White Eagle Defiant: Poland 1939 Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• 1.0 Introduction
• 2.0 Components
  • 2.1 Mapsheet
  • 2.2 Combat Units
  • 2.3 Markers & Chits
• 3.0 Set-up
  • 3.1 Deployment of Forces
  • 3.2 Preparing the Cup
• 4.0 Sequence of Play
  • 4.1 Chit Pull Phase
  • 4.2 Additional German Activation Phase
  • 4.3 Clean-Up Phase
• 5.0 Drawing Chits
  • 5.1 Event Chits
  • 5.2 Activation Chits
  • 5.3 End Turn Chits
• 6.0 Tracking Victory
  • 6.1 Adjustments
  • 6.2 Allied Involvement
  • 6.3 Soviet Entry
• 7.0 Movement
  • 7.1 Stacking
  • 7.2 Enemy Occupied Boxes
  • 7.3 Special Movement Restrictions
• 8.0 Combat
  • 8.1 Group Units
  • 8.2 Die Roll Modifiers
  • 8.3 Roll Dice
  • 8.4 Apply Results
  • 8.5 Retreat & Advance
  • 8.6 Supporting Units
• 9.0 Siege Combat
• 10.0 Winning

1.0 Introduction

In White Eagle Defiant, one player plays the Germans, Slovaks, and Soviets (simplified as Germans unless otherwise specified in the rules) while the other player plays the Polish. The German goal is to gain control of Warsaw and other designated Victory cities while preventing the Polish forces from destroying their forts in East Prussia. If the German Player does so in less time than their historical counterpart, they win the game. Anything less is a draw or a win for the Polish Player.

The game takes place between 1 September 1939 and 10 October 1939. Each turn represents four days.

2.0 Components

The game is played with a mapsheet, 88 counters, 12 wooden control markers, 6 dice, and these rules.

2.1 Mapsheet

The map depicts areas of Poland, Germany, Slovakia, and the Soviet Union, using a point-to-point system in which important named locations, called Boxes, are connected by Movement Lines. Some Boxes have special properties:

• White boxes, with a red outline, represent Victory Cities.
• Boxes with a secondary "Siege Space" are called Forts. Note that several Victory Cities are also Forts.
• A white line running through the central part of Poland, called the German/Soviet Line, delineates the German and Soviet portions of Poland in the event of a successful campaign.

Also included on the mapsheet are several tracks and holding areas, the functions of which are discussed later in these rules.

Linguistic Note: The Polish alphabet has several characters the English alphabet does not. We attempted to approximate Polish spellings as closely as possible within a typographical style that lacks these characters.

Geographical Note: The "Fort" of Gdynia actually represents the Fort of nearby Hel; Gdynia gets the name on the map due to its larger size.

2.2 Combat Units

Many of the counters represent Combat Units.

Unit Types: There are four types of Units.

• Infantry have a Movement Factor of 2.
• Cavalry have a Movement Factor of 4. Polish Cavalry, with the horse sub-icon, have a special capability (8.3).
• Light Armor have a Movement Factor of 4.
• Armor have a Movement Factor of 4.

Nationality: The background color indicates the nationality of the Unit.

• White: Polish
• Gray: German
• Red: Soviet
• Blue: Slovak

Command: The Command to which the Unit belongs, indicated both by the color of its Unit Type symbol and the single letter indicator to the left of that symbol, corresponds to an Activation Chit which dictates when those Units may move and attack.

Combat Factor: The minimum number on which the Unit scores a hit, represented by the number of pips on the die symbol. A roll of "6" is always a hit, and a roll of "1" is always a miss.

German Armor Units, called Panzers, have two red die icons, representing a special capability (8.3).

Most Units have two steps of strength, and are flipped from their full-strength side to their reduced-strength side (indicated by a stripe) when they first suffer a hit.

2.3 Markers & Chits

Besides Combat Units, the game uses several markers and chits.

Markers are used to track game information or statuses:

• Fort Markers are used to indicate the strength of a Fort's defenses (also representing garrisons).
• The Game Turn Marker and Blitzkrieg Breakdown Marker are used on the Turn Track and Blitzkrieg Breakdown Tracks, respectively.
• The Combat Marker is used to indicate the Box in which Combat is taking place.
• Recovery Markers are used by each side in their respective Recovery Boxes to indicate the Recovery of Units from reduced to full-strength during a Game Turn.
• Wooden Control Markers are moved from the Victory Track to the map as the German Player captures Victory Cities.

