La Grande Guerre 14-18 (1999)

La Grande Guerre 14-18 (AKA The Great War 14-18)

The game was published in 1999 by Azure Wish Enterprise (AWE) of France. The English rule set was released in 2002.

La Grande Guerre is a strategic simulation of World War 1. Two maps cover all of Europe. Off map boxes represent Asia / Africa.

Game year is broken down into 9 turns. Production takes place on the interphase every 3 turns. Either side may move first on a given turn. Two different combat systems are included. The initial combat system simulates the 1914 battles w/o trenches. Losses are lower and retreats are likely. In 1915 a new combat system is used. This new system is detailed, but does a good job showing the complexities of trench warfare (retreats are scarce and losses are real high). The game includes a limited fog of war. You may not look at opposing stacks, and units may be off board.

The game is very complete in its depiction of WWI. (Similar to how World in Flames recreates WWII).

Additional aspects of the game include:

• Fortresses
• Limits on coordination between different armies
• Diplomacy
• General Counters.
• Technology
• Naval War
• National Will - Leads to uprisings, mutinies, strikes even the dreaded revolution (likely to be Russia, but not necessarily them or a communist revolution). Note NW is lost on losing units and battles, so these effects are not random.
• Air / Armor

Contents:

• 2 large map sheets (Europe, Middle East, and World off-map boxes), 2 dice
• 1 pad Loss charts (to be photocopied)
• 5 Armies Boxes (3 Allies, 2 Centrals)
• 4 Rules booklets:
  • Basic Rules (for all 1914)
  • Trench (for 1915+)
  • Advanced (1915+, economic, technologies, diplomacy, naval…)
  • Scenarios (grand campaign 14-18, and 9 scenarios)
• 8 Game Aides:
  • War Plans 1914 (free)
  • Germany
  • Austria-Hungary (and Turkey)
  • France, England (and USA)
  • Russia, Italy
  • Diplomacy
  • Events
  • Technologies
• 7 Counter sheets (1820 counters) :
  • 1: France, Bulgaria, Montenegro, Holland Russia, Belgium, United States
  • 2: Switzerland, Germany, Serbia, Rumania, Russia
  • 3 Russia, United States, France, Germany
  • 4 Austria-Hungary, Turkey, England
  • 5 England, Italy, Turkey, United States, miscellaneous
  • 6 Diplomatic (various)
  • 7 Persia, Japan, technology sets, event chits

Inspired a computer game directed by the same designer : http://shopus.ageod.com/fiche.html?REF=713578