“World War Two for Two Players in Two Hours – or less” is the simplest way to describe Hitler’s Reich, GMT’s upcoming strategic game of the European theater in the Second World War.  Although designed for and best played by two players, it can also be played by as many three or four, or as few as one.  Although the specific guidance on how to game solitaire or multi-player are provided in the game’s Playbook, which is essentially a bonus booklet separate from the Rules, here is a quick peek into what it is like to try to conquer Europe all alone in Hitler’s Reich.

 Schizophrenic Puzzle Solving Solo Play in Hitler’s Reich

Solitaire gamers often feel like a God – they know and see everything, but as being omniscient and all-powerful not only gets old but gets boring from a lack of challenge, Hitler’s Reich offers solo gamers a unique twist: they play in Fog (of war) that keeps the game surprising.  As with many games, in Hitler’s Reich the solitaire player has to assume a schizophrenic attitude, trying to seek out the optimal strategy for one side and the best counter response by the other.  To speed up and ease that process, however, in Hitler’s Reich the solo gamer only has to make the BIG decisions – what Event Card to play for, what space on the map to Attack, and where to Fortify or place a Fleet.

As the active Player, the gamer can decide to use Event Cards in hand to increase their chances of resolving that play, and then as the opposing player can decide whether or not to toss in one or more of that side’s Event Cards to change the odds. From there on, the Fog of War takes over.

To determine the outcome of a battle or to decide if a play for a card succeeds, Hitler’s Reich uses a conflict resolution system somewhat akin to the classic card game of War! – or as one BGG poster better put it, a simultaneous revelation of cards similar to Twilight Struggle’s Headline Phase, but with a choice of what Conflict Card to play.

In the solitaire version that choice is rescinded; attacker and defender, the Axis and the Allies, each draw blind, taking the top card from their face-down hand.  As in the two-player game, after the cards are revealed dice are thrown, and their total is added to the value of the card played.   While the ability to select what card to play is a crucial part of the game-within-a-game mechanism of Hitler’s Reich, the random selection process helps keep a solitaire player from favoring one side over the other, and keeps the solo experience more challenging.

A special rule allows the Axis to choose another Conflict Card during the early war, to simulate the German Army’s tactical flexibility, if the initial card seems a real “turkey”.  Of course, there’s no guarantee the next card will be better, and quickly going through the Axis deck will accelerate the end of the 1941 Game Year and Stalin, as of 1942, forswearing the Nazi-Soviet Pact (which gives you, as the Soviets, the option of launching attacks west from the Soviet Union to cancel the Operation Barbarossa Option), but the solitaire player has that choice.

This is a choice the Allied side has later during the war when they get that tactical advantage as their military might breaks out of Operation Overlord’s beachhead and/or to advance on Berlin with a vengeful Red Army having survived the rigors of Operation Barbarossa. However, taking more Conflict Cards also hastens the end of the war in 1945 and would that cause the Allies to fall short of their goal of capturing Berlin and crushing Hitler’s Reich?

Split Personalities Stumbling Through the Fog (of war)

Mark and Developer Fred Schachter at WBC with another recent design - Rebel Raiders on the High Seas. (Photo by Harold Buchanon, captions from C3i)

Even when playing both sides of a game, most gamers root for one of those sides over the other.   They put at least a little more of their heart into being the good guys (or the bad guys), and that means they invest themselves not just in playing a game, but in trying to accomplish something in particular in a kind of role playing Hitler’s Reich lets solitaire gamers do – by setting themselves a goal to push or frustrate a particular strategy – but through the random Conflict Card draw a mechanism exists which levels the playing field between the side the gamer is rooting for and the other.

This selection of a random Conflict Card applies to an attempt to attack or to gain an Event; but not to Reinforcement Actions or a Reorganize (Mulligan) Actions when the solitaire player can gain a brief glimpse of one side or the other’s Conflict Card Hand contains.  For a description of Hitler’s Reich Conflict and Event Cards, as well as a detailed description of how this game’s mechanics work, see related articles within the “InsideGMT” site.

The Battle of Britain Solo

Hitler’s Reich begins during the Spring of 1941 – before the invasion of Russia brought the Soviet Union into the war.  The Axis player is not required to make Hitler’s biggest mistake – or take his biggest gamble, but can try to win the war using that year’s first turns by defeating just the Western allies – which means Britain.  This is a challenge tailor-made for solitaire gaming.   The player as the Axis has a variety of strategies to try out to weaken the Allies.  These include playing for U-Boats to weaken them economically, sending fleets to fight for the vital convoy routes and of course fighting their way across North Africa into the Middle East.

