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.

Additional volumes in the Combat Commander series will add new nationalities and locales (Brits in North Africa; Japanese in the Pacific; etc.)

Expanded by:

• Combat Commander: Mediterranean
• Combat Commander: Battle Pack #1 - Paratroopers
• Combat Commander: Battle Pack #2 – Stalingrad
• Combat Commander: Battle Pack #3 - Normandy

Dependencies:

(Stalingrad Battle Pack has a few scenarios that require only Europe.)

Look under More Information for more scenarios.

Re-implemented by:

• Combat Commander: Pacific

Awards

• 2007 BoardGameGeek Golden Geek Winner, Best Wargame.
• 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).

Microbadges

Buy One

Online Play

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

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), Vosges Mountains, Alsace, France, October 30, 1944
• Scenario 107: Operation Deadstick (C3i Magazine #21), Benouville, France, June 6, 1944
• Scenario 108: In My Time of Dying (C3i Magazine #22), Strongpoint Hillman, France, June 6, 1944
• Scenario 109: Escape is Everything! (C3i Magazine #22), Hill 262, The Falaise Pocket, France, August 19, 1944

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: Gaulieter 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