Blocks in the East: Chrome Expansion
Blocks in the East: Chrome Expansion Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Introduction
The Chrome Expansion of Blocks in the East is designed to allow expert players to add more historical details to expand the replay value by enhancing existing historical scenarios.
1.0 Components List
- 12 Special Event Cards
- 30 16x16x8mm wooden blocks
- 1 blue wooden disc
- 8 plastic factories
- 12 8x8x8mm wooden cubes
- 20 plastic black drums
- 10 plastic white drums
- 59 PVC stickers
- 1 Rules Manual and FAQs
2.0 Components Description
The 12 cards introduce new historical events that players can choose to add to increase historical details and flavour. Before the game starts, players must agree on how many and which cards to put in play.
Each card has a number of Chrome Spheres from 1 (the event is historical, but not added to the original game) to 3 (the event may hardly have happened).
The 30 wooden blocks and the blue disc are new playing pieces. Apply the 15x15mm stickers on them:
- 1 Ploesti Flak Tower on Blue disc
- 3 Cossack Cavalry on Red blocks
- 5 Soviet Forts on Orange blocks
- 3 Italian units on Green blocks
- 19 other units on Black blocks
The plastic factories and wooden 8x8x8 cubes are for Axis Minors' better game management only. Apply the small 7x5mm flag stickers on them. The plastic drums are the new version (these replace the old ones).
3.0 Event Cards
Von Richthofen Takes Over!
In the summer '42, after the Fuhrer Directive no. 41 was issued for the conquest of the oil rich Caucasus region, the 8 FK was put directly under von Richthofen's command, increased in strength and provided with the best pilots. Also the KG.z.b.V1, equipped with Ju-52 transport planes, was added to the FK and later used in the desperate attempt to resupply the 6th Army surrounded in Stalingrad.
This card increases the strength of the 8th FK, and also adds the Transport plane for air supply purposes. The Transport plane may only be used in the Movement Phase, in the same way a paradrop takes place, but the target hex (airdrop supply hex) may be any terrain. It has bomber's MP and DF, but without OF. Instead of attacking enemy GU after combat, Blitz included, the transport plane may partially resupply 1 German GU/step (4 GUs when at full strength, 1 GU when at minimum strength) to a range of 1 hex. If a GU is resupplied by air: remove the white drum and reduce the GU by 1 step.
SS Heavy Deployment
With the war entering in its 6th year, Hitler sends more Waffen SS volunteers to the Eastern Front.
Luftwaffe Heavy Deployment
Although initially formed as regiments in charge of maintaining airfield security against Soviet Partisan activity, due to the desperate need of troops following the Caucasus drive, Goering ordered the formation and the first line deployment of the 1st and 3rd LW Field Corps.
Riforma Pariani Cancelled!
After the defeat in Greece, Mussolini cancels the "Riforma Pariani" and Italian Division Structure reverts to its original formation of 3 Infantry Regiments plus a larger Artillery Regiment made up of 4 battallions.
Finnish Pride
Despite their reluctance to actively fight the Soviets across the Svir, the Fuhrer has decided to provide the Finns with better support.
Magyar Pride
Despite their reluctance to effectively engage the Soviets in combat, the Fuhrer has decided to provide the Hungarians with better support.
The Hungarian 2nd Tank Division has the same TECH level of German Tanks.
Rumanian Pride
Thanks to Goering's direct intervention, the Rumanian Royal Air Force gets the rights for Messerschmitt Bf 109G (German Tech) mass production in the Brasov Air factory.
Ploesti FLAK Tower
The Flak Tower is restricted to Ploesti, and may overstack. It has only AA capability. If Ploesti is attacked by enemy AU, it rolls 3 AA dice and has the same firepower as German artillery. If embattled alone with enemy GCU, it is permanently destroyed.
Ukraine – Rise of a Nation
After Germany's invasion of the USSR, the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists – ONU – proclaimed the establishment of Ukraine. Hitler recognizes the new Nation.
Historically, when in June the ONU made the proclamation, Hitler rejected it and ordered the arrest and deportation of ONU's activists. Playing this card, Hitler recognizes the new Country. Ukrainian units are restricted to operate on Soviet soil only (red band). They are treated as a minor, with 4PPs. Even if the Lvov, Kiev, Dnepopretovsk and Zaporozhe population centres are active and do not need restoration, the Germans cannot add them to their production. Ukraine's borders are abstract. The Country is activated by the card and surrenders if Kiev is Soviet controlled in the Victory Phase.
The Stalin Line
Built in the 1930's along the Soviet Polish border, the Stalin line was a system of bunkers, trenches and concrete fortifications that were almost abandoned after the signing of the Molotov-Ribbentropp Pact. However, having been quickly put back in service, the line helped to blunt the German spearheads' penetration in Ukraine.
Deploy the 4 forts as per the image on the card. Forts are very expensive, but very useful for building a fortified line in open terrain.
They can be built anywhere at the desired strength, but if built adjacent to enemy units, they can only be built at minimum strength of 1 step and in future turns, while this condition persists, only 1 step/turn may be built. They can NOT move at all and have NO ZOC. They cost 3 yellow PP/step and give 1 BONUS in Ground Combat to defending GCU and 1 MALUS to attacking units. Forts have a Defensive Firepower of 5/6.
