13. Factions & Countries
13.1 Factions
There are three factions in the game: Axis, Western, and Soviet. Anything related to one faction is considered an enemy to both other factions at all times.
The Western and Soviet factions are sometimes referred to collectively as Allied. This is done to indicate the rule relates to one or both of those factions and not the Axis faction.
13.2 Countries
A Country is an area of Land hexes that has ground units associated with it. There are two types of Countries: Major Countries (13.2.1) and Minor Countries (13.2.2).
Status, Alignment, and Posture: A Country may be said to have a Status, Alignment, and/or Posture. Status, Alignment and Posture are checked for a Country at the moment such a determination is needed.
- Status refers to the Country’s standing as a belligerent: Active, Neutral, or Conquered (13.4).
- Alignment refers to which faction is responsible for the Country: Axis, Soviet, or Western (13.5)
- Posture refers to the country’s war footing: War, Policy Affected Country, or Truce Affected Country (13.6).
Note that Status, Alignment, and Posture are totally independent of each other. It is possible, for example, for a Neutral Country to have a Western Alignment and a Posture of War. That means the Country does not have any units set up on the board, but if it did, they would be controlled by the Western faction and able to move without being bound by Policy or Truce restrictions.
Selecting Countries: When you are instructed to select a Country, you cannot select a Dependent or Region.
When you are instructed to “select a Country,” you may be limited to countries of certain size, Status, Alignment, or Posture.
For example, if you are instructed to select a Neutral Minor Country, you cannot select an Active Minor Country, Conquered Minor Country or Major Country.
Any Country that does not exist at the moment of play cannot be selected for any game purpose.
Example: The Axis faction plays card 33a Treaty. Mongolia has been ceded to Russia (13.8.1), so it no longer exists. That means it can’t be selected as the Country for that card’s Political Event Segment.
△ 13.2.1 Major Countries
The Major Countries in the game are:
- Britain (consists of the Europe/Africa Box)
- Japan (consists of the Home Islands of Hokkaido, Honshu, Kyushu, and Shikoku, plus Karafuto and the Kurile Islands)
- Russia (consists of Russia, including Kamchatka and Sakhalin, any Region ceded to Russia, and the Eastern Europe Box)
- United States (also referred to as US; consists of the Western US Box) Major Country units do not have a Nationality ID on them.
13.2.2 Minor Countries
The Minor Countries that may appear in the game, and their abbreviated Nationality ID, are:
- Amur (Am)
- Australia (Aus)
- Bangladesh (Bang)
- Burma (Bur)
- France (Fra)
- Hopeh (Ho)
- India (Ind)
- Indochina (Indo)
- Kamchatka (Kam)
- Kansu (Kan)
- Kiangsu (Ki)
- Korea (Kor)
- Malaya (Mal)
- Manchukuo (Man)
- Mongolia (Mong)
- Netherlands East Indies (NEI, consists of the islands of Sumatra, Java, Lesser Sunda Islands, and Timor)
- New Zealand (NZ)
- Pakistan (Pak)
- The Philippines (Phil)
- Primorye (Prim)
- Siam (Siam)
- Siberia (Sib)
- Sinkiang (Sin)
- Szechwan (Sze)
- Tannu Tuva (TT)
- Tibet (Tib)
- Trans-Baikal (TB)
- Yunnan (Yun)
13.3 Dependents & Regions
Dependents and Regions are areas of Land hexes that do not have units associated with them. A Dependent or Region can never independently be considered to be the “Home Country” of any unit.
A Dependent or Region may become a Minor Country, see 13.8.2.
Dependents and Regions are not Countries for game purposes. A Dependent or Region cannot be selected for any instruction that calls for a player to select a Country. You may select a Dependent or Region only when specifically allowed.
Example: The Axis player plays card 33b Puppet Government. He may apply the card’s event to Korea, because it is a Dependent and all of its Cities are under Axis control at the moment. If he had played 33a Treaty instead, he could not name Korea, because it is not a Minor Country.
A Dependent or Region cannot be independently conquered or liberated.
The distinction between Countries, Dependents, and Regions is important for rules purposes, as it helps us avoid rules anomalies, exceptions, and odd gaming situations.
△ 13.3.1 Dependents
A Dependent’s alignment (13.5) is the same as its associated Major or Minor Country. A Dependent is often referred to in terms of the Major or Minor Country that it belongs to.
