Empire and Alliances

Empires and Alliances is a strategic level simulation of the First World War. Players command the Central Powers and Allied forces that fought in Europe from 1914 to 1918. The map runs from the French Atlantic ports to Moscow and Rostov in the east. It includes St. Petersburg in the north and Italy and Greece (and the portion of the Ottoman Empire that encompasses modern day Turkey) in the south. There are off-board Boxes for the Caucasus and the Middle East.

The basic unit is the corps with a few divisions. The armies set up in their historical mobilization sectors.

There is a 1914 scenario which is played on all fronts. The Germans have to contend with a Russian advance as well as concentrating on the French. There is a nine-turn 1918 scenario where the Germans need to try to win quickly before American reinforcements overwhelm them. This scenario introduces tanks, stosstruppen, and air units. Then there is the four-year Campaign Game. Barring a quick victory in 1914, both players settle in for a war of attrition to exhaust their opponent.

Complexity: 5 out of 10

Solitaire Suitability: 9 out of 10

Time Scale: 1 turn = 1 month

Map Scale: Approximately 30 miles per hex

Unit Scale: Corps with a few divisions

Number of Players: 2 to 4 plus solitaire

Playing Time: An evening for a 1 year scenario, a weekend for the Campaign Game