SGS Fall Weiss

SGS Fall Weiss is a turn-based operational game about the invasion of Poland from September to October 1939. You command the forces that fought in the campaign, manoeuvring divisions, brigades, regiments and a few battalion-level units. The main campaign lasts 19 turns, each representing two days, with a pre-turn for choosing options.

The campaign

Germany’s invasion began on 1 September 1939, after an earlier planned start on 26 August was postponed for diplomatic reasons. Some special units did not receive the counter-order in time, however, and clashes took place behind Polish lines. The campaign also covers the Slovakian and Soviet invasions.

The German player aims to take strategic objectives, beginning with Warsaw and Lvov. Poland does not surrender while both cities hold. As the Polish player, you seek to inflict losses and delay the invasion, using the terrain and carefully managing reinforcements and replacements to replenish depleted units. Poland is the most difficult side to play.

Forces and operations

The game includes German, Polish, Slovakian and Soviet forces, along with the respective air forces. Units include armour, motorised troops, cavalry, infantry and artillery; Polish forces also have armoured trains and river flotillas. German armoured units can advance quickly and disrupt Polish defensive lines, but bold moves risk Polish counter-attacks and supply problems. Air superiority can help destroy the Polish air force, impede movement and hinder reinforcements. Polish troops must hold out despite the pressure, while Soviet forces are numerous and have armour and aviation but are less flexible than German forces.

Poland is a broad plain, with major rivers providing its main obstacles. River crossings offer significant defensive bonuses, so the Germans try to keep Polish forces from forming viable defensive lines. You also manage event cards representing tactical and operational actions as well as diplomatic, military, political and economic developments. These include effects such as bonuses from the increasing use of Pervitin among German units and increased Polish replacements through popular support.

Campaign variants

At the start, you can choose a historical or an alternative variant. The historical variant excludes many options and events that did not occur, while retaining uncertainty such as reinforcements arriving within a period around their expected dates. The alternative variant allows different possibilities: Poland can mobilise earlier and partially modernise its army, including improving its air force, while Germany can pursue different strategic actions. It also allows for the possibility that the USSR does not invade Poland.

The longer the German campaign takes and the more losses it suffers, the harder it may be to launch a later offensive in the west on 10 May 1940. Depending on events and cards played, an Allied offensive against German troops could also occur and cause an automatic German defeat. Bad weather may favour the defenders. Poland must decide whether to prepare for the Soviet invasion by keeping substantial forces in the east or to clear the eastern border and rebuild units destroyed by the German invasion.

Scenarios and play

The main campaign covers the full conflict and can be played against another player by PBEM or against the AI. The classic SGS rules are expanded with rules developed for SGS NATO's Nightmare, though Fall Weiss is less complicated than that game. The campaign’s historical and alternative variants, along with the event cards, create different situations across playthroughs. Scenarios can take from one hour to several hours, depending on their scope.