Example: Hong Kong is a Dependent of Britain, so it’s referred to as a “British Dependent.”
If France is Neutral, so are all French Dependents (Indochina and New Caledonia), and thus no unit is allowed to move into any of those places. If France is a Western Country, then its Dependents are all Western Dependents, even if they are completely occupied by enemy units.
The Dependents that may appear in the game and their possible associated Countries are:
- Addu Atoll (British)
- Aleutian Islands (US or Japanese)
- Amur (Japanese)
- Australia (British)
- Borneo (NEI)
- Burma (British or Japanese)
- Celebes (NEI, includes Ternate and Amboina)
- Ceylon (British)
- Christmas Island (British)
- Diego Garcia (British)
- Dutch New Guinea (NEI)
- East Turkestan (Russian)
- Eastern Caroline Islands (Japanese, British, or US)
- Fiji (British)
- French Frigate Shoals (US)
- Formosa (British or Japanese)
- Funafati (British)
- Gilbert Islands (British)
- Guam (US or Japanese)
- Johnston Island (US)
- Hawaiian Islands (US)
- Hong Kong (British or Japanese)
- India (British)
- Indochina (French or Japanese)
- Inner Mongolia (Japanese)
- Kamchatka (Japanese)
- Kansu (Japanese)
- Kiangsu (Japanese)
- Komandorski (Russian)
- Korea (Japanese or Russian)
- Liaoning (Russian)
- Line Islands (British)
- Malaya (British or Japanese)
- Male (British)
- Manchukuo (Japanese)
- Marcus Island (Japanese)
- Marshall Islands (Japanese, British, or US)
- Midway (US or Japanese)
- Mongol Frontier (Japanese)
- Mongolia (Russian)
- Nepal (British)
- New Caledonia (French)
- New Hebrides (British)
- New Zealand (British)
- Papua (British or Japanese)
- Philippines (US or Japanese)
- Phoenix Islands (British)
- Port Blair (British)
- Primorye (Japanese)
- Sakhalin (Japanese)
- Sarawak (British or Japanese)
- Shanghai (Japanese)
- Siberia (Japanese)
- Solomon Islands (British – includes Admiralty Islands)
- Tonga (British)
- Trans-Baikal (Japanese)
- Uvea (French)
- Wake (US or Japanese)
- Western Caroline Islands (Japanese, British, or US)
- Western Samoa (US)
Mandate Dependents: Aleutian Islands, Burma, Guam, Hong Kong, Malaya, Midway, Papua, the Philippines, Sarawak, and Wake are sometimes identified as Mandate Dependents in the rules.
△ 13.3.2 Regions
A Region is an area of Land hexes that are part of a larger Country or Dependent. A Region may become part of a different Country, or become a separate Country or Dependent.
If there is no Ceded Land marker for a particular Region in the Ceded Lands Box, that Region is part of its original Country or Dependent.
A Region is outlined with its own Border hexside symbol (see Terrain Key).
The Regions that may appear in the game and their starting dispositions are:
- Amur (part of Russia)
- Bangladesh (part of India)
- East Turkestan (part of Sinkiang)
- Hainan (part of Kiangsu)
- Heilungkiang (part of Manchukuo)
- Inner Mongolia (part of Hopeh)
- Jehol (part of Manchukuo)
- Kamchatka (part of Russia, includes Komandorski)
- Karafuto (part of Japan)
- Kirin (part of Manchukuo)
- Liaoning (part of Manchuko)
- Mongol Frontier (part of Mongolia)
- Pakistan (part of India)
- Primorye (part of Russia)
- Sakhalin (part of Russia)
- Siberia (part of Russia)
- Trans-Baikal (part of Russia)
Far East Regions: Amur, Kamchatka, Primorye, Siberia, and Trans-Baikal are sometimes identified as Far East Regions in the rules.
13.4 Country Status
A Major Country always has a status of Active. A Minor Country may have a status of Active, Neutral, or Conquered.
Neutral Minor Countries: If a Minor Country is Neutral, its units and markers are set aside and cannot be placed on the map.
A Neutral Country is activated under either of the following conditions:
- It is selected in the Declare War part of a faction’s War & Peace Segment (6.1.1).
- An option card, Political Event, or Conditional Event calls for a Neutral Country to be activated as an Axis or Allied Country.
