The Lion's Tail: a new scenario for SPI's Seelowe game / A.McGee 1.0 Introduction This new scenario is set in the period after that with which the standard "Seelowe" game deals. In it the German player attempts to exit his forces from the North edge of the game map and to supply them there while they fight the British Army. The British player attempts, by using partisan units, to hinder the passage of German units from France through rear echelons ("The Lion's Tail") to the North. 2.0 Initial Set-Up The initial set-up represents the position which the campaign is assumed to have reached at the point where the game starts; in short, the Germans are pursuing retreating British units northwards. 2.1 British Player (2.11) At the start of the game the British player has the following regular units: 1x5-3, 2x3-3, 1x3-6, 2x2-5, 1 Air Unit (see also [3.1]). (2.12) The British Player may place his units any where in or to the North of Oxford. (2.13) The British Player deploys before the German Player. 2.2 German Player (2.21) At the start of the game the German Player has the following units in Britain: 12x6-4, 3x3-6, 4x5-6, 1x4-6, 7xAir Units, 7x1-2 Supply. He also has the following units available in France: 4x6-4, 2x5-4, 2x5-6, 2x3-6, 3xAir Units, 6x1-2 Supply. (2.22) German units in Britain may begin the game as far North and as far West as Worcester. (2.23) German units may not begin the game within British zones of control. (2.24) The German Player is allowed two airfields in Britain. These may be located in any clear terrain hexes South of Oxford and are subject to the same rules as British airfields in the standard game. 3.0 Partisans Partisan units play a much more important role in this scenario than in the standard game, providing the British Player's main means of interferring with German supply. 3.1 Appearance of Partisans (3.11) Standard Rule (12.8) is suspended in this scenario, (3.12) The following towns/cities initially have partisan units: London (2), Cambridge, Bristol, Weymouth, plus any city South of London not initially occupied by German forces (1 each). (3.13) If any of theabove towns is initially occupied by German forces, then the partisan units are displaced one hex in a direction chosen by the British Player, (In the case of multi-hex towns all hexes must be German-occupied before this rule comes into effect) (3.14) A town initially occupied by German units but subsequently left unoccupied for two successive German movement phases may acquire a partisan unit. After the second phase of disoccupation, a die is thrown. 5 or 6 means that the town acquires a partisan unit. On the third phase of disoccupation 4,5 or 6 is sufficient, then 3,4,5 or,6, but 1 or 2 never secures a Partisan unit. (3.15) A town initially unoccupied by German units, not being a town covered by (3.12), (3.13) or (3.14), acquires a partisan unit if a German unit approaches within 3 hexes of it, unless it is at that time occupied by a regular British unit. 3.2 Capabilities of Partisans (3.21) Partisan units are always considered to be in supply. (3.22) Partisan units may always refuse combat with attacking German units by withdrawing one hex. However, if a partisan unit is so surrounded that it cannot escape enemy zones of control by retreating one hex, it must give battle. (3.23) Partisan units may attack German Airfields, which have an integral defence strength of one; this strength is added to that of any combat units in the airfield hex. In such attacks Partisan units are affected by Ae, Ar and Br results, the airfield is affected only by a De (though units stacked in the same hex are affected by Ae, Ar, and Br also), Ex results are ignored. 4.0 Supply For units on the map standard game rules apply; extra rules are required for exited units. 4.1 British supply needs (4.11) British units which have exited the North edge of the map are considered to be in supply at all times [see also (3.21) for Partisan supply rules]. 4.2 German Supply Needs (4.21) German combat units must take supply units with them when they exit the North edge of the map [but see (4.25)]. (4.22) Existing combat units must be arranged by the German player in groups of four units. Each group must have its own supply unit. (4.23) One exited German supply unit is automatically eliminated from the game each turn. The British player chooses which unit shall be eliminated the choice being made in the British Player's combat phase. (4.24) Any group of exited combat units which has no attached supply unit at the end of the German player turn is regarded for scoring purposes (see 7.0) as not being present. (4.25) One group of four exited German units may trace its supply to a supply unit situated within 3 hexes of the Northern edge of the map. This unit may not be eliminated by the British Player through the use of (4.23). 