The small scenarios relate to the first days of the German invasion (September 1-4, 1939) in the Carpathians or the Polish counter-offensive of Bzura by the army of Poznan (September 9-12, 1939). The long campaigns retrace the historic attack on Poland by the Hitlerite armies, or that of the USSR between September 1 and September 30, 1939.

Another campaign only sets the Germans against the Poles as the signing of the German-Soviet pact has not occurred. An uchronic campaign involves Russian forces on the Polish side in the context of a defense agreement between Stalin and Poland in the face of German aggression.

Finally, a last a-historic campaign simulates the fact that Hitler did not attack Poland when the Soviet Union invaded Lithuania in 1939. The latter then called on Poland to intervene against the Soviets while Germany remains neutral.

Scenarios last from 4 turns (for the small ones) to more than 30 turns, each representing a period of one day between September 1 and September 30, 1939. The ‘Axis’ player controls the German and Slovak units , while the other commands the Polish armies and air forces. The Soviet Union may intervene for the benefit of one side or the other depending on the scenarios.

• The Axis has strong troops with armor and significant air superiority at the start of the game, and its strategic position is better from the start. Large panzer units will make a difference on the battlefield, especially if paired with the Luftwaffe’s (classic or dive) bomber squadrons. The Blitzkrieg doctrine will find its culmination here by finding itself opposed by armies simply endowed with infantry and cavalry. The contribution of Slovak troops remains minimal but forces the enemy to disperse divisions that could be useful elsewhere.
• The Polish troops must in the historic campaign try to hold out as long as possible, even if defeat quickly seems inevitable. Despite their indisputable qualities, the Poles cannot survive this hurricane of fire and steel in the long term. It remains, however, possible to politically push the Western allies (France and the United Kingdom) to exert major pressure on Germany to force the latter to withdraw important land and air units from the Polish front to bring them back to the Ruhr.
• The Soviet armies are specific: although numerous and very well equipped in terms of armor and aviation, their use is much less flexible in 1939 than that of the Germans, because Stalin has just ended the period of the Great Purges and the few surviving officers are not the most effective, and their anxiety to displease or attract the attention of the master of the Kremlin causes significant paralysis within the Red Army.

The hypothetical and a-historic campaigns are more balanced in terms of play because the Poles are not surrounded in these situations, and allow more balance and opportunities.

Geographically, Poland remains a vast plain where obstacles are rare with the exception of large rivers. The lines of defense should therefore be mainly located on these water cuts, and some reductions may also appear to the south in the Carpathians and on the side of the vast Pripet marsh to the east.

The game’s event cards allow full replay ability thanks to the numerous various situations that they create on the diplomatic, military, political or economical fields.

Estimated Playtime: from 1h to many hours… Favored Side: Poland. Hardest to Play: Poland.