Activation of a Neutral Country immediately changes its status to Active. The alignment of the Minor Country is determined (13.5) and its units and markers are set up (13.7).
Conquered Minor Countries: If a Minor Country is Conquered, its units are placed in its faction’s Conquered Minor Countries Box and cannot be placed on the map.
A Conquered Country may be re-activated under either of the following conditions:
- The Axis faction performs the Minor Country Created Political Event (15.25).
- An Allied faction performs its Conquered Country Reactivation Conditional Event (16.3.1, 16.5.1).
Re-activation of a Conquered Country immediately changes its status to Active. The Minor Country’s units are moved from the Conquered Minor Countries Box to the Force Pool and may be set up on the map per the event.
13.5 Country Alignment
Countries are aligned as follows:
- △ Axis: Japan and all Axis Minor Countries.
- Western: Britain, the United States, and all Western Minor Countries.
- Soviet: Russia and all Soviet Minor Countries.
A Major Country is always aligned with its proper faction. It cannot switch its alignment.
A Minor Country can be aligned with any faction, and may switch its alignment to a different faction.
Determining Alignment of Neutral Minor Countries: The alignment of a Neutral Minor Country is determined at the moment it is needed, using this priority list:
Priority 1: If an option card, rule, or event specifies a faction, the Neutral Minor Country aligns with that faction.
Priority 2: If a Soviet or Western Influence marker is in the Country, it aligns with the Allied faction shown on the marker.
Priority 3: If the country does not share a Border with any Soviet Country, it aligns with the Western faction.
Priority 4: If Pre-War is in effect, the Axis player must choose an Allied faction for the Country to align with.
Priority 5: If the Country does not contain an Axis or Western Strategic Hex, it aligns with the Soviet faction.
Priority 6: Roll an unmodified die. If the result is 3 or less, it aligns with the Western faction. If it is 4 or more, it aligns with the Soviet faction.
Example: It is the May-June 1937 turn, Pre-War is in effect, and the Axis faction reveals Card 8 Demand Inner Mongolia. The Political Event Die Roll is Country Resists (15.10), so Hopeh’s alignment must be determined.
The card and event that triggered Hopeh’s entry do not specify an alignment for the country (Priority 1), nor does it contain an Allied Influence marker (Priority 2). Hopeh does share a Border with Kansu, a Soviet country, so Priority 3 doesn’t apply.
That brings us to Priority 4. Pre-War is in effect, so the Axis faction gets to pick Hopeh’s alignment. The Western faction is chosen.
Determining Alignment of Active and Conquered Minor Countries: The alignment of an Active or Conquered Minor Country can generally be determined by the placement of its units in a faction’s Force Pool or Conquered Minor Countries Box, respectively.
Occasionally, an Active Country may have built all its units on the board and have nothing remaining in its faction’s Force Pool – but that Country remains aligned with its faction.
13.6 Country Posture
An Axis Country always has a Posture of War.
An Allied Country’s Posture will be one of War, a Policy, or a Truce. The Posture of an Allied Country is tracked on the map’s Posture Display. If a Country’s Posture Box contains a Policy or Truce marker, that Policy or Truce marker is its Posture. If there is no marker, its Posture is War.
Example: If the United States Posture Box has a Quarantine marker in it, the US Posture is Quarantine.
If Russia’s Posture Box has no marker in it, Russia’s Posture is War.
A Posture Box may not have both a Truce marker and a Policy marker in it – just one of either, or none at all.
△ The Nationalist China, Britain, and US/Western Minor Posture Boxes are considered to be friendly to the Western faction. The Nationalist China Box tracks the Posture for all Western Chinese Countries. The US/Western Minors Posture Box tracks the Posture for the US and all other Western Minors.
△ The Communist China, Soviet Minors, and Russia Posture Boxes are considered friendly to the Soviet faction. The Communist China Box tracks the Posture for all Soviet Chinese Countries. The Soviet Minors Box tracks the Posture for all other Soviet Minor Countries.
© The Posture of a Country on one map has nothing to do with its Posture on the other map. That is, a Country may be at War on the TK map but under a Policy or Truce on the DS map and vice versa.
13.6.1 Policies
△ There are nine Policies, each with corresponding markers:
- Acceptance
- Border Disputes (“Disputes” for short)
- Lapsed Treaty (“Treaty” for short)
- Neutrality Pact (“Neutrality” for short)
- Quarantine
- Resistance
- Surrender
- Uneasy Peace (“Peace” for short)
The shortened terms are used on the option cards and in the rules to save space.
