Ageod WW1 Manual Cover.qxd

21. Doctrines and Combat Tactics
In 1914, warfare is conducted according to the Movement Warfare
Doctrine, which is mostly described in the above Warfare section.
If victory has not been achieved by one side by the end of 1914, the troops
will start digging in: this is trench warfare and the military leadership adopts
the Firepower Doctrine. When in combat, armies and units in defence now
benefit from very strong protection from entrenchment, characterised by
the Trench Level (from 0 to 3, a value added to the defence value of
entrenched units!). This will change most attacks into pure slaughters,
unless huge amounts of artillery bombardments are assigned. The Combat
table is now changed, and the number of attacks per turn becomes limited.
Each nation is now forced to plan annual Grand Offensives, or they lose
National Will.
Through technological research (and the new weapons they bring) and
results obtained during those Grand Offensives (as they are test beds for
new combat tactics), doctrine will evolve and improve. Theoretically, by the
end of the war in 1918 (or earlier), nations can adopt the Combined
Doctrine that reintroduces movement and fluidity on the battlefield thanks
to new infiltration tactics, assault troops, tanks, air support and various
improvements that will reduce the efficiency of trench levels.
21.1. Generalities of Doctrines
Each country has a “Military Doctrine”. The Military Doctrine determines
which Combat Table is used. It represents the dominant mode of Military
Thought and is used to discover new “Combat Tactics”, the latter having
direct impact on combat table modifiers and resolution.
Each country starts with the Movement Warfare Doctrine. France also has
a Combat Tactic called “Shock”.
21.1.1 Three Different Doctrines
118 World War One: La Grande Guerre 1914-1918
For the scenarios in 1914, 2 primary doctrines exist, summarizing a state
of mind of the militaries and the major states:
Movement Warfare: the Main maneuver.
Firepower: firepower dominates and trenches protect.
Each country starts with the Movement Warfare Doctrine, and may move
on to Firepower at the earliest in October, and latest in Nov–December 14.
In any case, during these 2 turns, the Firepower Doctrine (Trench Warfare)
is only a transition stage (mixture of characteristics of the two doctrines).
A 3rd “Combined” doctrine exists that is available later in the war, around
1917–18, which is reintroducing movement and fluidity on the battlefield
thanks to new infiltration tactics, assault troops, tanks, air support and
various improvements that will reduce the efficiency of trench levels.
Beginning in certain dates, it is possible to pass to the next Doctrine (end
14 for Firepower, and usually sometimes during 1917 or at the beginning
of 1918 for Combined). The development of certain Combat Tactics
facilitates the development of Combined Doctrine.
During combat, the players will have advantages and disadvantages linked
to each Doctrine and Combat Tactic they are tied to.
Each Doctrine is equivalent to a “basic” Combat Tactic. Other tactics
proposed are additional option, after having been discovered (via
technology, event or through testing during a Grand Offensive see
below).
21.2 Movement Doctrine
This Doctrine recommends the spirit of maneuver and movement research,
which brings the encircling and destruction of the Enemy. It also gives the
following advantages and liabilities:
Advantages
● In Defense, when the player retreats at the end of a combat round, he
may reduce the result by 1 loss (to his engaged unit). To do this, he
must retreat 1 extra region.
Exception: “E” result (eliminated) cannot be reduced, and must be applied
without compromise.
● During the opponent’s turn, the player may intercept his moving units .
● In Defense, the player may reinforce with adjacent units following an
attack.