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.
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 25 Operation Marita. Austria has been ceded to Germany (13.8.1.2), so it no longer exists. Thus, it cannot be selected as the target Country for that card’s Option Card Segment.
△ 13.2.1 Major Countries
The Major Countries in the game are:
- Britain (consists of the island labeled Great Britain and Northern Ireland)
- Germany (consists of Germany, East Prussia, any Region ceded to Germany, and any Country that has the Reich Annex marker in its Capital)
- Russia (consists of Russia, any Region ceded to Russia, and the Central Asia Box)
- United States (also referred to as US; consists of the Eastern US/Canada 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:
- Algeria (Alg)
- Austria (Aust)
- Baltic States (BS)
- Basque (Bas)
- Belgium-Holland (B-H)
- Bulgaria (Bul)
- Byelorussia (By)
- Catalonia (Cat)
- Caucasus (Cau)
- Crimea (Cri)
- Czechoslovakia (Cz)
- Denmark (Den)
- Denmark-Norway (D-N)
- Donbass (Don)
- Egypt (Egy)
- Finland (Fin)
- France (Fra)
- Greece (Gre)
- Hungary (Hun)
- Iraq (Iraq)
- Ireland (Ire)
- Italy (Italy)
- Libya (Lib)
- Morocco (Mor)
- Palestine (Pal)
- Persia (Per)
- Poland (Pol)
- Portugal (Por)
- Rumania (Rum)
- Spain (Spa)
- Sweden (Swe)
- Switzerland (Swi)
- Syria (Syr)
- Trans-Jordan (Jor)
- Tunisia (Tun)
- Turkey (Tur)
- Ukraine (Uk)
- Vichy (Fra)
- Yugoslavia (Yug)
As you can see, some smaller countries have been combined into a single Minor Country for game purposes.
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 28b Puppet Government. He may apply the card’s event to Libya, because it is a Dependent and all of its Cities are under Axis control at the moment. If he had played 28a Treaty instead, he could not name Libya, 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: Gibraltar is a Dependent of Britain, so it’s referred to as a “British Dependent.”
If Italy is Neutral, so are all Italian Dependents (Albania, Libya, and Rhodes), and thus no unit is allowed to move into any of those places. If Italy is an Axis Country, then its Dependents are all Axis Dependents, even if they are completely occupied by enemy units.
The Dependents that may appear in the game and their possible associated Countries are:
- Albania (Italian)
- Algeria (French)
- Byelorussia (German)
- Caucasus (German)
- Crimea (German)
- Cyprus (British)
- Cyrenaica (British)
- Denmark (German)
- Donbass (German)
- Egypt (British)
- Gibraltar (British)
- Kuwait (British)
- Libya (Italian)
- Malta (British)
- Morocco (French)
- Occupied France (German)
- Palestine (British)
- Rhodes (Italian)
- Syria (French)
- Trans-Jordan (British)
- Tunisia (French)
- Turkish Straits (British or Russian)
- Ukraine (German)
△ 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:
- Alsace-Lorraine (part of France)
- Bessarabia (part of Rumania)
- Crimea (part of Russia)
- Cyrenaica (part of Libya)
- Denmark (part of Denmark-Norway)
- Donbass (part of Russia)
- Eastern Poland (part of Poland)
- Finnish Frontier (part of Finland)
- Gau Moselland (part of Belgium-Holland)
- Memelland (part of Baltic States)
- Northern Baltics (part of Baltic States)
- Occupied France (part of France)
- Polish Corridor (part of Poland)
- Turkish Frontier (part of Turkey)
- Turkish Straits (part of Turkey)
- Ukraine (part of Russia)
- Vichy (part of France)
- Byelorussia (part of Russia)
- Caucasus (part of Russia)
Ostland Regions: Byelorussia, Caucasus, Crimea, Donbass, and Ukraine are sometimes identified as Ostland 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: Germany 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 there is a Republican Stronghold marker in the Country, it aligns with the Allied faction shown on the Republican Support marker.
Priority 3: If a Soviet or Western Influence marker is in the Country, it aligns with the Allied faction shown on the marker.
Priority 4: If the country does not share a Border with any Soviet Country, it aligns with the Western faction.