Chits are pulled from an opaque container over the course of the game.

• Activation Chits are used to activate Combat Units belonging to that Command.
• Event Chits may result in a special Event taking place.
• Turn End Chits dictate the tempo of the Game Turn, which ends when all four have been drawn.

3.0 Set-up

Place the mapsheet on table. Place markers as follows:

• Game Turn Marker on Turn 1 (Sept 1-4).
• Blitzkrieg Breakdown on "0" space.
• Recovery Markers in each player's Recovery Box, blank side face-up.
• Starting on the right side of the track ("12" space) and working toward the left, place eleven wooden Control Markers on the Victory Track, one per space. Place the remaining Control Marker in Danzig.
• Each Fort's Fort Marker in its Box at full-strength.

3.1 Deployment of Forces

German Order of Battle

North (Green)

• 3rd (3 Units): Allenstein
• 4th (3 Units): Neustettin
• AGN (2 Units): Neustettin (see below)

South (Brown)

• 8th (1 Unit): Breslau
• 10th (4 Units): Neisse
• 14th (3 Units): Neutitschein
• AGS (2 Units): Neisse (see below)

AGN/AGS Units: These Units may not move until Turn 2. As a reminder, a small black dot is present in the upper-right corner of the counter.

Soviet Order of Battle

• Belorussian (Orange, 10 Units): Minsk
• Ukrainian (Pink, 6 Units): Proskurov

Slovak Order of Battle

• Bernolak (1 Unit): Presov

Polish Order of Battle

North (Gold)

• Pomorze (2 Units): Grudziadz
• Modlin (2 Units): Mlawa
• Narew (2 Units): Lomza
• Wyszkow (1 Unit): Wilno (reduced, see below)

Central (Blue)

• Poznan (2 Units): Poznan
• Lodz (2 Units): Lodz
• Prusy (2 Units): Radom
• Polesie (1 Unit): Pinsk (reduced, see below)
• Warszawa (2 Units): Warszawa (reduced, see below)

South (Purple)

• Krakow (3 Units): Krakow
• Karpaty (1 Unit): Przemysl (reduced, see note)

Reduced At Set-Up: Some Polish Units begin the game on their reduced side as indicated above, but will be flipped to full strength at the beginning of certain Game Turns. Printed on the reduced side of those counters is the turn number in which they are flipped to full strength.

3.2 Preparing the Cup

Set aside the following Chits:

• German North Chit (give to German Player)
• Both Soviet Chits (place on Turn 5 of Turn Track)

Place all remaining Chits (Activation, Event, and End Turn) into an opaque container. The German Player will then begin the game by activating the German North Units, placing the German North Chit in the Pulled Chits holding box on the mapsheet.

4.0 Sequence of Play

Each Game Turn consists of the following phases performed in the following order:

4.1 Chit Pull Phase

One player (it doesn't matter who; roll if you like) blindly draws the first chit from the opaque container, resolving it according to the rules in section 5. Players alternate drawing chits until the fourth Turn End Chit is drawn, ending the Chit Pull Phase.

4.2 Additional German Activation Phase

If the German Player has not activated both German Commands before the end of the Chit Pull Phase, the player may attempt to activate those Units during this phase. For each Activation Chit that was not drawn, the German Player rolls a die. On a roll of "3" or less, those Units are Activated as if that Chit had been drawn. On a roll of "4" or more, that Command suffers a tactical/logistical breakdown:

• Those Units reduce their Movement Factors by one, and apply a -1 modifier to their combat rolls.
• The Blitzkrieg Breakdown marker is advanced by one space (per roll of "4" or more).

Note that if the Blitzkrieg Breakdown marker reaches the "5" space of the track, the campaign is a complete failure, immediately resulting in a Polish Victory.

4.3 Clean-Up Phase

During the Clean-Up Phase,

• Advance the Game Turn Marker to the next turn.
• Return all pulled chits to the opaque container.
• Flip any face-up Recovery Markers to their blank side.
• Certain Polish Units that begin the game at reduced-strength are flipped to their full-strength sides.
• Check for Soviet Entry (6.3) before starting the next turn.

5.0 Drawing Chits

Chits are drawn randomly one at a time and resolved completely before drawing the next. What happens depends on the type of Chit that is drawn. (Exception: Turn 1 begins with the German North Chit already "drawn", activating the German North Units).

