Ageod WW1 Manual Cover.qxd

21.3 Firepower Doctrine
This Doctrine advocates that firepower, in particular that of artillery, is the
King of the battlefield. It is the Doctrine of defense, artillery (heavy) and
trenches.
Advantages
For the Attacker:
● The Attacker may carry out a preliminary bombardment before
combat.
● Possibility of starting a yearly Grand Offensive on the French,
Russian, and Italian fronts.
For the Defender:
● The Attacker must use the Trench Table for combat.
● The Defender is always entrenched with, as a bonus to its units
combat defense values, the current trench level value (+0 to +3).
● The Defender has a bonus of +2 to all his Morale Checks (trench
bonus).
● The Attacker has a -1 on the combat rolls if he is still in Movement
Doctrine (1914 only).
Disadvantages
The Movement Doctrine is abandoned permanently (the same for the
Shock Tactic).
The following rules become obsolete: Retreat before Combat, Interception,
Reinforcement, Counter-Offensive.
Breakthrough in the event of victory becomes more difficult.
New possible Combat Tactics
They are to be developed (see below): Heavy Bombardments, Combat
Gas, Rolling Barrage, Infiltration, Flash Bombardments, Combined Arms,
Aerial Support, Defense In Depth.
21.4 Combined Doctrine
120 World War One: La Grande Guerre 1914-1918
This doctrine is founded on the use of Arms and Combat Tactics together,
to obtain a breakthrough on the battlefield. This doctrine is usually acquired
around the middle or end of 1917, or (most certainly) at the latest early in
1918.
Advantages (this is a summary)
● The Attacker has +1 on the combat roll during a turn.
● Every attack obliges you to be “in movement”; which allows, in
addition, interception as in Movement Doctrine.
● The player may attack and change region each turn to carry out his
Main battle (during a Grand Offensive).
● The player has a +2 bonus to learn Combat Tactics.
● Flash bombardment becomes more efficient.
● Enemy reinforcements will arrive with more difficulty during battle.
Disadvantages
● In defense, units considered as being “in movement” have their trench
level diminished by -1.
Moving from Firepower to Combined Doctrine
From 1916+, a nation may attempt a test to achieve Combined
Doctrine or wait. Doing the attempt early is prone to yield little success.
This Doctrine is founded on the use of all the arms and Combat Tactics,
to obtain a breakthrough on the battlefield. Here are the basic
requirements:
● It is obligatory to start (or continue) a Grand Offensive, with a major
power of your side (except Turkey). But you may not start the Main
battle with Armies of different nationalities.
● A D12 is rolled for the test, which succeeds on 12+.
+1 per turn in 1918+ (from Jan-Feb)
+1 for each Tactic obtained: Infiltration, Flash Bombardment,
Combined Arms, Aerial Support (+1 to +4)
+1 Technology: Stosstruppen “C” (Centrals)
+3 per victorious battle (region taken) on the French Front (in 1916+)
-1 per Test failed
● A Combat Tactic acquired during the same turn does not count for the
test to achieve Combined Doctrine, only Tactics acquired during the
preceding turn(s) count.
In the event of success, the power passes to Combined Doctrine. In the
following turn, all the other major powers and all the other minor countries
from the 2 sides pass automatically to this Doctrine.
Example: in March-April 1918, Centrals attempt a test with Germany. The
bonuses are: +2 (2nd turn of 1918) +3 (Infiltration, Flash Bombardment,
Aerial Support) +1 (Stosstruppen C technology), for a bonus of +6. The D6
gives 6, modified to 12: it is a success !
The German immediately passes to this Doctrine and launches a Grand
Offensive against the British on the Western Front.
During the following turn, in May 1918, this Doctrine is known by all.