Priority 5: If Pre-War is in effect, the Axis player must choose an Allied faction for the Country to align with.
Priority 6: If the Country does not contain an Axis or Western Strategic Hex, it aligns with the Soviet faction.
Priority 7: 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 Aug-Sept 1939 turn, Pre-War is in effect, and the Axis faction reveals Card 15 Demand Polish Corridor. The Political Event Die Roll is Country Resists (15.7), so Poland’s alignment must be determined.
The card and event that triggered Poland’s entry do not specify an alignment for the country (Priority 1), nor does Poland contain a Republican Stronghold marker (Priority 2). There is no Allied influence marker in the country (Priority 3). Poland does share a border with Russia, a Soviet country, so Priority 4 doesn’t apply.
That brings us to Priority 5. Pre-War is in effect, so the Axis faction gets to pick Poland’s alignment. The Western faction is chosen, and World War II begins.
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 an Isolationism marker in it, the US Posture is Isolationism.
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 US, Britain, France and Western Minors Posture Boxes are considered friendly to the Western faction. The Western Minors Box tracks the Posture for all Western Minor Countries except France.
If Vichy has been formed, its Posture is dictated by the Western Minors Box.
The Russia and Soviet Minors Posture Boxes are considered friendly to the Soviet faction. The Soviet Minors Box tracks the Posture for all 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:
- Appeasement
- Cordon Sanitaire (“Cordon” for short)
- Franco-Russian Entente (“Entente” for short)
- Guarantees
- Isolationism
- Nazi-Soviet Pact (“Pact” for short)
- Ostland Accord (“Ostland” for short)
- Treaty of Locarno (“Locarno” for short)
- Treaty of Rapallo (“Rapallo” 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 Britain’s Posture is Appeasement, Britain is a PAC. This means all British units and markers, and all Land hexes inside Great Britain and all British Dependents, are affected by the Appeasement 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 Pact. The Axis faction attempts to place a German Air Force unit in a hex in Russia. This attempted placement immediately ends the Pact, 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: Britain and France both have a Posture of Appeasement. A French ground unit cannot move into Britain or British Dependents. It can move within or between France and French Dependents. Also, a French unit cannot move using a British Troop Convoy marker.
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: Turkey is a Western Country and its Posture is Guarantees. A Turkish ground unit can move only into a country with a Posture of Guarantees.
Russia’s Posture is Pact. A Russian ground unit cannot move into a Conquered Allied Poland because Poland does not have a Posture of Pact.
Britain and France’s Posture is Appeasement. A French ground unit can move using a British Troop Convoy marker in Limited War.
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: France’s Posture is Appeasement. A French ground unit does not project a ZOC.
ZOC is not projected into a PAC hex.
Example: France’s Posture is Appeasement. An Axis ground unit does not project a ZOC into a hex within France or any French 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: Axis card 22a Case Yellow instructs you to end any Policy in France’s Posture Box. If France and Britain both had the Guarantees Policy, you’d remove both of those Policy markers. If France’s Policy was Entente but Britain’s Policy was Appeasement, you’d only remove the Entente marker.
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:
Example: Guarantees markers are in the Britain, France and Western Minors Posture Boxes. The Axis player plays card 15 Demand Polish Corridor.
The Axis Political Event result is Country Resists (15.7). Poland is determined to be a Western Country, making it subject to the Guarantees Policy. According to the Country Resists Event, that Policy is ended. All Guarantees markers are immediately removed from the Posture Display, which ends Pre-War. Hitler’s demand of the Polish Corridor has triggered World War II in Europe!
- 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.
Example: Russia’s Posture is Pact and a German ground unit is in the Eastern Poland Region. Russia plays card 11 Demand Eastern Poland, and Eastern Poland is ceded to Russia in the Option Card Segment. If the Axis player chooses to not intern his unit in the Conditional Event Segment, the Pact will end.
- An option card is played that ends a Policy.
- △ Total War goes into effect and the Policy is not Isolationism or Ostland Accord (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 Appeasement and France’s Posture is War. If the Axis player places a German support unit in the North Sea On Station Box, it does not end Britain’s Appeasement.
An Axis ground unit enters an Active PAC hex.
