Mokra 1st September 1939

Mokra 1st September 1939

Author: Adam Niechwiej
Year of publication: 2014

On 1st September, 1939, armies of Third Reich had attacked Poland. During the very same day, a battle took place, the battle that after many years later became a symbol of clash of old cavalry formations with modern tank units. Poles from Wolynska Cavalry Brigade bravely resisted the German attack of 4th Panzer Division. Regardless of concentrated tank assaults supported with artillery and airstrikes, Germans hadn`t achieved their objectives. Defenders suffered heavy casualties but retained fighting capability and continued to fight in the days to come.

Game "Mokra, 1st September 1939" allows not only to recreate those events but also to check different hypothetical scenarios. Players decide about their forces` movement and they organize attacks or defense. Both sides enjoy certain advantages. Germans have large number of motorized units and strong air force. Poles need to make use of wooded terrain and an element of surprise - as Germans haven`t expected to encounter a such large cavalry formation in their way.

Players use basic rules of "Great Battles of Small Units" system. Few special rules were added to represent specific elements of that battle, like for example - an armored train "Śmiały" or German motorized infantry.

Complete game consists of:
- a board of size 297x420 mm;
- 154 die-cut counters;
- a rule book (8 pages);
- 1 scenario card;
- 1 player aid card.

IMPORTANT: Game does not include a deck of cards, which players have to supply themselves.

Game length: 3 to 4 hours.
Game is suitable for 2 players above 12 years old.

Errata: There is a mistake in Terrain Effects Chart. The sequence of pictures representing the roads is the other way around.

Great Battles of Small Units
Author: Adam Niechwiej

The system is representing military actions of small units, like a regiment or a brigade. Very frequently such actions in which relatively small units fought on both sides were important because of operational or moral context. Thanks to versatile rules it is possible to depict any military action from XX century.

Main features of the system are:
1. To resolve all of the procedures, players use traditional deck of 52 cards. Thanks to that, cards played at the beginning of the game, influence the final result, as the probability curve is quite different compared to die rolls.

2. During turn, only units of one side can be activated and the initiative is alotted to a player randomly. Chance of having the initiative changes with each turn. It encourages prudence in players and forces them to plan their moves as effectively as only possible because it may be as well that during next turn there won`t be any chance to correct potential mistakes.

3. Random events are involved into a gameplay (like snipers, change of orders etc.) and they can turn the table on players, at the same time bringing the chaotic reality of a battlefield to life.

4. Small modifications to the basic rules allow for depiction of single vehicles and guns that served as an support to combatants.

Thanks to the simplicity of procedures, games that belong to that system are very well suited for players just beginning their adventure with boardgames. Experienced players should find also something to their liking, as they have to decide not only what to do but also how to do it.