NKVD
NKVD units were used for rear area security including the deterrence of desertion, but have also been occasionally employed in first line fighting, such as during the Battle of Stalingrad and the breakthrough in Crimea. Unlike the Waffen-SS, the NKVD did not field any armored or mechanized units.
Cossack Mountain Cavalry
The vast majority of the ethnic Cossacks fought against the Nazis in the ranks of the Red Army. Their service was crucial in the Southern theater of the Eastern Front, as they were used for reconnaisance patrols and logistics on the open prairies, which they knew intimately.
This specially trained cavalry unit is very well suited for mountain battles. In hills and mountain hexes, it gets no Malus when attacking and 1 Bonus if defending, pays 1 less MP and may charge in clear terrain.
Greece Doesn't Give Up Easily!
Thanks to immediate British response and a massive CW deployment in Greece, the Balkan Campaign lasts longer.
WARNING! This card gives the Soviets a huge advantage. Use it wisely.
Reminder for the Dortmund Campaign
Additional Removes:
- 12/1941: 7th Flieger Division and the Hungarian Rapid Corps
- 7/1942: 22nd Airlanding Infantry Division
Industrial Development:
Both factions start the game with 10 partially built (5/10) factories:
- Germany: 5 armor, 4 air, 1 oil factories
- USSR: 5 armor, 5 air factories
4.0 Frequently Asked Questions
Stacking
Q: How does the stacking rule work?
A: The stacking limit is 3 GUs of which a maximum of 2 can be GCUs but, during combat, a maximum of 2 additional Air Units (any combination of fighters and bombers) may be brought in.
Tech Level
Q: Since the Shock Armies begin at Tech 2, do they move up to Tech 3 when the rest of the Soviet Infantry reach Tech 2?
A: No, they just reach Tech 2 earlier.
Map
Q: Teheran has a number 1 printed on it. I assume this is to indicate that a unit must remain there, but wondered if it might also provide 1 yellow PP?
A: Yes, Teheran provides 1 PP to the Soviets if they control it.
Q: Is the hex line along which the Manych runs the trigger for receiving the extra Panzer HQ... and does it continue to where the Donets is or where there is no river? And can the Romanians trigger this if they are the first to cross that hex line?
A: Yes Romanians as any Axis units crossing the Manych (plus Rostov fallen) triggers the event. Please note that the Manych is in reality only 6 hexsides long (from the lake to the conjuction with the Don GREEN), but for this rule also the lower Don (RED) counts.
Supply
Q: Do the siege supply rules for a port take effect whether or not German and Finnish units are in the hexes adjacent to Murmansk via Red Arrows?
A: Yes.
Q: If the Soviet units are in siege supply, do both units lose a step during the Final Supply Phase if they are still out of supply? If so, does the 1-step unit surrender even if there is still a good Soviet unit (3-step after the step loss) in Murmansk?
A: They both surrender, as Murmansk is the only Soviet harbour in that body of water (the other is Archangelsk, which is frozen).
Q: Can German units in Petsamo trace supply in good weather to Narvik, since it is 3MP away and then to Germany since Narvik is a port?
A: Yes.
Q: If German units move from Petsamo into Murmansk (only in good weather as that move costs 3MP) and actually take the city, can they then trace supply from Murmansk back to Germany because Murmansk is a port?
A: Yes.
Q: Can more than one German unit trace supply through Finland?
A: You can supply any number of units through Finland, but only 1 German GU can station inside.
Q: If a railway is connected to a main supply source, but the connection at some point goes through an enemy ZOC, can that railway serve as a supply source?
A: No, if the rail connection at some point goes into an EZOC, then there is no valid connection.
Production
Q: Do Hungary and Rumania have OIL Production?
A: YES. However, as they both as Soviets have oilfields (not hydrogenation plants) in their home nation, they do not need to track OIL consumption.
Q: In the small scenarios do the PP gained/lost for the control of enemy cities count?
A: No, PP income does not change in the short scenarios.
Q: Four units are available as reinforcements for placement in Hungary in March 1942 but there is only one major city in Hungary (the capital) and two units can arrive there. Do the other two have to wait until April before showing up in Hungary?
A: When playing BITE alone, you can choose to get 2 of those 4 in March and the other 2 in April.
Q: When the railway to Murmansk is cut off and it is winter (White Sea is frozen), are units in Murmansk considered to be out of supply even though Lend Lease can still enter the port and be used by units there?
A: Out of Supply units cannot be reinforced. The incoming PPs cannot be used in Murmansk as it is not a Major City (and they cannot be saved).
Q: Can Germany receive PPs from its allies?
A: No.
Q: Can the Soviets evacuate factories when the hex is adjacent to German units?
A: No.
Strategic Rail Movement
Q: Can air units hop on the train during the SRM to move forward?
A: Yes.
Q: To get a German mountain unit out of the north, it must first get to Narvik (if it is not there already), use SRM in the next turn through Sweden to reach a port in the Baltic, then ship out in the following turn across the Baltic to a German port and then SRM in the turn after that to get to its final destination (Soviet Union). This is at least a three month process. Is this right?
