For your interest, here's the notes from one of the playtests of the game. Both players requested to remain anonymous -- especially the Axis player! If you like to discover the play dynamics of a game on your own, I suggest you skip this section until you've played Balkan Front at least once.

Nov I 40 (Clear Weather)

Italy

Italian forces advance into Greece from Albania. Italian plans divide the border region into four sectors:

• Corfu (Kerkyra) Island. This sector is quiet on the first turn. The Italians have a moderate force ready to cross the narrow straits from Albania to Corfu, but they delay the attack as a Greek regiment guards the straits. Instead, the Italian marine battalion plans an amphibious landing at the port of Kerkyra, conspicuously moving from the front to the port of Valona to prepare for the landings.
• The Coast. Between the sea and the Pindus Mountains lies a narrow strip of rough and clear terrain. The Centauro Division (131st Armored) and all arriving motorized troops, together with a strong infantry force, will push down the coast as fast as possible. A breakthrough here could lead to the capture of the entire coast down to the Gulf of Corinth -- and a big gain might convince Bulgaria to stab Greece in the back. Unfortunately, the Italians get off to a slow start. The attack on Egoumenitsa near the border dislodges the weak Greek forces there (2 REs) but fails to destroy them. The Greeks retreat and block the coast road. The dash down the coast will have to wait until next turn.
• Pindus Mountains. The Italians plan a big push in the west/central Pindus range to capture Ioannina and open the road across the mountains to the plains of Thessaly. Major Italian forces open the offensive here, smashing the Greek division defending Ioannina.
• The Lake District. This section comprises the northeastern spur of the Pindus Mountains, Lakes Ohrid and Prespa, and the dread "valley of death" -- a clear hex containing the town of Koritsa, surrounded on all sides by mountains. The Italians would like to attack here and take the Greek border town of Kastoria, but they have insufficient forces. With only eight divisions participating in the entire invasion of Greece, the Italians elect to screen the lake district.

Greece

The Greek forces mobilize and march toward the Albanian frontier. Weak screening forces arrive in the coast and Pindus sectors, with stronger forces lagging behind, as the Greek rails are poorly suited to move troops to this area. The Metaxas Line is manned by weak divisions and border troops, sufficient to slow the Bulgarians should they attack. Forces throughout northern Greece move toward the lake district, where border forces begin skirmishing for control of Koritsa.

The Greeks suspect the Italian marines plan to land at Kerkyra, which puts them on the horns of a dilemma. Having the Corfu regiment guard the straits means the marines will take Kerkyra and capture the island's supplies, but pulling back to Kerkyra will allow substantial forces to cross the straits unopposed. The Greeks decide to defend Kerkyra, in the hopes that a counterattack along the coast will relieve the island before the Italians can sweep it.

Nov II 40 (Poor Weather)

Italy

The coastal group continues to advance. While reaching the Gulf of Corinth now looks unlikely, taking the halfway point -- the city of Arta -- may be possible. This turn, the foot sloggers clear an important mountain position overlooking the coast road, while Centauro nears Arta. In the Pindus, the Italians secure Ioannina and regroup their forces. With only one mountain division, the Italians can't maneuver well in poor weather in the roadless mountains, but they need to, in order to turn the Greeks blocking the road there. A new mountain division arrives from Italy and begins the long march to the lake district.

On Corfu, a motley group of Albanian brigades and Italian regiments crosses the straits and attacks Kerkyra, as the marines assault it from the sea. While the attack should succeed, the Italians are not optimistic and position the infantry division arriving from Italy to go to Corfu if need be. The Greeks do stop the attack and save the city, but the Italians retain control of the northern third of the island.

In the air, the Regia Aeronautica launches a daring raid on Larisa, Greece's main airbase. Unescorted bombers survive the patrol attack and interception of the Greek fighter there, although "hot" Greek AA fire turns back all but two of the attacking air units. In return, both score hits on the airbase, cutting its capacity by half and destroying the Greek bomber.

Greece

Stung, the Greek player stuffs Larisa with AA and calls on the RAF to strike back. Wellington bombers from North Africa bomb Durazzo at night and damage the port.