5.0 Combat Combat on the map is different only for Partisan units. Combat between exited units is represented by mathematical abstraction. 5.1 Partisan Combat See Module 3.2 5.2 Off-Map Combat (5.21) The representation of this combat takes place in the German combat phase only. (5.22) Once each turn, in the German combat phase, the British player rolls the die. The result is the number of German strength points eliminated. (5.23) The German off-map casualties may be taken only from those units which are at the time exited from the North edge of the map. (5.24) The German loss figure represents the minimum loss which the German Player must sustain; if he has no combination of forces, exactly equal to the loss figure, then he must sustain the lowest figure above it which he can make up from his forces. (5.25) The German player may choose to eliminate unsupplied units but these only count for one half of their face value; e.g. a 6-4 infantry unit, if unsupplied, represents only 3 strength points. 6.0 Reinforcements Since this scenario extends beyond the period covered by the standard game, new reinforcement schedules are necessary. 6.1 British Reinforcements (6.11 ) Standard Rule (12.7) is suspended in this scenario. (6.12) No British regular units are provided beyond those initially available [see (2.11)]. (6.13) New partisan units may come into being in the circumstances described in 3.1 but no city may produce partisan units twice in one game. 6.2 German Reinforcements (6.21) The German player has the following units initially available in France: 4x6-4, 2x5-4, 2x5-6, 2x3-6, 6x1-2 Supply, 3xAir Units (6.22) On Turn 4 the German Player acquires 1 Air Unit in France and on Turn 6 2x3-6 Armour units become available to him there. In addition, 3 new Supply Units arrive in France each turn. (6.23) German units use standard game procedures to travel from France to Britain [weather is determined on the September column - see standard game (12.62)]. In addition, each German airfield in Britain may receive one Supply Unit, provided that the weather permits air operations. 7.0 Victory Conditions This scenario lasts twelve turns, in which time the Germans must attempt to exit significant forces from the North edge of the map and to keep them supplied. 7.1 German Scoring (7.11) At the end of each turn count the combat strength of supplied German units which have exited the North edge of the map. This is the German score for the turn [but see (7.12), (7.13)]. (7.12) If one group of German units is tracing supply to a unit still on the map, as permitted in (4.25), these units score only one half their combat strength for this purpose. (7.13) The combat strengths of supply units them selves do not count for this purpose. 7.2 Victory (7.21) The German points score [see (7.11)] is cumulative. If it reaches 200 the German player has won and the game stops immediately. (7.22) If the game goes twelve turns without the German player reaching 200, then the following table is used to determine the result: German Score Result 175 German substantive victory 125 German conditional victory 100 Drawn game 50 British victory 8.0 Designer's Notes The standard Seelowe game is limited to the early stages of the campaign because, according to SPI, a successful German Lodgement makes the result of the campaign a foregone conclusion. This may be so, but just when the Germans would have won is another question entirely. This scenario assumes that the Germans have broken the back of the British Army and are pursuing retreating British units northwards. However, winter is approaching and the Germans want a quick victory, not relishing the prospect of spending the winter in England (shades of Julius Caesar, perhaps?) and a cheap victory, with the Russian Campaign doubtless in their minds. It is important for the Germans to open the scoring as quickly as possible, so priority must go to moving and protecting supply units; in fact, these units are at the centre of this scenario, for without them the Germans are helpless. Consequently, he must always, weather permitting, use his air transport facility. The German player can afford virtually to ignore British regular units, which cannot do him much harm but vigilance against partisan units is essential. In particular the German player must protect his airfields. For the British player the targets must be the supply units; although any German unit tied down on the map to guard against partisans represents points denied to the Germans, it is destruction of supply units which reaps the richest rewards. The British Player should also take any opportunity to threaten German airfields in Britain. In playing this scenario, it will be necessary to make up extra German supply units and the British Partisan unirs.