From the moment I received the White Eagle Defiant, I played the game extensively, mainly solo, but also with my two young sons. The chit-pull mechanics, straightforward battle resolution, beautiful and thematic game components caused this to be one of my most often played titles of last two months. Of course, the story told – the 1939 September Campaign – was very close to my heart and it was interesting to see it from western perspective.

Once I played enough of the standard variant, I started to think about possible scenarios for this game. There were couple of variable factors before the World War II broke out, and there was – sometimes higher, sometimes only hypothetical – probability that things will unfold otherwise. With that in mind I am sharing first two ideas, which I already thoroughly tested and played, which makes the game even more re-playable. Enjoy!

Scenario 1 – Full mobilization

Scenario background:

Despite the Western Allies urges to delay the mobilization, Polish government decided it was a high time to be prepared for inevitable Nazi invasion once the Ribbentrop-Molotov pact was signed. On top of this, instead of defending the “polish corridor” and being spread thin at the borders, the leadership decided to concentrate the defense in couple of strategically important and well-fortified places. That hypothetical scenario tries to answer the question how campaign would run in such a set-up. Enjoy!

Set-up & rules modifications:
  1. All Polish units starting full-strength (that includes Warszawa x2, Wyszkow, Polesie, Karpaty)
  2. Pomorze Army (2 Units) is stationed in Torun
  3. Modlin Army (2 Units) is stationed in Modlin
  4. (Optional) Krakow Army (0-3 Units as per player discretion) is stationed in Katowice instead of Krakow
  5. All other rules – including the victory conditions – are the same as in the regular scenario.
Visual set-up:
Overall strategic set-up of Scenario 1
A close-up on the Scenario 1 set-up

Scenario 1 – Full mobilization.pdf – a pdf version of scenario, ready to download and print; BGG access required.

Scenario 2 – The other way around

Scenario background:

Both Hitler and Stalin were cunning and seasoned politicians. Their alliance via Ribbentrop-Molotov pact was not a coincidence and partition of Poland – a well thought endeavor. Historically, Soviets were delaying invasion of Poland until Wehrmacht tied and blooded Polish forces, only to join on September 17th 1939. But what if the Hitler would trick Stalin into attacking first? This scenario tries to answer that hypothetical question. Enjoy!

Set-up & rules modifications:
  1. All pieces representing the armed forces of the belligerents are on the map in the same positions as in regular scenario (so Polish, German, Slovak and Soviet Armies)
  2. Place German North and South markers on Turn 5; the German entry to war is under exactly same conditions as Soviet entry in the regular scenario (6 or more VPs at the end of turn 5)
  3. Put all other markers in opaque container with exception of Belarussian Front which is the starting chit for the game (similarly to North German Army in regular scenario).
  4. Blitzkrieg rules work for Russians only in this scenario.
  5. Soviets can move only 2 hexes max in first turn (coordination problems).
  6. Polesie Army is automatically destroyed when Soviet unit enters its position before Turn 4 (historically, it would have no chance to be mobilized)
  7. Danzig starts as enemy controlled, just as in regular set-up. You always need a Polish unit there to control it.
  8. Polish forces cannot enter Germany until that side enters the war.
  9. CMG units cannot enter Poland in the first turn.
  10. All other rules – including the victory conditions – are the same as in the regular scenario.
Visual set-up:
Overall strategic set-up of Scenario 2

Scenario 2 – The other way around.pdf – a pdf version of scenario, ready to download and print; BGG access required.

Summary

White Eagle Defiant is a great game for modding and creation of fan-made scenarios. There are so many options – often to a great extent resembling potential historical events – that you may count there will be another article in the series, with further variants. Stay tuned!