On the ground, Greek forces arrive in strength at the front and launch counterattacks. Along the coast, the Greeks push the flanks of the Italian spearhead out of the mountains, while strong forces arrive to defend Arta. In the Pindus, the Greek "secret weapon" gets underway. The Greek army consists mostly of low-grade mountain troops (6 MP mountain infantry), but they attack at full strength in the mountains. Although the mountains impose a -- 2 modifier and the poor weather an additional -- 1, the Greeks can get and risk medium odds attacks.

This time, the Greeks hit the Italians in front of Ioannina and clear them in a half exchange. The secret weapon strikes harder in the lake district. The Greeks break the Italians in the mountains by Koritsa in a bloody exchange, turning the entire Italian flank near Lake Ohrid.

Dec I 40 (Poor Weather)

Italy

The Italians rush troops to the lake district to try to restore their position, drawing on arriving reinforcements and the Pindus sector. With their drive blocked and their flank threatened, the coastal forces fall back to the Egoumenitsa-Ioannina line and go on the defensive. The Corfu force gets the division it needs and finally clears the island.

Greece

In the lake district, the Greeks continue to turn the Italian flank, even though the main attack here fails. Elsewhere, Greek forces concentrate on the coast and bludgeon their way into Egoumenitsa, despite the strong defense there. The elite Italian armored and motorized force which was defending the valley between Egoumenitsa and Ioannina is partially surrounded by this surprise move.

Dec II 40 (Poor/Winter Weather)

Italy

The winter weather is bitter news to the Italians, as snow in the mountains blocks the only escape route of the Centauro group. In a desperate attempt to free Centauro, the Italians attack Egoumenitsa with all local forces, all air support, and whatever that can reach the front from Corfu. The attack fails. In the lake district, a trickle of reinforcements finally seals the flank. The Italians hold the last chain of mountains in front of Elbasani.

Greece

The Greek coastal army destroys the trapped Centauro group. The Italians lose an armored division, three bersaglieri regiments, and a tank battalion -- their entire motorized force.

Blocked on the eastern flank, the Greek mountain troops do what the Italian tanks cannot: move through the snow-bound mountains. They concentrate in the heart of the Pindus Mountains and hit the weakest part of the Italian line, denuded of its defensive air support due to the failed counterattack to free Centauro. In a series of exchanges, they break the Italian line and open a route toward Valona, the supply source of the Italian coastal forces. However, the exchanges weaken the Greeks, as they receive few reinforcements or replacements to make good their losses.

RAF Wellingtons again damage Durazzo at night.

Jan I 41 (Poor Weather)

Italy

The Italians break up their coastal group, parceling out the divisions to form a weak defensive line in the mountains in front of Valona, while most of the victors of Corfu return there to guard the straits against a possible Greek assault from the mainland. Significant reinforcements begin arriving from Italy.

Greece

Greek forces push forward as best they can, but the Italians manage to stop the attack to reopen the way to Valona. In the central Pindus, another exchange rolls back the fascist lines but further weakens Greece's offensive punch. The Wellingtons yet again damage Durazzo.

Jan II 41 (Poor/Winter Weather)

Italy

More reinforcements arrive from Italy and help stabilize the Italian lines. For the first time in the campaign, the Italian are able to have one division for every eight miles of frontage. Construction troops finish building a fort outside Elbasani and rush to Durazzo to repair the port.

Greece

The Greeks improve their positions but abandon all offensive operations. Too weak to advance further, the Greeks remain strong enough to defend forward in Albania for some time.

At this point, the game was stopped. The February reinforcements, five more divisions, would give Italy a slight upper hand, but it'd take a long time for the Italians to push the Greeks out of Albania. The Greek player celebrated his rout of the Italians but regretted that he broke through too late to take Valona. The Italian player consoled himself that he never accepted German assistance (he almost asked the Germans for help in early January) and that, once the weather cleared, Greece would fall to the all-conquering Italian army in 1941 (1942 by the latest).

Next issue's "Inside Europa" column will provide even more Balkan Front material, including some additonal optional rules. -- RG

A Balkan Front Rematch [E29]