If a Posture Box contains a Policy marker, that Policy is in effect and its rules apply. If placed during the game, its rules are immediately in effect. If removed during the game, its rules immediately end.
If an Allied Country’s Posture Box contains a Policy marker, that Allied Country is said to be a Policy Affected Country (PAC). A Policy affects all of a PAC’s units and markers, and applies in all Land hexes belonging to that Country or its Dependents.
Example: If Russia’s Posture is Disputes, then Russia is a PAC. This means all Russian units and markers, and all Land hexes inside Russia and all Russian Dependents, are affected by the Disputes policy.
13.6.1.1 Policy Effects
These rules apply while any Policy is in effect.
Current Strategic Value:
- Axis Strategic Hexes under Allied control in an active PAC are not counted when determining the Current Strategic Value (0.1.1).
Support Unit or Airdrop Marker Placement:
- An Allied support unit or Airdrop marker with a Posture of War cannot be placed in a PAC hex.
- A PAC support unit or Airdrop marker cannot be placed in a hex, On Station Box, or the Strategic Warfare Box.
- A PAC support unit cannot contest attempted placement of an enemy support unit unless that placement ends the policy affecting the PAC unit (in which case it is no longer a PAC unit).
Example: Russia’s Posture is Neutrality. The Axis faction attempts to place a Japanese Air Force unit in a hex in Russia. This attempted placement immediately ends the Neutrality Policy, which allows the Soviet faction to contest it.
Movement: These restrictions apply during both Movement Phases.
An Allied ground unit with a Posture of War cannot move into a PAC hex. Also, such an Allied unit cannot use a PAC Troop Convoy marker.
If Pre-War is in effect, a PAC ground unit cannot move into a Land hex unless it is within its Home Country or any of its Dependents. Also, a PAC unit cannot use a Troop Convoy marker unless it is of the same nationality.
Example: Russia and Soviet Minors both have a Posture of Neutrality. A Russian ground unit cannot move into a Russian Minor Country.
If Limited or Total War is in effect, a PAC ground unit cannot move into a Land hex unless it is in a Country or Dependent affected by the same Policy. Also, a PAC unit cannot use a Troop Convoy marker unless it is affected by the same Policy.
Example: Siam is a Western Country and its Posture is Quarantine. A Siamese ground unit can move only into a country with a Posture of Quarantine.
Russia’s Posture is Neutrality. A Russian ground unit cannot move into a Conquered Allied Hopeh because Hopeh does not have a Posture of Neutrality.
Combat:
- A PAC ground unit cannot participate in an attack.
- An Allied ground unit with a Posture of War cannot attack a PAC ground unit.
- An Allied ground unit with a Posture of War cannot Retreat, Advance After Combat, or Exploit into a PAC hex.
Delay DRMs:
- Certain Delay DRMs are not applied (7.1).
Zone of Control:
A PAC ground unit does not project a ZOC.
Example: Britain’s Posture is Treaty. A British ground unit does not project a ZOC.
ZOC is not projected into a PAC hex.
Example: Britain’s Posture is Treaty. An Axis ground unit does not project a ZOC into a hex within any British Country or Dependent.
Supply:
- An Allied unit or marker with a Posture of War cannot trace a supply line through a PAC hex (10.2). Also, such an Allied unit cannot use a PAC Supply Convoy marker.
- If Pre-War is in effect, a PAC unit or marker cannot trace supply through a Land hex unless that hex is within its Home Country or any of its Dependents. Also, a PAC unit cannot use a Supply Convoy marker unless it is of the same nationality.
- If Limited or Total War is in effect, a PAC unit or marker cannot trace supply through a Land hex unless that hex is in a Country or Dependent affected by the same Policy. Also, a PAC unit cannot use a Supply Convoy marker unless it is affected by the same Policy.
Policy Violation Internment: At the end of any Conditional Events Segment, a unit in a Country that it could not move into or be placed in due to one of the above rules may be interned (16.7).
13.6.1.2 Ending a Policy
Important: When a Policy ends, all of that Policy’s markers are immediately removed from the Posture Display.
Example: The Axis plays card 28b North Wind Cloudy, which triggers Total War and ends Russia’s Disputes Policy. If that same Policy appears in another Posture Box (such as the Soviet Minors Box), you’d remove that Policy marker as well.
