The return of France

[Yoper]

After France has fallen, what are the conditions for it to start producing units again?

We do not see anything on how France becomes an active country again. 

Must the WA retake Paris before the French can start to produce again?  Or do the WA just have to liberate any French production center?

Craig 

[Mark]

There are no rules to re-activate France because once France falls it is out for the game.  French territories are like occupied neutrals and their productoin points go to whichever side (Allied or Axis) occupies them.  The same thing is true for Italy by the way.

[Yoper]

Since a lot of this game has a historical leaning to it I can understand Italy not coming back.

France though was a different story.

Just a thought.

Craig

[Mark]

Hey Yoper,

You make a good point.  I guess in trying to shave complexity down where I could, I considered the impact the French made after the liberation of Paris in August of 1944 to the end of the war to be kind of too minor to introduce rules to deal with it.  But, we could certianly come up with an optional rule to cover it.

How far did you guys get on Friday?

[Micoom]

Will you guys come up with optional rules for the return of France? And if optional, then maybe alos Italy and even others. But I think France should come back. They had over 1.2m troops fighting the Germans in the last months of 44 begin 45.  Give them controll over the Vichy troops outside of France, when Vichy falls, instead of saying they become British..

[Mark]

Good point - I'll add some optional rules for Free France for those folks who want to get the French back into it.  I don't think it would effect the game balance.

[Darkman]

Sounds good.

[Mark]

So, I would think it would go something like this:

Once the following three conditions are met, France is considered liberated and the rules below apply.  1) It is Spring 1942 or later;  2) Vichy France has been removed from play; and 3) the Allies have 5+ supplied ground units in Paris at the end of the Axis turn.

Free Frac Rules:
All Allied controlled French territories and colonies (French North Africa, Corsica, Syria/Levant States, Madagascar and French South East Asia) are counted toward French production (and are no longer counted toward some other Allied nation's production) as long as they are occupied by at least one Allied ground unit at the end of the next Allied turn.

The French player may build units and place them in French production centers at the end of the turn per normal rules of play.  French maximum builds noted on their production chart remain in effect as do the ability to build late war units (e.g. medium tanks).

Once France re-enters the game, they do not surrender and continue to fight until one side or the other is victorious (note, however, that French units can only be built at French production centers - if all production centers are Axis occupied, the French may not build any units).

How's that?   

[Micoom]

I think this sounds about right! I will look if i can have it tested in the current game.

Thanks!

[Bobsalt]

Mark,

I was just curious - how did these optional rules for Frech re-entry work out?

[Mark]

Hi Bob - we have not played with it yet - but in thinking about it again - I think it should work pretty well - I can't think of any glitches in the rule.