German Player:

The victory points for geographic objectives represent the strict German timetable and measure the extent of their advance from August 4th through August 27th. If the Germans cannot take their objectives in time or cannot advance into France while clearing the Allies out of Belgium, they will probably lose the game and the war. However, if they can force their way into France, they will most likely win the game and possibly the war.

The Germans must play error free and still hope for good dice rolls in all attacks against Liege and Namur to have a chance of winning. They should always have an overwhelming force ready to storm a fortress if the siege guns fire duds. Assuming all goes to schedule, they still must either destroy a fair number of Allied infantry divisions or inflict enough damage on them to advance into France. If you manage to take Liege and Namur on schedule, you still have to defeat or outmaneuver the Allied army.

With limited force and time, you can only make a few attacks, so always try to set up your forces to take advantage of Breakthrough Combat. You must hit hard and move fast, at all times. Clever use of Reserves and cavalry may keep the Allies off balance. Be careful not to overextend your forces or you may find the spearheads cut off and destroyed.

Allied Player:

The Allies have their own problems. If the Belgian Army can withdraw intact to Antwerp, the Allies can win the game, provided they can keep the Germans out of France and don't suffer heavy losses. This is one of the great dilemmas of the game; if the Belgians retreat to Antwerp, the Germans may advance to the border by the end of Turn 4 and be ready to pounce on 5th army and the BEF. If you use the Belgians as speed bumps, they could cost you quite a few VPs. The BEF can cause the Germans problems, if they can attack first or take up a good defensive position.

If the Germans can defeat them before they can do any real damage or hunker down, they may have to leave Belgium to survive the game. The same can be said of Lanrezacs army, but it can become easily overextended and doesn't have the same hitting power of the BEF. Your ultimate goal is to keep the Germans out of France, while suffering light casualties. You are outnumbered, so usually you will be looking for good defensive positions. Always watch for opportunities to counterattack. You can win by falling back and keeping your forces intact.

Design Notes

The forces were limited to keep the fight along the Sambre River axis, from Liege to northern France. I chose to allow the French 1 Cavalry Corps to cross the FDL after reading several accounts of them fighting along side the BEF. They give the French a bit more flexibility for flank security or screening purposes. For victory conditions, I felt both geographic and divisional losses were important.

The Germans entering France with a bad loss ratio couldn't be considered a victory. If they are held out of France, they must inflict heavier losses on the Allies to win. just as I would not award a victory to an Allied player who managed to keep the Germans out of France, but destroyed his army in the process or one who kept his army intact, but allowed the Germans to stick to their timetable.

I chose six turns because that was when the battles of Charleroi and Mons ended. Play may be extended to seven turns if players believe the Allies win too easily by retreating just out of contact with the Germans. Victory conditions and scenario length are two of the most difficult elements of game design to define. Feel free to change the scenario length, victory points awarded, or the inclusion of the French cavalry.