If you are instructed to replace any Policy marker with a Truce marker, replace all of that Policy’s markers with Truce markers.
Involuntarily Ending a Policy: A Policy is considered to have been “involuntarily” ended when:
- △ A Border Incident (15.4), Country Resists (15.10), Declare War (15.12), Gekokujo (15.17), or International Incident (15.20) Political Event results in the ending of a Policy.
Example: Resistance markers are in the Communist China and Nationalist China Posture Boxes and the Axis player plays card 8 Demand Inner Mongolia.
The Axis Political Event result is Country Resists (15.10), and Hopeh is activated as a Western Country. Since Hopeh is a PAC, the Resistance markers are immediately removed from the Posture Display, thus ending the Resistance Policy. The “China Incident” has triggered a land war in Asia!
- An Axis unit or Detachment is in an Active or Neutral PAC hex and the Axis player chooses to not intern that counter (16.7) in any faction’s Conditional Events Segment.
An Axis unit can be in a Conquered PAC hex without ending that Policy.
- An option card is played that ends a Policy.
- △ Total War goes into effect and the Policy is Disputes, Peace, Quarantine, Resistance or Treaty (12.3).
Voluntarily Ending a Policy: A Policy is considered to have been “voluntarily” ended when:
- An Axis support unit attempts placement in an Active PAC hex.
- An Axis support unit attempts placement adjacent to an Active PAC hex, unless that hex is also in or adjacent to another Allied Country with a Posture of War. (See the Clarification below.)
- An Axis support unit attempts placement in the On Station Box of a Naval Zone that contains an Active PAC Port, unless another Allied Country with a Posture of War also has a Port in that Naval Zone. (See the Clarification below.)
Example: Britain’s Posture is Treaty and Kiangsu’s Posture is War. If the Axis player places a Japanese support unit in the South China Sea Naval Zone Box, it does not end Britain’s Treaty.
- An Axis ground unit enters an Active PAC hex.
Example: Britain’s Posture is Treaty. If the Axis faction moves a Japanese ground unit into any British Dependent, it ends Britain’s Treaty.
- An Axis ground unit attacks a PAC unit.
- The Axis faction declares war on a Neutral PAC in the War & Peace Segment (6.1).
- A Neutrals Pressured (15.28) or Political Option (15.30) Political Event is applied to a Policy.
- △ The Axis faction chooses to end an Acceptance, Neutrality, or Surrender Policy when Total War goes into effect (12.3).
Voluntarily Ending a Policy Restrictions: Any action listed immediately above that would violate these restrictions is prohibited.
- No faction can voluntarily end any Policy if Pre-War is in effect.
- △ The Axis faction cannot voluntarily end a Neutrality or Surrender Policy unless he can simultaneously place the appropriate Government marker in the Delay Box (14.22).
- △ In addition, the Axis faction cannot voluntarily end the Surrender Policy at all if the PAC’s Enforced Peace marker is on the Turn Track.
The Axis faction cannot end a Neutrality Policy with Russia unless the Army marker is in the Government Holding Box. If Russia’s Policy was Surrender and the Enforced Peace marker was on the Turn Track, the Axis faction could not end that Policy.
Voluntarily Ending a Policy Clarification: If an Axis unit is placed in a hex or On Station box in such a way that more than one Policy could possibly be ended, the Axis faction chooses the order in which Policies are checked. The first Policy checked must be ended; after that, the Axis faction may keep the other Policies in place since there is now an active Allied County with a Posture of War.
Example: Limited War is in effect, Britain and the US are both PACs, and the Axis faction attempts to place a Surface Fleet in the On Station Box of the Southeast Pacific Naval Zone. Since Britain and the US both have Ports within that Naval Zone, the Axis faction must end one of the US or British Policies; it gets to choose which one.
The restrictions on ending Policies exist to make players think like government leaders instead of wargamers. You’re not allowed to declare war on somebody without first using threats and diplomacy to get away with as much as you can.
13.6.2 Truces
There are three Truces, each with corresponding markers. They are Reassess Policy, Armistice, and Negotiation.
If a Posture Box contains one of these Truce markers, that Truce is in effect and its rules apply. If placed during the game, its rules immediately apply. If removed during a game, its rules immediately end.