5.1 Event Chits

If an Event Chit is drawn, place it in the Pulled Chits holding box. It does not immediately trigger. At any time prior to the Movement step of an Activation, or prior to the resolution of a Combat, the appropriate player may select their drawn Chit and trigger it, flipping it face-down to indicate it has been used (each Event can only be used once per Turn; in Combat, each side can only use one event).

German Events

• Luftwaffe: Two possible uses. If used before a Polish Movement Step, those Units have their Movement Factors reduced by one. If used during a Polish Combat, the German player is allowed to attack back against a Fort (9.0).
• Blitzkrieg: +1 to all German die rolls in one Attack. Cannot be used against a Fort. Advance is automatic after successful Combat if there are no losses.
• Ju 87 Stuka: +1 to all German die rolls in one Combat without restrictions.

Polish Events

• Armored Train: +1 to all Polish die rolls in one Defense. Cannot be used in Boxes outside of the borders of Poland.
• Sabotage: Used before a German Movement Step; those Units have their Movement Factors reduced by one.
• PZL P.11: +1 to all Polish die rolls in one Combat without restrictions.

5.2 Activation Chits

When an Activation Chit is drawn, then all matching Units may Move (7.0) then conduct Combat (8.0-9.0). Alternatively, once per turn, one matching reduced Unit may Recover, flipping to their full-strength side. That Unit does not Move or perform Combat. Flip that side's Recovery marker to its text side when this option is used.

5.3 End Turn Chits

If a End Turn Chit is drawn, it is placed in one of the End Turn holding boxes. When all four End Turn Chits have been drawn, the Chit Pull Phase is concluded.

6.0 Tracking Victory

The Victory Track charts the progress of the campaign and victory in significant battles, measured in Victory Points (VP) for the German Player. The number on the right-most revealed (uncovered) space of the track indicates the current number of German VP. For example, at the start of the game, the right-most revealed space on the track is the "1" space, representing 1 VP.

6.1 Adjustments

When the German Player captures a Victory City, they remove the next available (left-most) wooden Control Marker from the Victory Track, placing it in that Victory City and increasing their VP total. When the Polish Player liberates a Victory City, they remove the Control Marker from that Victory City, placing it on the right-most uncovered space of the track, decreasing the German VP total.

A Victory City is captured the instant that one of the German Units (including Soviets or Slovaks) enters that Box unopposed (no Polish Units), or if after resolving Combat, there are only German Units left in that Box.

A Victory City is liberated the instant that a Polish Unit enters that box unopposed, or if after resolving Combat, there are only Polish Units left in that Box.

Warszawa is a special case. When captured by the German Player, the next three Control Markers are removed from the Victory Track, all placed in Warszawa. When liberated by the Polish Player, those three Control Markers are moved back to the track, one per space.

The Polish Player can also reduce the German VP total by destroying one or both of two German Forts, Konigsberg and Lotzen. When the Fort is destroyed (9.0), remove the Fort Marker from its Box, placing it on the right-most uncovered space of the track, decreasing the German VP total. (Obviously, when Control Markers are removed from or placed on the track, shift the position of the Fort Marker(s) accordingly so as to reflect the current VP total.)

6.2 Allied Involvement

Beginning on Turn 3 (Sept 9-12), whenever the current German VP total is 1 VP or fewer, they must contend with the opening of a new front to their west and the resultant reduction in forces and resources for the campaign in Poland. This is represented by negative die roll modifiers (-1 for 1 VP, -2 for 0 VP) which are applied to all dice rolled in Combat by German Units (not Slovaks or Soviets) as indicated on the Victory Track. For these modifiers, only the current VP total matters at the moment that the die rolls are made.

6.3 Soviet Entry

Beginning on Turn 5, check the German VP total at the end of the turn. If the total is 6 VP or more, add the Soviet Activation Chits to the opaque container prior to the first chit draw of the next turn. Even if the total falls below 6 VP on a subsequent turn, the Soviet Activation Chits remain in the game, and the Soviet Units remain active. Note that Soviet Entry results in certain movement restrictions (7.3).

7.0 Movement

Units that belong to an Activated Command may move from Box to Box along Movement Lines, expending Movement Points (MP) as they do so:

• Easy lines (solid black) cost 1 MP.
• Difficult lines (dotted) cost 2 MPs.

The number of Movement Points that a Unit can expend in an Activation is equal to their Movement Factor:

• Infantry have a Movement Factor of 2.
• All other Combat Units have a Movement Factor of 4.

Note that enemy Events may reduce the Movement Factors of Activated Units.