Example: France’s Posture is Appeasement. If the Axis player moves an Italian ground unit into France or any French Dependent, that ends Appeasement.
- 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 (15.31) Political Event is applied to a Policy.
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 the Ostland Accord Policy if the Enforced Peace marker (14.11) is on the Turn Track.
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 France are both PACs, and the Axis faction attempts to place a Submarine Fleet in the On Station Box of the North Sea Naval Zone. Since Britain and France both have Ports within that Naval Zone, the Axis faction must end one of the British or French 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 Nazi-Soviet Pact Policy, British units are prevented from attacking Russian units, 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. Exceptions: If you are setting up Finland, Italy, Switzerland, or Vichy, see 13.7.2.
△ Step 1: Separate out any Partnership (P) counters the Minor Country may have and set them aside for future use.
Step 2: Place its 0-1-2 Res infantry unit in the faction’s Force Pool.
Step 3: Place in the Delay Box any of its remaining units with Delay Stripes except for fortress units.
Step 4: Place any garrison and fortress units it may have in the appropriate hexes (2.3.2.4).
Step 5: 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 4 and 5 is limited to one unit per hex.
Step 6: If the Minor Country was activated by Free Passage (15.15), 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 7: Perform a Mobilization Roll for the country unless:
- it is a Civil War Country (13.8.4).
- it was activated by the Coup D’etat (15.9) Political Event.
- it was activated by the Free Passage (15.15) Political Event.
- it was activated by the Gradual Decline (15.17) Political Event.
- the country is Vichy.
△ Step 8: Remove any Influence, Neutrality, or Civil War 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
Finland: The Man fortress units are set up in hexes e4607 and 4707 if the Finnish Frontier Region is part of Finland. If the Finnish Frontier has been ceded to Russia, these units are removed from the game.
Italy: These are placed before the rest of Italy’s units are placed:
- In or adjacent to City and/or Port hexes in Albania and/or Libya, up to one unit per hex – three Italian 0-1-2 infantry [re: 5, 9, 10]
- Rhodes (e1908) – one Italian 0-1-0 garrison [Rho].
- Western Mediterranean, Central Mediterranean or Adriatic Sea Convoys Box – Italian Convoy marker (in either Convoy Mode).
- Delay Box – Two Italian 1-1-3 infantry [re: 1, 8], one Italian 0-1-2 colonial infantry [Col], one Italian 1-1-3 mech [Exp], one Italian Surf Fleet [Regia Marina], Italian War Economy +1 marker
Switzerland: A one-step infantry unit and a one-step fortress unit are placed in each Swiss hex.
Vichy: Select the following counters with a V in the upper left corner. These are placed as follows:
In or adjacent to City and/or Port hexes within Vichy (not Occupied France) or a Vichy Dependent, up to one unit per hex – three French 0-1-2 colonial infantry [Col].
In the owning faction’s Force Pool – one French 0-1-2 infantry [Res].
Delay Box – one French 3-4-2 infantry [re: 1], one French 1-2-3 infantry [re: 7], one French 1-2-3 mech [Exp], one French 1-1-2 colonial infantry [Col]
Delay Box, if Vichy has been activated as an Axis Minor and the counter has not already been entered or removed from the game – one French Surf Fleet [1], French Convoy marker
ClarificationIf Vichy is activated as an Allied Minor Country, these counters are removed from the game.
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 Eastern Poland Ceded Land marker is in the Ceded Lands Box, then Eastern Poland 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 German Denmark Ceded Land marker is in the Ceded Lands Box, then Denmark is a German Dependent because the marker says it is a German 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.
△ 13.8.1.1 Baltic States, Finland, Rumania, Poland
If one of these Countries is ceded to Russia in its entirety, its units are set aside and it ceases to exist as a Country. The removed Country can be “re-created” when the Ostland Accord Conditional Event (16.2.2) is performed or by the Minor Country Created Political Event (15.25).
Baltic States: The Baltic States includes the Regions of Memelland and Northern Baltics. Whenever the Baltic States is ceded to Russia, the fate of Memelland depends on the following:
- If Eastern Poland has not been ceded to Russia, Memelland is ceded to Germany. Place the German Memelland and Russian Northern Baltics Ceded Land markers in the Ceded Lands Box.