If an Allied Country’s Posture Box contains a Truce marker, that Allied Country is said to be a Truce Affected Country (TAC). A Truce affects all of a TAC’s units and markers, and applies in all Land hexes belonging to that Country and its Dependents.
Because Axis Countries always have a Posture of War, they can never be considered a TAC. However (and Very Important): Axis units are reciprocally bound by all TAC restrictions unless otherwise specified.
13.6.2.1 Reassess Policy & Armistice
These rules apply while a Reassess Policy or Armistice is in effect.
Support or Airdrop Marker Placement:
- A TAC support unit or Airdrop marker cannot be placed in or adjacent to a hex in an Axis Country or Dependent, or in a hex containing an Axis ground unit, Detachment or Logistics marker.
- A TAC support unit cannot be placed in the On Station Box of a Naval Zone containing a Port in an Axis Country or Dependent unless an active Allied Country with a Posture of War also contains a Port in that Naval Zone.
- A TAC unit cannot contest attempted placement of an Axis support unit.
- A TAC support unit or Airdrop marker cannot be placed in a PAC hex.
Movement:
- In the Operational Movement Phase, a TAC ground unit cannot move into an Axis ZOC unless another friendly unit is present in that hex.
- In either Movement Phase, a TAC ground unit cannot move into a hex containing an Axis Detachment or Logistics marker.
- In either Movement Phase, a TAC ground unit cannot move into a PAC hex.
Combat:
- A TAC ground unit cannot attack a hex containing an Axis ground unit.
- A TAC ground unit cannot Retreat into a hex containing an Axis Detachment or Logistics marker.
- An Allied TAC ground unit cannot attack a PAC unit.
Note that Axis units are not “reciprocally bound” in this case.
Example: If Britain is under a Reassess Policy Truce and Russia is under the Disputes Policy, British units are prevented from attacking Russian units under this rule, but Axis units are not.
- A TAC ground unit cannot Retreat, Advance After Combat, or Exploit into a PAC hex.
Delay DRMs:
- Certain Delay DRMs are not applied (7.1).
13.6.2.2 Negotiation
These rules apply while a Negotiation is in effect.
Support or Airdrop Marker Placement:
- A TAC support unit or Airdrop marker cannot be placed in or adjacent to a hex in an Axis Country or Dependent, or containing an Axis ground unit, Detachment marker, or Logistics marker.
- A TAC support unit or Airdrop marker cannot be placed in a PAC hex.
Movement:
- In the Operational Movement Phase, a TAC ground unit cannot move into an Axis ZOC unless another friendly unit is present in that hex.
- In either Movement Phase, a TAC ground unit cannot move into a PAC hex.
Combat:
- A TAC ground unit cannot attack a PAC unit.
- A TAC ground unit cannot Retreat, Advance After Combat, or Exploit into a PAC hex.
Delay DRMs:
- Certain Delay DRMs are not applied (7.1).
Unlike the other Truces, Negotiation is a lot less restrictive. If you want to avoid combat with a Negotiation in effect, you need an empty hex between your units and the enemy.
13.6.2.3 Reducing and Increasing Truce Markers
A faction may be able to reduce the level of a Truce marker in a Posture Box by one level during its War & Peace Segment (6.1.2).
Some Political Events results allow a player to reduce or increase the current level of a Truce marker in a Posture Box by one level.
A Truce marker is reduced as follows:
- Remove a Reassess Policy marker and place an Armistice marker in the same Posture Box.
- Flip an Armistice marker to its Negotiation side.
- Remove a Negotiation marker.
A Truce marker is increased as follows:
- Flip a Negotiation marker over to its Armistice side.
- Remove an Armistice marker and place a Reassess Policy marker in the same Posture Box.
Unlike reducing Truce markers during the War & Peace Segment (6.1.2), there are no Seasonal Turn restrictions to reducing or increasing a Truce marker through a Political Event.
13.7 Country Setup
Major Countries are always set up at the beginning of the game according to the instructions of the scenario being played.
13.7.1 Normal Minor Country Setup
When a Neutral Minor Country is activated during play, follow this procedure. Exception: If you are setting up France, see 13.7.2.
Step 1: Place its 0-1-2 Res infantry unit in the faction’s Force Pool.
Step 2: Place in the Delay Box any of its units with Delay Stripes except for fortress units.
Chinese port-a-fort units go in the Delay Box.