A: Yes.
- Turn 1: move to a rail
- Turn 2: SRM and Naval Movement
- Turn 3: SRM again
Q: How far may I move units by SRM?
A: Any distance on friendly rail. You cannot use enemy controlled rail.
Movement
Q: Is minimum movement in MP or in hexes?
A: Minimum Movement is 1MP, not 1 hex.
Q: A unit may enter and cross an enemy ZOC without any penalty or stand still. Is that correct?
A: Correct.
Combat
Q: When a unit whose step difference is 2 takes one hit, how many dice does it throw when attacking the next combat round?
A: These units need 2 hits before being reduced. So after only one hit it still throws as many dice as if it received no hits.
Q: What happens when a bomber attacks a hex which contains only 1 enemy bomber?
A: Air to air step: no combat because the defending bomber must stay on the ground. AA step: the attacking bomber is subject to AA fire depending on the major or minor city where the defending bomber is stationed. Air to ground step: the bomber attacks the enemy bomber on the ground. The next round both bombers are in the air, but the air to air step is skipped since there are no fighters present.
Q: Do mountain units get a bonus for attacking in Hills as well as in Mountains?
A: When fighting in hills and mountain hexes, mountain units get no Malus when attacking and 1 Bonus if defending.
Q: Can reserve armor that reacts to a battle overstack?
A: No
Q: Can a Cavalry Charge or Panzer Attack be taken when attacking across a river?
A: No.
Q: Are Cavalry Charge or Panzer Attack available on every round of combat, not just the first?
A: Yes, every round.
Q: Minor cities do not impede Jericho's Trumpets. Do they impede Cavalry Charge or Panzer Attack?
A: Yes.
Q: If the attacker takes control of a hex after a battle (either the defender is eliminated or retreats), can one or more of the attacking units also retreat (to ensure supply line connectivity) as long as the retreat rules are followed i.e. cannot enter EZOCs unless a friendly unit is there, etc.?
A: Yes.
Q: Can Strategic Bombers be used in the same capacity as regular bombers to attack GUs or can they only be used for strategic bombing?
A: Every bomber (strategic or not) may be used in any role, even twice in the same turn, but they can make just 1 combat round.
Q: If a unit that needs two hits to lose a step suffers only one hit in a battle, does it carry that hit over, or is that hit lost when the battle ends?
A: The hit is lost after the Blitz Phase.
Q: Do Finnish ski troops attacking in forest also get the bonus for their AA fire, thus cancelling out the general Malus for the forest?
A: The Finnish Ski troops (2nd and 4th Corps) have a BONUS for attacking, not for defending. As the AA is = DF, they don't get any BONUS on the AA.
Q: If a unit retreats out of combat into a friendly hex with a friendly unit which is not face up (and known) and enemy units then enter that hex in the Blitz Phase, is the accompanying air/artillery halved in the first round of combat if Air Recon wasn't performed in that hex?
A: Yes.
Q: Can I use TECH 1 fighters and 0-step AU to attack (pin) enemy units on ground?
A: No. In the Movement Phase they can fly to a battle hex only if escorting a bomber.
Q: When I have multiple options to retreat, which one should I choose?
A: The shortest path to the main supply source.
HQ's
Q: If a Supreme HQ activates in the Strategic Rail Movement Phase and it still has an action remaining at the end of the player turn, can it activate an air unit in the Defender Reaction Phase of the other player turn?
A: No, HQs activated in the SRM Phase must be reduced and deactivated at the end of the Blitz Phase.
Q: During which phases do the HQ's activate?
A: HQ's may be activated in one, none or all the following phases:
- SRM and in the Movement Phase (All HQ)
- Exploitation Phase (only Armor and Minor HQ)
- Reaction Phase (only AIR and Minor HQ)
- Strategic War Phase (only Air and Minor HQ)
Q: Can FHQ and Stavka perform 1 Air Recon (similar to activated Axis Powers HQs)?
A: No. Germany and Russia have dedicated tactical HQ for Air Recon. Strategic HQ's may make 1 recon attempt only if they are the only HQ for that nation i.e. Finns, Rumanians, Hungarians etc.
Q: Are all of the Armor HQ steps black (costing one yellow and one oil)?
A: The first step of every tactical HQ has a thin white border: it costs DOUBLE. All the other steps cost single.
Q: The HQ actions, e.g. Move 1 armor unit as if it is in full supply, should I read this as a move and full supply attack?
A: Yes.
Reserve Units
Q: If an armor unit is placed in reserve during movement phase, and decides not to move during the armored exploitation phase, can it maintain reserve status and act as a reaction force during the enemy turn?
A: No.
Partisans
Q: Do partisans accumulate if the Germans don't clear them out?
A: Yes.
Q: Do HQs and AUs act as garrisons for determining Soviet Partisan number?
A: Yes.
Scenarios
Q: Are the units with a black dot used in the short scenarios?
A: No.
Q: Can German units in Rumania attack in June 41?
A: GUs are frozen (white circle), AUs (Rumanian included) can attack.