutier may double as OPS when played as Events. Western Front (WF): The WF consists of France, Belgium, Metz and Strassbourg. Every even numbered turn until (but not including) the turn which HLTC is played as an Event the Central Powers Player must tally the amount of VP spaces he controls in the WF. If the total is less then the tabled value (see below), that difference is permanently subtracted from the current VP total. Turn VPs 2 3 4 4 6 6 8 7 10 5 12+ 3 Note: This concept comes directly from BtB and has been retro-fitted to force activity on the WF. Italy: General- ALL Italian units setup at full strength. Italian replacements may be spent regardless of the control status of Rome. Italian units may not attack Austrian units UNTIL (i) an IT MO is rolled, or (ii) Italy is attacked by Austria-Hungary, or (iii) Austrian unit(s) are INSIDE Italy. Movement and SR Restrictions- Only Austrian and Italian units may operate in Italy (move, attack, or advance into any space in Italy). No German units may end their movement (OPS or SR) in Trent, Villach or Trieste. Similarly, no French, American and British units may move, attack or SR into or in Italy. These restrictions are permanently lifted, effective next card play, as soon as (i) the game turn is 16 or higher, and (ii) HLTC has been played as an Event, and (iii) at least one VP space in Italy is CP controlled. After the movement and SR restrictions have been lifted the Allied Player may never have more than two British, French, and/or American armies in Italy. Similarly, the Central Powers Player may never have more than two German armies in Italy. Corps are not subject to any restrictions but only German, French, British, American, Austro-Hungarian and Italian corps may ever enter Italy. Central Powers' VPs in Italy- If at any time the Central Powers control 4 VPs in Italy and/or capture Rome the following immediately and permanently occur: The Allied Player, prior to the next Allied Player's card play, may place one British or French army (excluding NE armies) from anywhere on the main map to a supplied space in Italy. If the relevant card play is an OPS the so placed army may be immediately activated. If the Allied Player moves an army to Italy under this rule subtract 1 VP. Note: the army so placed does not count toward the limit of 2 non-Italian armies. British, French and Italian units are treated as one nationality for activation (i.e. movement and combat -including flanking) INSIDE Italy only. Also, British and French units may be SR to a space containing only Italian units INSIDE Italy. Note: only Italian units can satisfy an IT MO. Italian units stacked with British and/or French units OUTSIDE of Italy are treated as one nationality for activation purposes. Example: To activate a stack of one Italian corps and 2 French armies in Nevers the Allied Player must spend only one OPS; to activate a stack of 1 British corps, 1 Italian corps and 1 French army in Dijon the Allied Player must spend 2 OPS. In effect, Italy does not count as a nation but is subsumed into the command structure as dictated by the units stacked with Italian troops. Conquering Italy- Italy is considered conquered if ALL Italian VP spaces are CP controlled and/or there are no supplied Italian units INSIDE Italy proper. If Italy is conquered the following immediately occurs: ALL Italian units are permanently removed from game. Italian RPs may no longer be accumulated or spent. Starting the next game turn, Italian Mandatory Offensives are ignored. In this case, the Allied Player continues to roll for a Mandatory Offensive until a '4' or '5' is not rolled. If the Italian 5th Army Event has not been played the card is removed from the game. The stacking advantages for the Allied Player INSIDE and OUTSIDE of Italy (see above) cease to exist. Once lost the stacking advantages can not be regained, even for Allied units liberating Italy. Note: The conquered status of Italy can never be undone (i.e. Italian units never re-enter the game) although the Allied Player may attempt to push the Central Powers out of Italy to recapture VPs. Russian Capitulation Track (RCT): General- All cards that move the RCT marker may double as OPS when played as Events. When an Event moves the RCT marker forward (i) no RPs for Russia may be spent or accumulated, and (ii) purely German stacks within Russia receive a +1 drm in combat during that game turn ONLY. When determining if the Fall of the Tsar Event can be played each Central Powers controlled city in Russia counts as 2 toward the total of 33. Additional Effects- If the RCT marker is in the Tsar Takes Command Box (or further along the RCT track) a -1 penalty for Russia is assessed to each replacement card played by the Allied Player. If the RCT marker is in the Fall of the Tsar Box (or further along the RCT track), then the Central Powers Player may reduce (flip) up to 2 Russian armies or 4 corps or any combination thereof (assuming 1 army = 2 corps) on both maps after drawing strategy cards and before his first card play. Already flipped armies and corps are placed in the Eliminated Box. No unit may be flipped twice (read: eliminated) during a single game turn. Also, if the CAU Event has not been played the card is removed from the game. The Allied Player may no longer play Russian reinforcements after the Fall of the Tsar Event. Turkey: All Turkish units, in Turkey ONLY, are always in supply and can receive replacements irrespective of Constantinople's control status. After the Fall of the Tsar Event Turkish units in the Russian NE are similarly in supply. Turkish units may also SR regardless of Constantinople's control status. Only 1 German corps is allowed on the NE map at any time. Placing a German corps in the NE requires an LoC from either Essen or Breslau to Constantinople, all three of which must be Central Power controlled. The German corps is placed via SR from the Reserve Box only and can be placed anywhere in where it is in supply. No Bulgarian or Austro-Hungarian units are ever allowed in Turkey at any time. If forced to enter Turkey such units are placed in the Eliminated Box. The Allied Player can not move (SR and OPS) nor play RPs for any units on the NE map until Turkey enters the war. The MEF army requires 2 OPS to activate when tracing supply through the MEF beachhead. When activating the space containing the Russian CAU army the Allied Player must pay an additional OPS for combat ONLY.