7.1 Stacking

Multiple Units may occupy the same Box ("stack"). Up to 4 Units per side may stack in a single Box.

• Forts are an exception: so long as the Fort is not destroyed, only 2 Units friendly to that Fort may stack there. (This does not limit stacking for the opposing side.)
• No more than 2 Infantry Units may stack together.
• For non-Infantry Units, only 1 Unit of each type may be present in a Box (e.g., two Cavalry or two Armor cannot stack together). Note that Light Armor and Armor are distinct Unit types.
• Units of differing Nationalities may not stack together.
• Stacking rules do not apply at set-up, but once those Units leave those Boxes, they must abide by stacking limits.

Units may move through Boxes that contain other friendly Units but may not stop in that Box if it would violate stacking restrictions.

7.2 Enemy Occupied Boxes

Units that enter a Box containing enemy Units cease Movement immediately; Combat will occur during the Combat step. Units may be moved from multiple Boxes across multiple Movement Lines to converge on a single enemy-occupied Box so long as this does not exceed the stacking limit. Under special circumstances, the stacking limit may temporarily be exceeded when moving into contact with the enemy:

• Up to 4 Units from one Box enter the enemy-occupied Box as the Primary Attacking Units.
• Up to 4 Units from a second Box then enter the enemy-occupied Box along a different Movement Line, serving as Supporting Units (see 8.6).

7.3 Special Movement Restrictions

There exist special restrictions on where certain Units may move and when.

• AGN/AGS: These German Units may not move until Turn 2.
• Before Soviet Entry, no Box is off-limits for German nationality Units. After Soviet Entry, any German Units east of the German/Soviet Line must move to the west of the line as soon as possible. Failure to do so results in end game VP penalties.
• Soviet Units may never move west of the German/Soviet Line.
• The Slovak Unit must always remain within two Boxes of Presov.
• Polish Units may not leave the borders of Poland during Turn 1. The two single-step Units that begin "reduced" may not move until flipped.

8.0 Combat

If Units from both sides occupy the same Box, Combat occurs. During the Combat Step of an Activation, all Combats are resolved one at a time in any order of the active player's choosing. Activated Units belong to the Attacker, and non-activated Units to the Defender.

For each Combat, remove all involved Units to the Battle Board printed on the map. If Supporting Units are being utilized by the Attacker (see 7.2 and 8.6), place the Supporting Units in the Support Box of the Battle Board. Place the Combat Marker in the Box they previously occupied, performing the following steps in this order:

8.1 Group Units

Group the Units for each side by Combat Factor. You will normally be rolling one die for each Unit (full-strength German Panzers roll two dice), but because Units have differing Combat Factors that affect their ability to score hits, you will be rolling for each group as a group.

8.2 Die Roll Modifiers

The use of an Event Chit (5.1) and/or Allied Involvement (6.2) may apply a modifier to each die roll for specific Units or sides.

8.3 Roll Dice

Generally speaking, one die is rolled for each Unit, and a hit is scored if the modified result meets or exceeds that Unit's Combat Factor (natural rolls of "6" are always a hit, and "1" always a miss). Each side rolls simultaneously, and keeps a running tally of hits scored, which are applied simultaneously in the next step. There are however two very important exceptions.

• Polish Cavalry: Any Polish Cavalry rolls first, and any hit scored is applied to the enemy before any further rolls from either side.
• German Armor (Panzers): Full-strength German Panzers roll two dice instead of one. If one or both dice meet or exceed their Combat Factor, they score a single hit. However, if both dice would score a hit and the player rolls doubles (identical die results), then two hits are scored.

8.4 Apply Results

Each hit scored either (a) flips a full-strength Unit to its reduced side, or (b) eliminates a reduced-strength Unit. The owning player determines how the results are applied to their own Units (but if the Attacker used Supporting Units, losses cannot be applied to Supporting Units until each Primary Unit has been eliminated). Note again that hits are applied simultaneously (exception: Polish Cavalry, 8.3).

8.5 Retreat & Advance

Each battle lasts only a single round, with each Unit rolling once. If all Units for a side were Eliminated, the remaining side takes control of the Box. Otherwise, the side that took the greatest number of hits (Attacker if tied) must Retreat, ceding control to their opponent:

• All Retreating Attacker Units must return to the Box from which they attacked.
• All Retreating Defender Units must vacate the Box. Germans must move toward Germany or East Prussia, Slovaks toward Slovakia, and Soviets toward the Soviet Union. Polish Units outside of Poland must Retreat toward Poland.
• Defending Units may Retreat into a Box containing Units from both sides, if it was friendly at the start of the Activation and would not violate stacking limits, but cannot participate in the Combat that will be resolved there.
• If during Retreat a Box would be in violation of stacking limits, Units already present in that Box are displaced: Retreat them as if they were Defenders.
• Retreating Defenders must try to avoid Retreating into the following:
  • Box occupied only by enemy Units.
  • Victory City controlled by the enemy.
  • Undestroyed enemy Fort.
  • Box from which Attacker launched the attack.