Step 3: Place any garrison and fortress units it may have in the appropriate hexes (2.3.2.4).
Step 4: Place all of its remaining ground units in or adjacent to City and/or Port hexes within the activated Country. All units must be placed with their one-step side face up. All placement in Steps 3 and 4 is limited to one unit per hex.
Step 5: If the Minor Country was activated by Free Passage (15.16), place a Free Passage marker in the country’s Capital. In all other cases, place a Mobilizing marker in the country’s Capital. Place these markers with the appropriate faction side face up.
△ Step 6: Perform a Mobilization Roll for the country unless:
- it was activated by the Coup D’etat (15.11) Political Event.
- it was activated by the Free Passage (15.16) Political Event.
- the country is France.
△ Step 7: Remove any Influence or Neutrality markers in the Minor Country.
Mobilization Roll: The faction controlling the activated Minor Country may roll one die. Do not apply any DRMs to this roll. The result is the total number of Mobilizations the Minor Country receives.
Each Mobilization may be used by the controlling faction to flip one one-step unit to its two-step side. The controlling faction does not have to flip any unit, and may flip less than the total allowed.
Some countries have only a Res unit and nothing else. So they don’t set anything up on the map.
△ 13.7.2 Minor Country Setup Exceptions
△ France: If France is activated as a Minor Country, place one French 0-1-0 garrison infantry in Saigon (w3619) and one French Detachment in Noumea (e1913). Place one French 0-1-1 infantry [Res] and one French 0-1-1 colonial infantry unit [Col] in the faction’s Force Pool. France does not receive a Mobilization Roll.
Exception: If Indochina is a Japanese Dependent or Minor Country, do not place the garrison infantry in Saigon – place it in the Force Pool instead.
13.8 Additional Country Rules
13.8.1 Ceding Lands
A Country, Dependent, or Region may have a Ceded Land marker. If this marker is in the Ceded Lands Box, that indicates a change in ownership of that area.
A Ceded Lands marker in a faction’s Force Pool does not indicate a change in that area’s ownership.
If a Ceded Lands marker says a particular area has been “ceded to” a Country, that area is part of the Country named on that marker.
Example: If the Russian Heilungkiang Ceded Land marker is in the Ceded Lands Box, then Heilungkiang is part of Russia because the marker says the area has been ceded to Russia.
If a Ceded Lands marker says a particular area is a “Dependent” of a Country, that area is a Dependent of that Country.
Example: If the Japanese Inner Mongolia Ceded Land marker is in the Ceded Lands Box, then Inner Mongolia is a Japanese Dependent because the marker says it is a Japanese Dependent.
Certain game events may place these markers in the Ceded Lands Box or remove them from that Box. The control of a Ceded Land immediately changes when its marker is placed or removed.
△ 13.8.1.2 Mongolia and Tannu Tuva
If one of these Countries is ceded to Russia, its units are immediately removed from play and it ceases to exist as a Country. Once removed from play, these Countries can be re-created with the Minor Country Created Political Event (15.25).
13.8.2 Creating Minor Countries
Certain Dependents and Regions, and all Conquered Countries, are eligible to be created as Axis Minor Countries by play of Axis cards 33b and 34b Puppet Government.
The Philippines and India may also be created as Neutral Minor Countries by Western cards 8a Philippine Independence and 9a Indian Independence, respectively.
Certain Regions may also be created as Neutral Minor Countries by the Provincial Independence Political Event (15.34).
The following Dependents and Regions are eligible to become Minor Countries:
- Amur
- Australia
- Bangladesh
- Burma
- Ceylon
- India
- Indochina
- Kamchatka
- Korea
- Malaya
- Manchukuo
- Mongolia
- New Zealand
- Pakistan
- The Philippines
- Primorye
- Siberia
- Sinkiang
- Trans-Baikal
Note that Kansu and Kiangsu cannot be created as Axis Minor Countries should those Countries become Japanese Dependents.
13.8.3 Multi-National Units & Pan-National Units
Multi-National Units: Some ground units in the game are multi- national units. When in play, a multi-national unit is considered to belong to both nationalities represented by the unit. So any rule that applies to either one of its nationalities applies to that multi-national unit.
