Mark Fisher’s Alternative Victory Point Schedule

Here is an optional set of victory conditions for the Campaign Game scenario.

• Change the rules regarding the entry of the West Front Reinforcements as follows:

10.21 A. German West Front Reinforcements 1. Procedure: The West Front Reinforcements arrive as reinforcement a minimum of three impulses after the German player releases them, in the impulse containing the tenth day after their release. The German player may, at his option, declare the release the West Front Reinforcements at any time during or after the impulse in which either (1) Prittwitz is replaced or (2) Russian VPs for German cities and/or towns equal or exceed 50.

• Change the victory conditions as follows:

13.59 Victory Conditions: Each player counts each SP lost by the enemy as 1 VP. In addition, the Russian player receives 5 VPs for each German town and 10 VPs for each German city controlled at the end of each impulse. A town or city is considered controlled for these purposes if it was last occupied by a Russian unit or if it is cut off from the West edge of the map. A town or city is cut off from the West edge of the map if it can't trace a rail line to the West free of Russian controlled hexes or units (including their ZOCs).

• The level of victory is determined by the following conditions:

(1) Strategic German Victory: The West Front Reinforcements are never released and Russian VPs for German towns/cities are less than 100 at the end of the game.

(2) Tactical German Victory: The German player receives more than twice as many VPs than the Russian player

(3) Draw: German VPs are greater than Russian VPs but less than twice Russian VPs.

(4) Tactical Russian Victory: The Russian player receives more VPs than the German player and the West Front Reinforcements are released.

(5) Strategic Russian Victory: The Geographic Objectives for either the First Army or the Second Army are obtained and the West Front Reinforcements are released.

If the West Front Reinforcements are never released and Russian VPs for German towns/cities equal or exceed 100, shift the level of victory one category in favor of the Russian player.

If the Russian player abandons the strategic plan before obtaining 75 VPs for German towns/cities, shift the level of victory one category in favor of the German player.

The Geographic Objectives for the Russian First Army is Konigsberg and the Geographic Objective for the Russian Second Army is either of Elbing or Marienburg.

The effect of these victory conditions is as follows:

For both players, the most important question is whether reinforcements are sent from the West.

The German high command ultimately can decide whether or not to send the West Front Reinforcements, but will only do so after (1) a failure of will by the 8th army leader or (2) significant territorial gains by Russia. If the German player withholds the West Front Reinforcements in the face of substantial Russian territorial gains, he will not be able to achieve a Strategic Victory and, in addition, if the Russian ultimately get 100 or more city VPs, the best the German can do is a draw (since the Tactical German Victory will be shifted one level). This shift reflects the tremendous pressure the German High Command was under to defend East Prussian from the Russian armies. Accordingly, the German player has the interesting choice of whether or not to bring in those reinforcements.

On the other hand, the Russian player must enter Germany because if he does not threaten to take 100 city VPs, the German player will withhold the West reinforcements and win a strategic victory. The Russian player must also push for his historic objectives to win a strategic victory. Abandoning the Russian strategic plan without obtaining even 75 city VPs will, as a practical matter mean the best the Russian player can do is a draw (again the shift in victory level).

Historically, the battle would have been a Tactical German Victory (on the basis of VPs) that was shifted to a German Strategic Victory (because the Russian player abandoned his strategic plan before receiving 75 city VPs).

Finally, for those who choose to use the Alternative Mission Orders, add the following exclusive rule to The Cossacks are Coming!:

11.35 Russian formations on the Advance MO. Except as provided in 11.34, a Russian unit that belongs to the First or Second Army may, provided the NW Front’s Strategic Plan has not yet been abandoned, always choose to move into a hex that decreases (not just maintains) the distance between that unit and its Geographic Objective.