3. Scenarios
Focus: This section explains the differences between campaign games and other scenarios.
Key Points:
- Rules for a campaign game scenario
- How these might vary for a shorter scenario
- List of available scenarios
- How to set up a game
- Detailed rules for setting up a multi-player game (and the various options)
3.1 Learning The Game
When first learning the game, it is recommended to play the Velikie Luki introductory scenario as the Soviets against the Axis AI (see 4.19 – 4.23 for a detailed discussion and a play through of the first few turns). After that you may want to repeat this at more challenging settings, try to defend with the Axis or move on to play the Road to Minsk scenario as the Axis against the Soviet AI.
Even if you have played WiTE1 or WiTW you may find these short scenarios useful as a means to explore the concepts that are completely new in WiTE2 and to give you some practical experience to test your understanding of the information presented in the manual.
Beyond that, Road to Leningrad is a low density, fairly quick to play scenario that might help you understand the feedback between early turn decisions and the combat effectiveness of your army later in the scenario. In turn, the Destruction of the South Western Front might help you understand the special T1 rules in the Ukraine and the overall difference in fighting in the relatively open terrain south of the Pripyet marshes. Operation Typhoon is a good chance to explore the impact of the autumn rains and then winter weather on operations.
While it is inevitable that most players will want to start the 1941 Grand Campaign as soon as possible, the later start dates offer both interesting gameplay and insights into key game mechanisms. In particular, taking the Soviet side in Vistula to Berlin will introduce you to the challenge of how to supply a large army, with substantial mobile assets, that is advancing rapidly.
3.2 Scenario List
| SCENARIO NAME | START DATE | LENGTH (TURNS) | FIRST PLAYER | CAMPAIGN | MAP AREA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1941-45 Campaign | 22 June 1941 | 215 | Axis | Yes | Full |
| Road to Leningrad | 22 June 1941 | 16 | Axis | No | Partial |
| Introductory scenario 2: Road to Minsk | 22 June 1941 | 2 | Axis | No | Partial |
| The Destruction of South Western Front | 22 June 1941 | 17 | Axis | No | Partial |
| Operation Typhoon | 30 Sept 1941 | 14 | Axis | No | Partial |
| Introductory scenario 1: Velikie Luki 42 | 17 Nov 1942 | 10 | Soviet | No | Partial |
| Red Army Resurgent 42-43 | 17 Nov 1942 | 17 | Soviet | No | Partial |
| Stalingrad to Berlin | 19 Nov 1942 | 137 | Soviet | Yes | Full |
| Red God of War | 24 Nov 1942 | 11 | Soviet | No | Partial |
| Vistula to Berlin | 13 Jan 1945 | 20 | Soviet | Yes | Full |
3.3 Scenario Types
There are two types of scenarios included in the game. Campaign scenarios cover the entire Eastern Front from a specific start date, use the full map area and use the campaign victory conditions (29.1), while non-campaign scenarios are shorter and use less of the map.
3.3.1 Campaign Scenarios
The impact of the rest of the war in North Africa, the Balkans, Arctic, Western Europe, the Caucasus and the Far East is represented in all campaign scenarios using Theatre Boxes.
Depending on the options chosen, both sides will have the option to reinforce or weaken these fronts but doing so may have significant effects on overall game progress. Alternatively these Theatres will be handled with historical deployments and through the in-game event system (13.1).
3.3.2 Non-Campaign Scenarios
Non-campaign scenarios are normally of a shorter length, do not necessarily use the full map area and have specific victory conditions (29.2). In most, the only Theatre Boxes in play will be those that are used for the respective National Reserves (13.2).
Any short scenario can be set up so that if one side captures all of the objectives of both sides, the scenario will immediately end. Scenarios that have the possibility of an early end have this noted in their scenario description text on the Load Scenario screen.
Points will be awarded as if the player held the objectives for all of the rest of the turns of the scenario and will score end game objective points as well. In addition, all units deemed isolated on the side that does not hold an objective will be destroyed and counted in the victory point casualty count.
3.4 Scenario Set Up Rules
As noted in the sequence of play (Chapter 5) the first turn of any scenario does not have a logistics phase. Equally sometimes the Axis player will not have a first turn meaning the game commences with the Soviet air planning phase.
This means that at start depots and supply states are all set by the scenario designer and, in all scenarios, the first player’s units MPs are pre-determined and may be less than the theoretical maximum.
Equally many scenarios will start with some units frozen for a number of turns.
The number of wins/losses recorded for units at the start of a scenario will always be zero.
You should also read Chapter 11 as that details the special rules in place for all the scenarios that begin on 22 June 1941.