- If Eastern Poland has been ceded to Russia, Memelland is ceded to Russia if it has not already been ceded to Germany. If Memelland is ceded to Russia, place the Russian Baltic States Ceded Land marker in the Ceded Lands Box. If Memelland has already been ceded to Germany, place the Russian Northern Baltics Ceded Land marker in the Ceded Lands Box.
△ 13.8.1.2 Austria, Czechoslovakia, Switzerland
If one of these Countries is ceded to Germany, its units are immediately removed from play and it ceases to exist as a Country. Once removed from play, these Countries cannot be re-created with the Minor Country Created Political Event.
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 28b and 29b Puppet Government.
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:
- Algeria
- Baltic States
- Basque
- Byelorussia
- Catalonia
- Caucasus
- Crimea
- Denmark
- Donbass
- Egypt
- Finland
- Libya
- Morocco
- Palestine
- Poland
- Rumania
- Syria
- Trans-Jordan
- Tunisia
- Ukraine
13.8.3 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 Axis Med HQ unit consists of a German and Italian unit. In order to be supplied, it must trace a supply line to both a German supply source and an Italian supply source (though it does not have to be the same exact supply line). The HQ unit can provide an HQ shift to a combat involving a German or Italian unit, but not an Axis Rumanian unit. Likewise, it could not stack with a Rumanian unit (unless it was a Rumanian 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.
Example: If a French step were in the Western AA Unit Holding Box and the Case Yellow Conditional Event were being performed, you would have to breakdown the AA infantry unit. The French unit would be removed from the game and the British BEF unit would remain on the map.
Likewise, if you were performing the Ostland Accord Conditional Event, you would have to remove the Soviet Bal HQ unit from the map and perform a breakdown. Here, the Russian component units would be removed by the minor country unit used to build the Bal HQ would remain on the map.
△ The following are multi-national units:
- Axis PA unit: German and Axis Minor Country.
- Axis Med HQ unit: German and Axis Minor Country.
- Axis 20 or 24 infantry unit: German and Axis Minor Country.
- Soviet Bal, Cen, and Sou HQ units: Russian and Soviet Minor Country.
- Western AA unit: British and Western Minor Country.
You cannot use British colonial units to build the AA army.
- Western 1AB airborne unit: British and US.
- Western 15 HQ unit: British and US.
△ 13.8.4 Civil War Countries
A Minor Country can be in Civil War.
In a standard game, Spain can be in Civil War. In the Axis Empires Expansion Kit Random Campaign Game, it could be another Minor Country.
Only the following Political Events can be applied to a Civil War Country:
- Civil War Defeat (15.4)
- Civil War Victory (15.5)
- Declare War (15.10)
- No Pasaran! (15.29)
- Political Option (15.31)
- Provincial Independence (15.34)
- Republican Infighting (15.35)
- The Bell Tolls for Thee (15.39)
Treat all other events as “No Result” when applied to a Civil War Country.
Example: Axis card 25 Operation Marita tells the Axis player to select a Neutral Country and either apply Declare War or roll on the Diplomatic Incident Table. He names Spain, which is a Civil War Country. If he chooses the Declare War option, that is applied normally. If he rolls on the Diplomatic Incident Table and gets a Free Passage result, that is ignored because it is not on the list of events that can be applied to a Civil War Country.
If a Civil War Country is activated, its alignment is determined normally (13.5). It does not receive a Mobilization Roll during setup (13.7.1).
Once a Civil War ends (whether through being activated as above or as the result of a final Civil War Defeat or Civil War Victory Political Event), a country is no longer a Civil War Country.
Breakaway Regions: A Civil War Country may include a territory called a Breakaway Region. A Breakaway Region may become a separate Minor Country through the Provincial Independence Political Event (15.34). Unless that happens however, a Breakaway Region is considered part of its Civil War Country for all purposes.
△ 13.8.5 Partnership Countries
Each faction can create one Partnership Country by playing its Partnership option card and selecting an eligible Minor Country.
A country is eligible to be selected if all of the following apply:
- It is one of France, Italy, Poland, Spain, or Turkey.
- It is a Minor Country belonging to the faction playing the Partnership card.