If the only avenue of Retreat is one of those spaces, then

• the Units Retreat into that Box,
• each Unit suffers a hit, and then
• the survivors Retreat again into a further, valid adjacent Box.

If no valid Retreat path exists, those Units are simply Eliminated.

An Advance is possible in very specific circumstances:

• The Attacker had three times as many Units as the Defender (count Fort pips as Units), AND
• all Defending Units were Eliminated, AND
• the Attacker did not suffer any hits.

If all these conditions are met, the Attacker may move one additional Box:

• The Attacker must keep all of the victorious Units together, moving in a single stack.
• If they Advance into a Box containing Enemy Units, they initiate a new Combat, which is resolved immediately.
• However, the Attacking stack may not Advance a second time, even if after resolving the Combat they meet the criteria.

Note that the German Blitzkrieg Event (5.1) allows for an "automatic advance" for German Units only: they ignore the three-to-one requirement, but must satisfy the other requirements.

8.6 Supporting Units

If Supporting Units were used:

• If the Attacker loses the battle, each group of surviving Units (Primary and Support) Retreat back to the respective spaces from which they launched the attack.
• If the Defender loses the battle and there is no Advance, after resolving any Defender Retreat, only the Primary Units remain to take control of the Box; any surviving Supporting Units must Retreat to the Box from which they launched their support for the attack.
• If the Defender loses the battle and there is an Advance, Primary Units will Advance and the Supporting Units will remain in the Box to take control.
• If it was a Siege Combat (9.0), and the Attackers inflicted more hits but did not destroy the Fort, the Primary Units remain in the Siege Space but the Supporting Units must Retreat to their original Box.
• Note per 8.4 that Supporting Units cannot suffer hits in Combat until all Primary Units have been eliminated.
• Stacking limits for Supporting Units are only suspended temporarily; once the Combat is concluded, the normal stacking limits must be obeyed.

9.0 Siege Combat

Combat conducted in a Fort Space is called Siege Combat. In addition to any Units in the Fort Space, the Attackers must combat the Fort itself. Siege Combat differs from the normal Combat rules in the following particulars:

• All Defending Units must be Eliminated before any hits can be applied to the Fort. The first hit applied to a Fort flips the counter over; the second hit Eliminates it.
• Polish Cavalry and German Panzers lose their special dice rolling abilities in Siege Combat.
• The Fort rolls two dice in defense when at full-strength, and one die when at reduced strength, scoring hits on a 5 or more in both cases.
• If the Attacker takes more hits than the Defender (or ties), they must Retreat per 8.5 (leaving the Siege Space). If the Defender suffers more hits, both players have a choice: Retreat or remain.
• Nothing prevents either side from bringing in more Units into the Siege on later Activations. Said Units may choose to initiate Combat, or not.

Forts may Activate once per turn, by a Chit matching either the Fort itself or its Defending Units. You have three options when Activating a Fort's Box:

• Activate all Units and the Fort. The Fort and all Units stacked with it will attack the besieging troops. Both sides will roll dice normally.
• Activate the Fort only. Only the Fort rolls dice against the besieging troops. The besieging troops do not roll dice (unless the Event Luftwaffe is used).
• Retreat from the Fort. Remove any Units from the Fort, moving them up to their normal Movement Factor.

10.0 Winning

The game ends immediately if one of the following occurs:

• Blitzkrieg Breakdown track reaches "5" (Polish Victory).
• German VP total is 12 at the end of any turn (German Victory).

Otherwise, from Turn 8 onward, the players will check for Game End at the end of each turn. When making this check, if the Soviets entered (6.3) the game, count the number of German nationality Units that are still east of the German/Soviet Line. Subtract that number from the current German VP total: if the adjusted total is 9 or more, the game ends:

• If it is Turn 8, it ends in a German Victory.
• If it is Turn 9 or 10, it ends in a Draw.

If at the end of Turn 10, the adjusted total is less than 9, the game ends in a Polish Victory.