Optional Rules for TGWiE by Designer Ted S. Racier The following rules are optional, and their use or omission should be agreed on by players before each match. They add more historic detail at the cost of an increase in complexity. They may be used separately or altogether. 20.0 Optional Rules 20.1 Russian Shell Shortages. The Russian shell shortage of mid-1915 is represented in the main body of rules by delaying the entry of several Russian headquarters. Under this rule the Russians suffer an additional penalty. No Russian headquarters may be flipped to its artillery support side on Strategic Turns B, C and D. In addition, the Russian GD headquarters, once used on attack (not defense), may never be flipped back to its artillery support side. This represents the limited number of truly elite troops available in the Guard Army. 20.2 Polish Restoration. The promise of Polish independence was used by both the Central Powers and the Allies to try to gain military advantage, but in the event neither side proved willing to pay the real political cost of fully playing the Polish card. The following allows players to experiment with the Polish option. Only one player may play the Polish card. The Allies (of for team play, the Russian) may exercise this option, by declaring the restoration of Poland, at the end of any Resource Phase he controls both Lodz and Warsaw. For the Allied side such a declaration has the following effects: 1) plus-one (+1) is added to the Fall of the Czar die roll on all subsequent Russian Revolution Phases (and Warsaw and Lodz still count as "Russian" cities for that die roll); 2) on all subsequent Resource Phases the Allies receive two additional "at large" RPs that may be spent by Britain, France, Italy and/or Russia. These RPs are never lost, no matter what the fate of Polish territory on the map. The Central Powers player may declare the restoration of Poland at the end of any Resource Phase he controls both Lodz and Warsaw. Such a declaration has the following effects: 1) Warsaw and Lodz are no longer considered Central Powers victory hexes for the remainder of the game; 2) the Allied Polish Legion and Polish Volunteer units never enter the game (any already in stay in); 3) the Central Powers player gains two German and two Austro-Hungarian RPs per subsequent Resource Phase as long as he controls both Lodz and Warsaw. (If Austria-Hungary collapses, those two bonus RPs are lost.) Only one Polish restoration declaration may be made per game, based solely on which player declares its first (if at all). Once declared, Polish restoration cannot be retracted. 20.3 First Use of Gas. The first player to use any form of gas may suffer as a result of adverse world public opinion. Roll one die at the time of the first use (by either player). If the first use was made by the Allies, on a roll of six the Central Powers gain one victory point. If the first use was made by the Central Powers, on a roll of six the Central Powers lose one victory point. Results of one through five are always no effect. 20.4 Bribing Italy. Italy entered the war out of a desire to acquire Trent and Trieste. The Germans tried to convince Vienna to give up those Italian-populated areas in order to keep Italy neutral, but the Austro-Hungarian offer came too late. With this option the Central Powers player may delay the placement of the Italian Entry Chit into the chit pool at a cost in victory points. At the start of Strategic Turn C (only!), the Central Powers player must announce if he'll make the bribe and, if so, the size of the bribe. At a cost of two Central Powers victory points, the Italian Entry Chit will instead enter the chit pool on Strategic Turn G; for three VPs it enters on Turn K; at a cost of four VP the chit is delayed until Turn O. The chit's entry into the pool may never be delayed past Turn O. (If the bribe is made, no territorial adjustments are actually made on the map. The idea is, the effort is expended to get "serious" talks underway that succeed in delaying Italian political progress toward entry on the Allied side.) 20.5 Scheffer-Boyadel. Only once during the war, at Lodz in late 1914, did any sizeable body of troops survive encirclement. The German 25th Reserve Corps, commanded by Gen. Scheffer-Boyadel, broke out of a Russian trap, destroying the 6th Siberian Division in the process. This rule allows players to recreate that exceptional event. Once per game during any attrition phase, the Central Powers player may choose any one OOS German (only!) stack of up to four divisions (any excess present in the hex would remain OOS) on the east map outside the Balkans, declaring it to be commanded by Gen. Scheffer-Boyadel. The stack is considered in supply for that attrition phase and the immediately following combat phase. If it is still OOS in the next Attrition Phase it is eliminated.