Iron Storm: The First World War, 1914-1918

They were ordered to attack. It was their duty to obey that order. We can't leave it up to the men to decide whether an order is possible or not. If it was impossible, the only proof of that would be their dead bodies lying about in the trenches. They're scum, Colonel. The whole rotten regiment. A pack of sneaking, whining, tail-dragging curs. – General Mireau in “Paths of Glory” (1957)

Iron Storm is a two-player strategic wargame that allows you to recreate the entire First World War in a single afternoon (3-5 hours). The game uses an innovative card engine system where each player uses their entire hand in one go to activate armies, resolve operations, and support battles with combat cards. It also simulates human and economic attrition during the course of the war by gradually adding cards to each deck that will have limited use in the hand and take additional effort to remove. Iron Storm has been designed to be as simple as possible in terms of rules and has no exceptions to remember that are not indicated on the cards or board. It is equally suitable as an introductory wargame or as a tight duel for experienced players.

Highlights:

• An innovative card-play system that keeps the game moving quickly while simulating war weariness and exhaustion through the addition of Attrition cards to both players’ decks
• A quick and exciting battle system using custom dice to determine the impact of artillery, with outcomes slightly unpredictable but still deterministic enough to plan your turn around
• Random events depicting external political, industrial, and military factors that both players must adapt their strategy in response to
• Four scenarios allowing for variable game length, with even the full arc of the Great War in Europe being playable in an afternoon
      

Each player will control one of the two great alliances that fought in the First World War, with some countries on either side starting neutral and only joining the war later in the game:

• Central Powers: Germany, Austria-Hungary, Ottoman Empire, and Bulgaria
     
      The German Kaiser's army is undoubtedly the most powerful of the conflict. Numerous, disciplined, and supported by large quantities of artillery, it is also supplied by the biggest industrial base in Europe. As the war progresses, the German army can benefit from the support of high-quality aircraft, submarines, poison gas, and eventually stormtroopers to break through the toughest defensive lines.
     
      The other members of the Central Powers are not on the same level as Germany, and they are each surrounded by enemies on both sides, forcing Germany to fight a two-front war. It is important to conquer Serbia so that, when Bulgaria enters the war, the Central Powers will have all their territory connected, allowing them to send reinforcement troops where they are most needed. A good strategy for the Central Powers is to concentrate a large force where they want to carry out their offensives, while remaining on the defensive on the other fronts, with the intention of defeating their enemies one by one.
     
      At the beginning of the game, the armies of the German Empire are positioned to engulf Belgium and France. Although the Schlieffen Plan to conquer Paris may prove difficult, the fall of Paris provides the Central Powers with automatic victory and thus will always be a threat that the Allies must take seriously. In addition, the conquered territories on the Western Front provide numerous victory points, which will be very important as the Central Powers will win if they manage to hold onto enough territory until the end of 1918.
     
      
•  Allies: Belgium, British Empire, France, Russia, Serbia, Italy, Romania, Greece, and the United States
     
      The strength of the Allies lies in the nations of the Triple Entente: UK, France, and Russia. All three, along with some minor allies, must cooperate in order to stop the Central Powers. Time is on the side of the Allies. If the first onslaughts are resisted, Italy will soon join in to open up a tough new front against the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and eventually the United States may even join the war.
     
      If you play too passively, the Central Powers will always have the initiative to decide where you fight and under what conditions. The problem for the Allies is that their nations are separated on so many fronts that they cannot easily help each other. You have to fortify and play conservatively on the fronts that are being hit the hardest. But the best way to resist on one front is to attack elsewhere, always creating new threats and problems for the Central Powers by hitting their weakest points so that they have to reinforce them with armies that could otherwise be on the offensive.
     
      As the war goes on, the Allies will be able to be more and more aggressive. They have more armies and manpower, so a war of attrition is to their advantage. The arrival of tanks, and especially the United States army, on the Western Front should tilt the balance enough in the Allies' favor to defeat the Central Powers, or at least to try and take back the victory points gained by them earlier in the game, forcing them to surrender in 1918.

The main map recreates the entire European theater, from the trenches of Flanders and France to the great plains of Russia, the Italian front in the Alps, and the rough Balkans. It also incorporates a small map of the Near East with the multiple fronts of the Ottoman Empire.

The central engine of Iron Storm is driven by two unique card decks, one used by each player. With them you will have access to all the necessary means to win the war: resources, armies, weapons, and operations. Each turn you will play through a full hand of cards, activating armies for battles and then maneuvers, playing events for special effects, and possibly spending cards to earn resources for future use. You may choose to retain some cards in your hand, guaranteeing that they will be available next turn, but at the cost of achieving less this turn. 

The combat system used in Iron Storm is simple but deadly. You will have to carefully choose the combat cards that you dedicate to each battle, while trying to always have an ace up your sleeve in case things go wrong. Launching attacks without sufficient artillery support is usually suicide, but while artillery is powerful, its ability to cause damage is still somewhat unpredictable. You can improve the accuracy of your artillery if you have air superiority, but despite all your preparation, the enemy may have their own combat cards ready to surprise you with.

After the battles and other events of the war, nations will suffer Attrition. Starvation, desertions, and low morale will affect your ability to continue recruiting and reduce your ability to carry out your operations. A nation that has exhausted its Attrition cards will not be able to continue recruiting to replace casualties, and Attrition cards will also clog up your deck and hand, making future operations more difficult.

During the game there will be political events, espionage actions, or military operations in other parts of the world. Often, these will force you to make immediate decisions that will affect the development of the war. Each year, new cards are added to the Event deck, and not all of these will be drawn in every game, so no two games will be the same.

Scenarios:

1. The Great War – Ten rounds from 1914-1918, the full arc of WWI in Europe
2. The Guns of August (Introductory Scenario) – Four rounds from 1914-1915, introducing the game or allowing for a quick session
3. Europe in Despair – Six rounds from 1916-1918, covering the second half of the war and allowing for a medium-length game
4. The Turning Point – Four rounds from 1917-1918, covering the end of the war in a single short session
       

Each game round lasts around 30 minutes once you’ve learned how to play, allowing for even a full-length game to be completed in an afternoon session, with shorter scenarios suitable for evening or tournament play.  

Solitaire Play Enabled by the CDG Solo System: Experience the titanic struggle of nations solitaire with the cinematic play of the CDG Solo System! Iron Storm is compatible with the CDG Solo System and will come with a playsheet designed by Ken Kuhn, one of the System’s co-designers. The included playsheet describes how the rules of the game are adapted to work with the CDG Solo System to support solitaire play. The CDG Solo System itself is not included with Iron Storm, but it can be purchased or downloaded as a free Print & Play Kit on the System’s home page here: https://www.gmtgames.com/p-908-cdg-solo-system.aspx

Components:

• One 22x34" mounted game board
• 150 regular sized playing cards
• 20 black wooden cubes
• 7 custom six-sided dice
• Two full color countersheets
• Two double-sided player aid sheets
• Two player mats
• One CDG Solo System playsheet
• One rulebook
• One playbook
• A 3" box

Number of players: 2
Game Designer: Edgar Fenollar
Game Developer: Joe Dewhurst
CDG Solo System Design: Ken Kuhn