The Red Flags & Iron Crosses Campaign System

Yesterday I managed to finish the initial draft of the Red Flags & Iron Crosses Campaign System. It draws heavily on the system I used in my PORTABLE COLONIAL WARGAME book, but with one or two small but significant changes. The initial draft is shown below.

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RED FLAGS & IRON CROSSES: CAMPAIGN SYSTEM
CAMPAIGN TIME

• During the summer (the hot and dry season, shown as DRY on the following weather charts), each campaign move in a specific terrain type represents three days of game time.
• During the winter (the cold and dry season, shown as SNOW on the following weather charts), each campaign move in a specific terrain type represents six days of game time.
• During the rasputitsa (the wet and muddy season, shown as MUDDY on the following weather charts), each campaign move in a specific terrain type represents fifteen days of game time.

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CAMPAIGN WEATHER

• At the beginning of each campaign month, a D6 die is thrown, and the weather for each of the terrain types (Arid, Grass Steppe, Deciduous Steppe, and Coniferous Steppe) is read from the relevant Campaign Weather Chart.

Campaign Weather Charts
Arid

Grass Steppe

Deciduous Steppe

Coniferous Steppe

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ACTIVATING FORMATIONS

• Each side is allocated a playing card colour (Red for the Soviets and Black for the Axis).
• A standard pack of playing cards is shuffled and placed face down.
• When the campaign starts, the top playing card is turned over, and the colour of the playing card determines which side activates its units first and how many formations it may activate.
• If the playing card is an Ace, that side may move all its formations one grid square.
• If the playing card is a numbered playing card, that side may move one formation one grid square.
• If the playing card is a Jack, that side may move its formations a total of two grid squares (i.e. it may move one formation two grid squares or two formations one grid square).
• If the playing card is a Queen, that side may move its formations a total of three grid squares (i.e. it may move one formation three grid squares or one formation two grid squares and one formation one grid square or three formations one grid square).
• If the playing card is a King, that side may move its formations a total five grid squares.
• If the playing card is a Joker, that side throws a D6 die and reads the result from the list of Special Events.

Special Events

• After the playing card has been turned over and any actions have taken place, the playing card is discarded. The discarded playing cards are placed face up in a separate pile.
• Once all the unused playing cards have been used, the pile of discarded playing cards is shuffled and placed face down where all the players can see it, ready to be dealt when required.

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MOVEMENT RULES

• Movement may take place through the face or corner of a grid square as long as that grid square is not occupied by an enemy formation.

Examples of Permitted Movement.

• All movement made along roads is at twice the normal rate.
• No formation may enter a grid square that is already occupied by an enemy formation unless it is to fight that enemy formation.
• No formation may pass through a grid square that is already occupied by an enemy formation unless it is to fight that enemy formation.
• It must stop in an adjacent grid square, throw a D6 die, and read the result from the Reconnaissance Table.

Reconnaissance Table

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CASUALTY RECOVERY

• 33% of all lost SPs lost by a formation during a battle are recovered immediately after the battle has ended.
• 33% of all lost SPs lost by a formation during a battle are recovered to the Central Reserve D6 turns after the battle has ended.
• The remaining SPs lost by a formation during a battle are lost for the rest of the campaign.
• The SPs lost by a formation during a battle can be recovered immediately after the battle has ended from the Central Reserve if there are sufficient SPs available in the Central Reserve.
• Any commanders who are killed are replaced immediately after the battle from the Central Reserve at a cost of 6 SPs.

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CENTRAL RESERVE

• The Central Reserve is the pool of available SPs that have not been allocated to existing formations and units.
• The Central Reserve is fed by recovered battle casualties and newly raised SPs.
• Newly raised SPs appear on the first day of each campaign month, and are generated at the following rate by towns and cities that are not occupied by the enemy:
• Towns and small cities: 2 SPs per month
• Major cities: 6 SPs per month
• Capital city: 12 SPs per month
• Each side begins the campaign with a month’s worth of SPs in their Central Reserve.

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Notes:

1. A standard pack of playing cards is one with fifty-two playing cards divided into two colours (Red and Black) and four suits (Hearts, Clubs, Diamonds, and Spades) plus two Jokers (one red Joker and one black Joker).
2. This includes all turns of the cards including those that favour that side’s opponent as well as cards that may favour themselves.