FIXING THE SNAKE - FINAL DEVELOPMENT OF EXPANDED COBRA by Randy Heller Issue number 65 of "Strategy & Tactics" magazine contained the game, COBRA Patton's Summer Offensive in France, based on the PANZERGRUPPE GUDERIAN game system. COBRA proved to be one of the best magazine games published and is referenced by many gamers, today, as being one of their alltime favorites. In 1985 TSR brought us the New Expanded Edition of COBRA to include the original Allied landings and subsequent breakout from the Normandy Peninsula. Unfortunately, the expanded version of the game proved to be an unmitigated disaster. The German player was so blatantly handicapped by ahistorical rules which limited German tactical initiative, that an Allied breakout was virtually guaranteed by game turn four. With German units frozen in place, unable to retreat, and a liberal deployment of Allied Paratroops and Commandos, the unlucky German player was relegated to sitting back and watching as his opponent easily broke the Orne River Line and "walked through" the Caumont Gap. In concept, Expanded COBRA was an excellent idea. use the existing game to develop a new edition encompassing the initial Allied Invasion. However, without proper development and adequate playtesting, any design is doomed to failure. This lesson in gaming futility leads us to the following maxim. Never trust any game in which one of only four playtesters is the designer's wife! My goal in developing Expanded COBRA was to provide a playable, balanced contest within the parameters of the game's original rules and historical plausibility. Foremost was the need to allow the German player to respond to the Invasion without being handcuffed by artificial rules. once play balance was restored by returning tactical initiative to the German player, I felt compelled to look at the game more closely as a simulation. Referencing Avalon Hill's THE LONGEST DAY revealed two important factors not addressed in Expanded COBRA. The Third Sturm - Flak Korps was missing from the German Order of Battle. These units represent 41 desperately needed combat factors that were originally decisive in providing the Germans with a semblance of a cohesive defense during the initial critical days. Further reading strongly suggested that the German player was entitled to a minimal rail capacity during the first few game turns, exclusive of game turn one. This is a reflection of the fact that the Allies were not successful in entirely shutting down the German rail system in France until June 18th. Both of these deficiencies have been corrected in my Expanded COBRA Rules. Tactical Hints - As the German Player, forget Cherbourg! Set your charges and head for the Bolleville/Carentan defense line, perhaps leaving one unit behind to "pull the switch." If the Allies break the Orne River defense line within the first few game turns, it's curtains for the Germans. The area NE of Caen between the Orne and Dives Rivers must be promptly cleared of Allied units. This can fairly readily be accomplished utilizing Lehr and 12SS Panzer Divisions. Once the Orne River defense line is established, usually by the end of game turn three, a panzer division should be shuttled to the vicinity of the infamous Caumont Gap. The 17SS Panzer Grenadier Division will best be served in the vicinity of St. Lo, as it was historically. Acknowledgements - Development of Heller's Expanded COBRA Rules spanned a three year time period. Rules were added and deleted in a stepwise fashion to allow for adequate playtesting. Two names come to mind, Mark Simonitch, who assisted in design and development, and Tom Scharwark, who proved to be the most prolific playtester. Success of this project was guaranteed by their generous contributions. HELLER'S EXPANDED COBRA RULES To allow for command control and tactical initiative, delete the following rules: 6.21, 6.22, 6.61, and 9.61. The following mandatory placement corresponds to historical drop zones and landing sites: Commandos come ashore at any Juno or Gold beach hex. Unit HEX 5/6 3803 66/6 3905 3/6 4002 507/82 X1815 508/82 X1816 505/82 X2015 502/101 X2116 506/101 X2117 501/101 X2218 The following rules supercede all rules applying to the 6 delay units: Each delay unit has a combat factor of 1 and movement factor of 6. One delay unit appears per turn starting with game turn 2. Delay units must be placed in hexes that are in supply and within 6 hexe8 of a friendly unit other than an HQ unit or another delay unit. Delay units may not appear in an enemy ZOC. Delay units are subject to the same movement rules as other non-mechanized units. Delay units have a zone of control. Delay units may retreat through friendly units. Delay units may not end a movement phase or combat phase stacked with another friendly unit. If this occurs, remove the delay unit from play. (It is considered to have been absorbed into the larger unit.) No delay unit may be destroyed in order to obtain the counter for use as a new delay unit. Delay units cannot be reused once destroyed and do not count for VP accumulation. The Missing Third Sturm-Flak Korps is now included in the German Order of Battle. Each non-mechanized unit counts as one regiment for stacking purposes and may receive replacements: Unit Strength Location lst Flak Regiment 7-12 (3-12) x3019 32nd Flak Battalion 2-12 (1-12) x2618 30th Flak Regiment 5-12 (2-12) x1509 932nd Flak Battalion 2-12 (1-12) x1208 2nd Flak Regiment 7-12 (3-12) West Edge, turn 2 3rd Flak Regiment 7-12 (3-12) West Edge, turn 2 4th Flak Regiment 7-12 (3-12) West Edge, turn 2 7th Nebelwerfer Brigade 4-12 (2-12) West Edge, turn 2 The German rail system in France did not collapse until June 18th. To properly reflect the limited and declining German rail capacity, the following rules are in effect: Four non-mechanized units may be railed on turn 2 Two non-mechanized units may be railed on turn 3 One non-mechanized unit may be railed on turn 4 Rail lines are assumed to parallel major roads and are located within the same hex. Units may be railed an unlimited number of hexes as long as no railing occurs within 6 hexes of a hex in the NW area of the Expansion Map that is an all sea hex. For rail purposes, each mechanized unit is equivalent to two non-mechanized units. NB submitted by John Kula (kula@telus.net) on behalf of the Strategy Gaming Society (http://www.boardgamegeek.com/~sgs), originally collected by Andrew Webber (gbm@wwwebbers.com)