You get the all the benefits and penalties of each nationality. For example, say the Western ABDA unit consists of a British and NEI unit. In order to be supplied, it must trace a supply line to both a British supply source and an NEI supply source (though it does not have to be the same exact supply line).The unit could not stack with an Allied Kiangsu unit (unless it was a Exp unit).
When a step belonging to one of the nationalities of a multi-national unit is removed from the game due to a Conditional Event, the owning faction must perform an Emergency Breakdown (2.3.4). The remaining component unit remains on the map.
△ The following are multi-national units:
- Axis AEx HQ unit: Japanese and Axis Minor Country.
- Western ABDA unit: British and Western Minor Country.
You cannot use British colonial units to build the ABDA army.
- Western Chin airborne unit: British and US.
- Western CBI HQ unit: British and US.
Pan-National Units: The Allied Chinese HQ units are pan-national units. During play, the owning faction may consider a pan-national unit to belong to any friendly Chinese nationality as required. So any rule that applies to one of the faction’s Chinese nationalities may or may not apply to the pan-national unit as the faction wishes and the situation dictates.
Example: In simple terms, this means that a friendly pan-national Chinese HQ can support or stack with any friendly Chinese unit. A pan-national HQ within a friendly Chinese country can also be used as a replacement location for units of that country.
Furthermore, let’s say a Total War Minor Country Politics Political Event (15.26) has forced the Western faction to eliminate two Kiangsu steps, and that Kiangsu and Szechwan are friendly Chinese countries. The Western faction may choose whether or not to lose steps from one of his pan-national HQs; he does not have to do so, even if one of these HQs is in Kiangsu or there aren’t enough Kiangsu steps elsewhere to eliminate. That’s because he can claim the pan-national HQs to be from Szechwan here. If Kiangsu is the only friendly Chinese minor country, then he would not have this choice.
△ The following are multi-national units:
- Soviet CCP and Cen HQ units: Soviet Chinese Country.
- Western Cen and KMT units: Western Chinese Country.
△ 13.8.4 France
France is an unusual Minor Country in that its Home Country is entirely off-map, but it has Dependents on the DS map.
France can never be conquered, but it is otherwise treated as a normal Minor Country. Any marker that would normally be placed in its Capital (such as a Neutrality marker) is placed in Noumea instead.
© In AE, France/Vichy is activated on each map separately. France is always considered “France” on the DS map; it can never be collapsed or conquered. If France has become “Vichy” on the TK map, it is considered to be a different country than France on the DS map in all respects.
© If the Case Yellow Conditional Event is applied to France on the TK map, remove all non-F French units from DS.
© Example: It is the Nov-Dec 1941 turn. The Western Faction chooses to invoke the French Response Western Conditional Event, which activates France as a Western Country on the DS map. On the TK map, Vichy is a Neutral Country, and it remains that way.
* 13.8.5 Germany
In DS, the course of the European War is handled abstractly through European War Markers, Allied faction card play, and Political Events. Depending on how these events unfold, the Allied players may need to send support units to that theater.
The Allied factions use the European War Display to track the current status of the European War and units serving in that theater. The European War Display contains the European Holding Box and two European War Boxes.
European Holding Box: Support units that have been sent “to Europe” through European Commitment Political Events (15.14.1) are placed here until they are able to return to play. A unit in this box is considered to be “out of play” until is returned to the Delay Box by a future European Commitment Event.
European War Boxes: The European War Status of an Allied faction is tracked in its European War Box. An Allied faction’s European War Status will be one of No War, Limited War or Total War.
If a faction’s European War Box contains a European War marker, that marker is its European War Status. If there is no marker, its European War Status is No War.
Current ESV Track: The Current ESV Track charts the progress of the European War. Each box on the track has a number; that number is the “Current ESV” when it contains the Current ESV or Germany Surrenders marker. The Current ESV may be added to the Current Strategic Value in Victory Point Checks (0.1.1).
If the Current ESV is a positive number, Germany is winning its war. If the Current ESV is negative, the Allies are winning.
Players may be instructed to “increase ESV” or “decrease ESV” by Events or through option card play. To increase the ESV, move the Current ESV marker one box to the right for each level of increase. To decrease the ESV, move the Current ESV marker one box to the left for each level of decrease. ESV increases or decreases may also be indicated by + or – symbols, respectively.
Germany Surrenders: After the V-E Day marker has been removed from the track and the Current ESV marker has been flipped to its Germany Surrenders side, ignore all further instructions to increase or decrease ESV.