The seeds of war were planted many years prior to 1914 by mutual fear of political and economic isolation creating a system of mutually dependent military alliances. The rise of Nationalism, Militarism, and national self-preservation created sentiments that sought redemption, revenge, economic hegemony and military victory but also left a quagmire after four years of bloodshed. The Lethality of warfare in World War I had only realized weaponry advances and tactics that benefited the defender and provided a static battlefield condition. It wasn’t until the wars latter years when the potential of mobile warfare was glimpsed at Cambrai in 1917. Naval tactics were essentially regulated by the classic “crossing of the T” as Nelson had done at Trafalgar, while Germany had introduced the concept of submarine warfare. The use of Airplanes and Dirigibles though largely used for reconnaissance increasingly began to develop new tactics such as the bombing of industrial/ population targets which had a profound effect on not only an economic level but declined the moral appetite to view war as a romantic, honor bound enterprise.
This strategic level simulation of the Great War 1914-1918 attempts to convey the rich complexities under seamlessly simple game mechanics. A number of optional rules are offered to add a new level of sophistication and to enhance both realism and playability. A unique feature of the game system is the almost mirrored reflection of the tactics employed by our historical counterparts, as you will now be faced with this task on land, sea and air. Combining a number of innovating play enhancing concepts including quick style setups where the player can freely place his units as he chooses in a sequence that simulates the fog of war. Land and air units are moved across the board thru territories, while naval unit’s movement is done thru sea hexes. In fact, the resolution of naval conflict under the optional rules section is in fact a separate game woven together to create Jutland style naval actions.
With the purchase of the rulebook and map you will need to provide a custom set of miniatures which can then be painted to create an aesthetic element to the game. The scale for Infantry is 1/72 scale or 20-25 mm, while 1/285 works best for artillery and tanks etc. I prefer 1/3000 scale for the naval units and 1/500-1/600 for planes. A set of both multi colored chips, and d4, d6 and d12 dice are also necessary for play. So step into the quagmire that will become of Europe and fight what was termed “the last romantic war”. Well, let’s just call it The Great War…
Enjoy,
GameDreamers Design Team
