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France '40 2nd Edition

Status:  Shipping
Orders To Date:  1852
Weight:  3.0000
COMPONENTS
  • 2 Paper Maps
  • 2 Countersheets
  • 24 Page Rulebook
  • 16 Page Playbook
  • 2 Identical Player Aid Cards
  • 2 Setup Cards
  • Two 6-sided Dice
FIRST PUBLISHED IN 2013
DESIGNER: Mark Simonitch
MAP ART: Mark Simonitch
COUNTER ART: Mark Simonitch
PRODUCERS: Mark Simonitch, Gene Billingsley, Tony Curtis, Rodger MacGowan, Andy Lewis
Price: $55.00

Description

“...even if the operation were to have only a 10% chance of success, I would stick with it. For only this can lead to the defeat of the enemy.” —General Halder, Chief of General Staff

France '40 contains two separate games: Sickle Cut and Dynamo. Both games use the same rules and share many game pieces, but each has a separate full size map.

Sickle Cut: Guderian's Drive to the Channel
This game covers the crucial week in May 1940 when the German army broke the French line on the Meuse and raced to the sea at Abbeville. The game starts on May 13th, the third day of Case Yellow. Six panzer divisions have passed through the Ardennes and are now at the Meuse River. The French and British have raced through Belgium to reach the Dyle Line and cover the Gembloux Gap. The stage is set. Can the Germans cross the Meuse in front of strong opposition? And, if they can, will they be able to break out from the bridgeheads and advance across the map while threatened by Allied reinforcements pouring in from the north and south?

Dynamo: Retreat to Victory
This game covers the British withdrawal to Dunkirk and the evacuation. The game starts on May 24th, the day the British decide that the B.E.F. is in real danger of being cut-off from their supply base and the best option is to head for the coast at Dunkirk. However, many of the German panzer divisions are closer to Dunkirk than the British. Can the British reach the coast before the Germans? Can they hold the Dunkirk perimeter for eight days while they evacuate?

The rules for both games highlight armor, air support, and morale. Special rules include: Allied Heavy Tanks, DeGaulle, Rommel, Hitler's Halt Order, and French Command Paralysis.

2ND EDITION
France ’40 2nd Edition is a major upgrade to the original game. The rules for Extended Movement, Combat, Advance After Combat, Breakthrough Combat, and Determined Defense have been updated so they are more in line with the recent games in the 19XX series (such as Stalingrad ’42 and Salerno ’43). A new scenario has been included designed by Mark Merritt that combines both maps.

In addition, many new units have been added and some old units modified to provide a more accurate order of battle for both Sickle Cut and Dynamo. A few minor cities, some roads, and a fortified hex were added to the Dynamo map.

And most importantly, both scenarios have been sent through the playtest cycle again to make sure they are better balanced than they were in the first edition.

This game has long been one of my favorites due to the exciting situation and short playing time. I’m really pleased with this 2nd Edition and excited about the new features it has.

- Mark Simonitch


Time scale: 1 day per turn
Map scale: 4 miles per hex
Units: Divisions, Brigades, Regiments, and Battalions
Players: 2




Customer Reviews
(4.67)
# of Ratings: 12
1. on 7/11/2014, said:
One of the best games I have played in the last year. Both sides are actively engaged in play, the defender (Allies obviously) are not mere speed bumps as in many France 40 games. They can and must counterattack in order to derail the German Blitz.
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(23 people found this comment helpful, 8 did not)
2. on 3/4/2014, said:
Awesome graphics. The color rules and play book make this a first rate game. The design allows the German player understand how difficult it will be to duplicate historical results. I loved this so much I went and ordered other games (or preordered) by Simontich.
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(15 people found this comment helpful, 3 did not)
3. on 11/25/2013, said:
Love this game. I am playing it while reading "The Battle of France".
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(3 people found this comment helpful, 5 did not)
4. on 11/4/2013, said:
Mark hit a home run with this game, and I've only played the Sickle Cut scenario so far! The Germans have a lot to do very quickly, and those GHQ counters are maddening when you see them on your best French armored units, but it all seems to work very well. As the Allies, the uncertain type of reinforcements entering when they do adds a lot of excitement. I think the solo rating should be a bit higher than what it is on the GMT rating. This game is a keeper.
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(12 people found this comment helpful, 4 did not)
5. on 1/14/2013, said:
I own and like Mark Simonitch's Caucasas Campaign and have pre-ordered this game in hopes that he uses similar rules for this game. I like the idea of a mounted map. Please use 5/8" counters.
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(16 people found this comment helpful, 6 did not)
6. on 10/22/2012, said:
Love Simonich's operational titles but will agree with Daniel's comment in that I would pre-order only if I had the option to get a paper map. I play these type of games on my wall with magnetic counter holders, something I can't do with mounted maps.
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(5 people found this comment helpful, 12 did not)
7. on 10/15/2012, said:
This looks excellent. Thank you for the mounted map. I wouldn't have pre-ordered had it been on paper. For a multi-map game I realise paper is necessary but for one map I don't do paper and mounted boards are the minimum standard for me. The No Retreat board is a dream to play on.
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(12 people found this comment helpful, 2 did not)
8. on 7/29/2012, said:
From what I can tell from the sample counter sheet the French infantry all seems ot have the same morale or quality. Everything I have read about the campaign says there was a wide range of quality in the french infantry, from the reserve and fortress units that couldn't hold to the tenacious colonial divsions. how soes the game address this?
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(20 people found this comment helpful, 4 did not)
9. on 7/9/2012, said:
Rating is based on a Vassal play-test and previous experience with Simonich's operational titles. But, what's with the mounted map? They're OK for Euros, but war-gamers tend to own a lot of games, which tend to have big maps. All of which will make for a stupid big and heavy load on the shelves for us apartment dwellers if companies go with the trend of mounting the maps on hard-core war-games. I've ordered one copy of Sichelschnitt. Here's my pledge: if you go back to a paper map (packaged in your nice compact 1 1/2 inch deep box) I'll order a second copy for a friend!
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(9 people found this comment helpful, 21 did not)
Showing comments 1-9 of 9