Combat Commander: Europe (2006)

Combat Commander: Europe is a card-driven board game covering tactical infantry combat in the European Theater of World War II. One player takes the role of the Axis (Germany) while another player commands the Allies (America or Russia). These two players will take turns playing one or more “Fate” cards from their hands in order to activate his units on the mapboard for various military functions.

Players attempt to achieve victory by moving their combat units across the game map to attack their opponent’s combat units and occupy as many objectives as possible. The degree to which a player succeeds or fails is measured by a scenario’s specific “Objective” chits, the destruction of enemy units, and the exiting of friendly units off the opponent’s board edge.

A game of Combat Commander is divided into several measures of Game Time. There is no sequence of play to follow, however: each Time segment is divided into a variable number of Player Turns, each of which may consist of one or more Fate Card "Orders" conducted by the active player. Fate Card "Actions" may generally be conducted by either player at any time. "Events" — both good and bad — will occur at random intervals to add a bit of chaos and uncertainty to each player’s perfect plan.

SCALE: Each hex of a Combat Commander map is roughly 100 feet of distance (about 30 meters). Each complete Player Phase abstractly represents several seconds of real time. Each complete measure of Game Time abstractly represents several minutes of real time.

Each unit in the game is approximated as either a single Leader, a 5-man Team, or a 10-man Squad. Radios — and individual weapons larger than a pistol, rifle or BAR — are represented by their own counters.

Single scenarios

• Scenario 101: Rubble Rousers (Bonus), German vs Russian forces, Stalingrad, Russia, October 30 1942
• Scenario 102: Night Shift (Bonus), German vs American forces, Near Belle Fontaine, France, July 11 1944
• Scenario 103: Varsity Blues (C3i Magazine #19), German vs American forces, Diersfordt, Germany, March 1945
• Scenario 104: Go For Broke (C3i Magazine #20), German vs American forces, Vosges mountains, Alsace, France, October 28 1944
• Scenario 105: La Fiere Counterattack (C3i Magazine #20), German vs American forces, La Fiere Causeway, France, June 6 1944
• Scenario 106: The Lost Battalion (C3i Magazine #21), German vs American forces, Vosges Mountains, Alsace, France, October 30 1944
• Scenario 107: Operation Deadstick (C3i Magazine #21), German vs British forces, Benouville, France, June 6 1944 (requires CC:E and CC:M)
• Scenario 108: In My Time of Dying (C3i Magazine #22), German vs British forces, Strongpoint Hillman, France, June 6 1944 (requires CC:E and CC:M)
• Scenario 109: Escape is Everything! (C3i Magazine #22), German vs Polish forces, Hill 262, The Falaise Pocket, France, August 19 1944 (requires CC:E and CC:M)
• Scenario 110: Arctic Assault (C3i Magazine #23), German vs Norwegian forces, Grantangen Valley, Narvik Front, Norway, April 24 1940 (requires CC:E and CC:M)
• Scenario 111: The Scheldt (C3i Magazine #24), Canadian vs. German forces, Scheldt Estuary, October 1944 (requires CC:E and CC:M)
• Scenario 112: Sonnenwende (C3i Magazine #24), German vs. Soviet forces, Arnswalde, February 1945
• Scenario CC B1: A Day in The Abyss (Battles Magazine #3), German and Sturmzombies vs Russian forces, Berlin, Germany, April 26 1945
• Scenario CV1: Autel Complet (Vae Victis HS #14 ), Canadian vs German forces, St Martin de Fontenay, France, August 1st 1944 (requires CC:E and CC:M)
• Scenario CV2: Devine Qui Vient Diner Ce Soir (Vae Victis HS #14 ), Russian vs German forces, Near Dubrowka, Poland, August 10 1944
• Scenario CV3: La Chute de Sebastopol (Vae Victis #96 ), German vs Russian forces, Sevastopol, Crimea, June 29 1942 (requires CC:E and CC:M)
• Scenario CV4: La Vallee De La Mort (Vae Victis #97 ), German vs Yugoslavian forces, Near the Drina River, Bosnia, April 26 1944
• Scenario CV5 : Baptême du Feu à Philipsbourg (Vae Victis #98 ), German vs American Forces, North East of Philippsbourg, Lorraine, France, January 2-3 1945

Tournament Scenarios

• Scenario T1: Oh-dark-thirty (Free), French vs Italian forces, French-Italian border, June 1940 (requires CC:E and CC:M)
• Scenario T2: Hill 133 (Free), German vs Russian forces, Somewhere deep in Russia, 1943 (requires CC:E and CC:M)
• Scenario T3: Yet Another Crossroads Village (Free), German vs American forces, France, 1944 (requires CC:E and CC:M)
• Scenario T4: Gauleiter Estate (Free), German vs British forces, Northern Germany, 1945 (requires CC:E and CC:M)

Campaigns

• Pathfinder: A Combat Commander Campaign (C3i Magazine #22), covering Overlord operations in the Cotentin Peninsula, June 6-10 1944

Online Play

• Vassal (real-time, pbem) Game ownership required.

Awards

• 2007 BoardGameGeek Golden Geek Winner, Best Wargame.
• 2007 International Gamers Awards Two Player Nominee.
• 2006 Nominee for Charles S. Roberts awards for Best World War II Boardgame (Charles S. Roberts Awards).
• 2006 Nominee for Charles S. Roberts awards for Best Wargame Graphics (Charles S. Roberts Awards).

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