- It has not been conquered or liberated at any point in the game.
Creating a Partnership Country puts all of a Minor Country’s Partnership ground units into the Delay Box. Partnership ground units have a P letter code for their Reinforcement Code.
In addition, a Partnership Country may receive an Air Force unit and/or War Economy +1 or +2 marker through the Successful Improvements Political Event (15.38).
△ 13.8.6 Vichy
“Vichy” is created whenever France is conquered, which can occur in one of two ways: by Axis Minor Country Conquest (16.1.1) or the Case Yellow Conditional Event (16.2.1).
Remember, according to the Glossary, “France” is used to refer to that country before it is conquered, “Vichy” is used after. “French” can refer to either France or Vichy.
The following rules apply at all times to Vichy:
Vichy Territory: The Vichy Home Country consists of all French Home Country lands that have not been ceded to Germany (either directly or as a Dependent), including the island of Corsica. Any Dependents identified as French Dependents are Vichy Dependents.
This will usually be Algeria, Morocco, and Tunisia, though it may include Syria as well.
Posture: After creation, Vichy uses the Western or Soviet Minors Posture Box (as appropriate), not the France Posture Box.
13.8.6.1 Neutral Vichy
When Vichy is created through the Case Yellow Conditional Event (16.2.1), it starts as a Neutral Country. Place the Vichy marker in Vichy (w3217) as a reminder of its existence.
The following rules apply only while Vichy is a Neutral Country:
Vichy Surface Fleet: The Vichy Surface Fleet unit may be added to the Axis Force Pool as the result of an Axis Neutrals Pressured Political Event (15.28).
The Vichy Surface Fleet unit may be removed from the game by a Western Neutrals Pressured Political Event.
These events represent the Axis seizing the French Navy or the Royal Navy sinking it in harbor.
Vichy Home Country Ports: For Axis Vichy Surface Fleet, all Ports in Neutral Vichy are considered Vichy Home Country Ports.
13.8.6.2 Active Vichy
Setup: When Neutral Vichy is activated, it uses special rules for Minor Country Setup (13.7.2). When Vichy is created through the Allied Minor Country Conquest Conditional Event, it is immediately created as an active Allied Minor Country (16.1.1).
Vichy Surface Fleet and Convoy: If Vichy is a Neutral Country when it activates as an Allied Minor Country, the Vichy Surface Fleet unit and Convoy marker are immediately removed from the game.
The French scuttle their navy before the Germans can seize it.
If Vichy is an Axis Minor Country, any friendly Port in Vichy (not a Vichy Dependent) may be used as a Vichy Home Country Port.
If Vichy is a Western Minor Country, any friendly Port in Vichy (not a Vichy Dependent) or Western Off-Map Box may be used as a Vichy Home Country Port.
In the event that Vichy decides to “fight on” (see 16.1.1), the Western Off-Map Boxes will probably be necessary to use the Vichy fleet, assuming the French Home Country has been overrun.
No Surrender: Vichy is not subject to Allied Minor Country Conquest (16.1.1).
© 13.8.6.3 France on the DS Map
In AE, France/Vichy is activated on each map separately.
France is always considered “France” on the DS map; it can never be conquered. If France has become “Vichy” on the TK map, it is then considered to be a different country than DS France in all respects.
The French units in DS have an F (for “Free French”) on their Reinforcement Codes to distinguish them from the V units in TK.
* 13.8.7 Japan
* In TK, the course of the Pacific War is handled abstractly through Pacific 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 Pacific War Display to track the current status of the Pacific War and units serving in that theater. The Pacific War Display contains the Pacific Holding Box and two Pacific War Boxes.
Pacific Holding Box: Support units that have been sent “to the Pacific” through Pacific Commitment Political Events (15.30.1) are placed here. A unit in this box is considered to be “out of play” until is returned to the Delay Box by a future Pacific Commitment Event.
Pacific War Boxes: The Pacific War Status of an Allied faction is tracked in its Pacific War Box. An Allied faction’s Pacific War Status will be one of No War, Limited War or Total War.
If a faction’s Pacific War Box contains a Pacific War marker, that marker is its Pacific War Status. If there is no marker, its Pacific War Status is No War.