Additionally, the Axis have two intriguing political options, Event Cards, to widen the war and achieve a Sudden Death Victory by capturing all six British Production Centers: “Franco”, which brings Spain into the Axis and opens Gibraltar to land assault and “Iraqi Revolt”, which suddenly places an Axis Control Marker on Iraq.  Of course the timing of when to play one or both Events is crucial.  The solitaire player must puzzle out when and if to take these options when pursuing a “Britain First” strategy.

Concentrating on just fighting the Western Allies makes for a short and fast-playing game and one where the solitaire player can focus attention to fighting a one-front war.   Trying to frustrate that Axis ambition in the West also allows the solo player to narrow their concentration while playing the Allies.  If the Axis does not win in the first year of the game, things will become more difficult as the Soviets will then enter and broaden the conflict, and that, too, presents a solitaire gamer with even more challenges: do the Axis persist in their original goal while trying to keep the Soviets away from Berlin, do they turn East or try to evenly pursue a war on two fronts?  Trying to win the war quickly as the Axis is a great Hitler’s Reich intro for solitaire players, especially those who want a potentially quick game… presuming the Axis win!

The converse is also true as you try to find a way as the Allies to survive this powerful assault and eventually turn the tables on your Axis antagonist.  Will selected counter-attacks at Sea to menace Italy or drive the Axis out of North Africa distract the Axis from their designs to capture London via Paratroop or Amphibious Attack?

Launching Barbarossa Solitaire

Hitler’s Reich begins in the Spring of 1941, which means that while engaged in the West the Axis is also poised to strike East.  Going for broke with Barbarossa is a decision that can be made in any version of the game, with two, three or four players, or in the solitaire version.  Here the focus is on the Axis land forces and generals, and on driving deep into Russia.  This, too, can be a short goal game for solitaire play, because the longer the game goes on, the stronger the Allies become, which means there is likely to be a break point where either the Axis tips the scales to victory – or starts to see the tide turn against them.

The Axis decision of when to launch Operation Barbarossa is a crucial one.  Do they first “tidy up” the strategic threats in North Africa, where their presence is reduced to a single Land Area whose loss will eject them from the continent, or the Balkans, whose Allied retention poses great danger to their European “soft underbelly” and to Italy in particular?  Yet every Conflict Card play reduces the Axis deck, which causes the time limit clock to tick away, for when that deck and the Allied deck run out, 1941 is over.  Choices, choices…

Fighting Alone on Two Fronts

Fighting on two fronts is how World War II in Europe played out for the Axis, and the solitaire gamer can either delay facing that second threat or can bring it about from the very first card play.  Knocking the Allies down on both fronts can bring about victory, especially if the Axis can build itself up at the same time.  This is a more complicated challenge for the solitaire gamer, as they have a lot more to think about from the start, but it does bring everything to the table:  the U-boats, Strategic Bombing, the ground war in the East, the Mediterranean front and the Battle for the Atlantic.  It is a lot to think about, and this is makes for a longer game, especially for the solitaire player.

At the GMT gathering 10/19/14 I was able to play this. I enjoy WWII but generally play hex based. This game was very fast and is a card play game. You get a varying number of cards then attack into one of the area movement type sections. You get an attack bonus when you have several areas adjacent. You roll dice 3 to 5 depending on what cards you have drawn. I was going great with the Stuka card and the Elite troops card until I ran into Montgomery in Egypt. I thought I would crush him so didn’t play my best general (highest numbered card) and Montie came out. Was saving my best to take the Suez, big mistake. Drove deep into Russia and thought I could take Stalingrad, ugh, bad card draws (low rated-captains) stopped me there. Fast to learn, and easy to play once you understand the rules. Will play this one again and again, a quick 2 hours, both players are always engaged. Buying this one today.
– Davis W., from the Ratings/Comments section on the Hitler’s Reich P500 page.

The Joy of Playing Solo

Hitler’s Reich is designed to be a fast and challenging game for two, but offers a lot to the solitaire player. Gaming solitaire is part learning exercise; part puzzle-solving experience and part sandbox play entertainment.  Taking on a game solo helps a player become familiar with the game mechanics and also lets them explore the strategies and nuances of that shiny new toy they just unwrapped.  In Hitler’s Reich, they get to do all of that, and do it in a well-designed and exciting Fog (of war) filled with twists and turns.

Author: Mark McLaughlin