First World War Campaigns: FRANCE 1914

[Mr Grumpy]

One question how are the airplanes represented?

The same as in PzC/MC and in the case of F14 only as Recon flights.

[Prussia21]

What Ladder will this New Series be placed into? I've been waiting a LONGG TIMMEE for a decent WWI game (Everything over on the matrix website pertaining to WWI didn't do it for me). Will it stay in the Operational Campaign group?

I would be new to this series, but not new to WWI games. I currently play HPS Civil War and EAW series'. Could someone give me some advice as to how this engine works? Like a quick summary. I just preordered France 1914, so I probably need to learn the engine. I can tell from the screenshots it's a bit different than HPS Civil War or HPS EAW's. Thoughts comrades? Thanks in advance!!!

-WinfieldScott21 aka Gary

[Panzer VI]

Well, in the PzC/MC you don't have to worry about facing, and it's a bit larger scale. You have to worry about Aircraft, AA, and of course, tanks. Also, unlike the Civil War/Nap. and EAW games, Arty doesn't have to be within L-O-S to do damage. Now, all you need is for a subordinate unit to be LOS and presto you can call in arty. There are differences, but you will pretty much feel at home. I don't expect France'14 to have many changes over PzC/MC.

[Prussia21]

Panzer VI,

I owe you a game dont I....Thanks for the info. If you're getting France '14 maybe that could be our first game. I just pre-ordered it!

-Gary

[SnowBlue]

Definite order but does the inclusion of only the eastern outskirts of Paris mean there is no scenario to try to implement the 1905 (I believe) version of the Schlieffen Plan?

[Dog Soldier]

The greatest change that PzC/MC players will have to adapt to is that this title uses a modified version of the Alt fire rules by default and one of the favourite tactics of many PzC/MC players to create huge stacks to disrupt and assault enemy units will now lead to massive (and i am talking in the hundreds) of men lost per defensive shot!
So this will mean that players will have to be more cautious/subtle their attacks and all the testers agreed that we will have to repeat this message over and over until PzC/MC players unlearn the stacking habits of the past! LOL

Just like the actual commanders in 1914 were cautious about frontal assaults.

The action on 26 August 1914 between the BEF and the German First Army at Le Cateau would be interesting to highlight the FWW 14 game differences.
The BEF had been retreating from Mons. This action was a delaying action as the BEF turned to face the pursuit. The fight begins at dawn. The Germans first pinned the British with heavy fire while trying to envelope the BEF's right wing. It ends at 17:00 that day with the British continuing their retreat to prevent encirclement.

I wonder how the game system will handle the fatigue the BEF units would have from the Mons fight. Would the BEF have the capacity to turn and face the oncoming German army?

The battle is famous for the stand of the 28th RFA (Royal Field Artillery) which had a one hex (in PzC game terms) duel with the German heavy guns. Only two guns of the 28th were saved, the unit would be considered eliminated in game terms. The British 2nd corps lost 38 guns that day, once the German batteries found the range. The Germans also maneuvered nine machine guns in close enough to rake the valiant British gunners.
The British lost 8,000 men in this one engagement.

While I like the idea of the using a new set of fire rules for a series on WWI to model the horrific casualties of that conflict, it seems to me that many of the tactics used in WW2 were different because of the lessons of WW1. Then there is the evolution organic of firepower between the two wars.

I think the issue of killer stacks in PzC would be better dealt with by lowering the stacking limits in the pdf files for the PzC titles rather than ramping up the killing power of artillery. Employment of artillery in WW1 and WW2 was quite different. The Spanish Civil War convinced the Germans of the need for very different tactics, though the Italians and Russians learned little from their investments of blood in that conflict.

Dog Soldier

---

Also the new "Forced Bridge" rule would help to prevent the "straddling" tactic of using the ZOC rules to prevent river crossings via bridges.

If I understand your posting of this rule elsewhere in this forum, a unit ends up on the enemy side of the river, in "T" (travel mode) and isolated unless another friendly unit is in the hex on the other side of the river.

Sounds like dinner for the wolves.....

Dog Soldier

[Mr Grumpy]

Definite order but does the inclusion of only the eastern outskirts of Paris mean there is no scenario to try to implement the 1905 (I believe) version of the Schlieffen Plan?

Sorry there is no "what if " scenario to strictly cover the Schlieffen Plan's swing to the NE of Paris, Ed would have to comment on why that is, but i am guessing that the map was considered large enough as it is, but that is just my guess.

He is at TC3 at the moment, so maybe ask this again when he is back on the MB.

[Bidermann]

I must of mist somthing but when does this game come out?

[Mr Grumpy]

The action on 26 August 1914 between the BEF and the German First Army at Le Cateau would be interesting to highlight the FWW 14 game differences.
The BEF had been retreating from Mons. This action was a delaying action as the BEF turned to face the pursuit. The fight begins at dawn. The Germans first pinned the British with heavy fire while trying to envelope the BEF's right wing. It ends at 17:00 that day with the British continuing their retreat to prevent encirclement.

I wonder how the game system will handle the fatigue the BEF units would have from the Mons fight. Would the BEF have the capacity to turn and face the oncoming German army?

Well the BEF is B quality, but has accumulated 150 points of fatigue in this scenario and hence is C quality, the German forces it faces are still fresh and are at their regular C quality, so they are evenly matched in this regard.

If I understand your posting of this rule elsewhere in this forum, a unit ends up on the enemy side of the river, in "T" (travel mode) and isolated unless another friendly unit is in the hex on the other side of the river.

Sounds like dinner for the wolves.....

Dog Soldier

Indeed if you simply push a unit over the bridge against an organised defence you will get a bloody nose, but if you pick your bridge with clear LOS for your Field Gun/MG units you can significantly weaken the defending units until it is less of a risk to cross, this strategy works as Rick did this successfully against me a couple of times in testing.

The rule also prevents defenders leaving very small (50 men) units to block bridges with their ZOC while the main force can retreat away.

The rule is not a perfect solution i agree, but at least there is now the threat of units being able to cross which otherwise would not be possible.

I hope to see the rule in PzC where linked to the ability of engineers to ferry troops would make "straddling" a far less effective tactic. ;)

---

I must of mist somthing but when does this game come out?

It officially comes out on the 4th June, but if you go to the UK supplier Duchet.com you can pre-order it.

I have a copy as i was a tester. ;)

[P.Ako]

Will the OOB be modable? or it we will have to wait to other titles to see other battles covered?