[14.0] Ottoman Sunset EXAMPLE OF PLAY
War Clouds gather in the East and the Ottoman Empire has
entered the Great War. With a Russian Army under Dashkov
poised to invade at Kars, with an Indian-British force under
Townsend in Basra on the Persian Gulf, and General Murray in
the Suez, the Player draws from the shuffled Morning Deck.
The first card drawn is the Second Battle of
Ypres (#10). First, the event is resolved as an
Off-Map Battle. The
marker reveals a 4,
meaning that a roll of
% or ^ (higher than
that value) will result in
a victory, a roll of $ (equal to that value)
will result in a Stalemate, and a roll of ! to
# (less than that value) will result in a defeat. No modifications
are applied because no German Staff Operations Resources have
yet been placed in the Western theater nor has “War Weariness”
been drawn. The player rolls a ! and the Germans are repulsed in
their Western Front attack and the marker is placed in the Defeats
box.
Now that the Event Resolution Phase is done, Army Movement is
conducted. The card indicates an advance by the Caucasus Army
and the Sinai Army. Dashkov is moved to Sarikamish (Space 4),
but Murray fails to advance because a # is rolled which does not
allow an advance into the Sinai due to water concerns
(see 7.3). In the Action Phase, the player can decide
what to do with the “1 Action” awarded. The Turks
decide to use it to garrison the Turkish Straits and a minefield is
purchased and placed in the appropriate space on the Narrows
Display. The Kaiserschlacht phase is skipped because that card
has not been drawn (nor could it be at this stage of the game).
National Will is adjusted to “-1” because of the battle defeat at
Second Ypres.
The next turn begins. The Intelligence Bureau of the East is
established (#1). The
Intelligence Bureau
marker is placed in
Turkey on the
Intelligence Display.
The Mesopotamian
Army advances to
Ctestiphon (Space 4). The one Action is spent re-deploying the
Intelligence Bureau to India, in case a coup opportunity presents
itself. National Will remains at “-1.”
Turkish Minelaying (#7) is the next card drawn. A second
minefield is freely placed on the Narrows Display. The Arab army
would advance, but it has not been activated, so that advance is
ignored. The Caucasus Army advances to Van. The Young Turks
decide to use their Actions in military Offensives. Taking
advantage of the +1 to Mesopotamia conferred by the card,
Townsend is attacked and, with a roll of %, sent back to Basra. It
can be pushed no further, so the Turks re-direct their remaining
attack to the Caucasus Front. With another %, Dashkov is sent
retreating to Sarikamish (Space 4). No change to National Will,
which remains at “-1.”
The Gallipoli Landings occur (#11) and the Hamilton unit is
placed on the track at Battle
Value of 2 on Space 4 (Cape
Helles) and the Seddulbahir guns
are marked “Destroyed” on the
Narrows Display. Since the Arab
Revolt hasn’t been triggered,
only General Dashkov advances, returning to Van.
The two Actions are invested in a Resources marker placed in the
Western Theater.
The next event is the Ghadar Conspiracy (#5), a Coup card
associated with India. Normally, a ^ is required for a
coup to be successful, but because the Intelligence
Bureau for the East has been placed in that box, a DRM
of +2 is applied, making a $ or higher successful. A #, is rolled
and failure results. It is not placed in the Defeats box, however, as
the coup marker is simply removed from the game (6.2). Hamilton
advances to Anzac Cove (space 3) on the Gallipoli Front, while
Dashkov seizes Erzurum (Space 2), a Strategic Site (7.5). Both
Actions are Offensives directed at Dashkov and he is forced back
to Sarikamish by rolls of % and #, respectively (higher than the
Battle Value of 2). National Will remains unchanged because the
Russian forces have been pushed out of Erzerum and a failed coup
cannot count against National Will.
Jihad is declared (#3). The Mid-Day cards
are shuffled into the Draw Pile. Dashkov
advances to Van, Townsend re-emerges in
Ctestiphon, and (despite the water situation)
Murray advances to El-Arish on a roll of @.
The first Action is spent on building a gun
emplacement for the Narrows at Yildiz, since
there is now a possibility that the Allies will attempt to Force the
Straits. An Offensive is directed at Hamilton on the Gallipoli
Front. A $ sends him back to Cape Helles. With the final
Offensive, Murray is sent back to the Suez with a ^. The +1
DRM conferred by the card was unnecessary.
The next card is Mesopotamian Siege (#27). The Mesopotamian
Front is retreated one space to Basra and flipped over
from the Townsend side to the Maude side (Battle Value
of 4). The Mesopotamian Siege marker is placed in the
Victory box, raising National Will to “0” at the end of
the turn. This is actually a rough card to draw so early in the game
as it makes the Mesopotamian Front much more formidable.
Dashkov advances to Erzurum, but the Salonika advance cannot
take place (the Front is not active). The one Action sends Dashkov
back to Van via a successful Offensive.
The Somme (#31) is the next event. Rolling for an off-map
victory against a value of 3 with a +1 DRM for the Staff
Operation in the West, the result is a Stalemate (tie) when
a @ is rolled. The marker for the Somme is placed in the
Stalemate box and National Will will be unaffected. Hamilton
returns to Anzac Cove and a poor Offensive roll of @ cannot push
him back. The Salonika Front is still not yet in play, so once again
its listed advance is ignored.
The next card drawn is the Fortification of the Gaza/Beersheba
Line (#22). The player agonizes over whether to forfeit
the two Actions to build the Fort when pressure in the
Sinai has been slight. The player relents and the
Fortification marker is placed in a non-weakened state
in the “Gaza-Beersheba” space (Space 4 on the Sinai Track). In
the Army Movement Phase, only Mesopotamia may advance and
Maude seizes Ctestiphon. The Action Phase is omitted because the
two Actions have been forfeited and the player does not want to
spend the one Resource marker using German Staff Operations
that’s deployed to the Western Theater.
The next event is Gorlice-Tarnow (Card #12), an Eastern Theater
battle event. Even without any DRM, a roll of ^ proves
an easy victory and the marker is placed in the victory
box. Dashkov re-occupies Erzurum, a Strategic Site,
while Murray cannot advance into the Sinai with a roll of #. The
player sends Dashkov back with a ^ and devotes the remaining
two Actions as a Resource on the Eastern Front. In the National
Will Phase, National Will is raised to “1” because of the new
battle victory
spent pushing him back to Sarikamish. National Will remains at
“0.”
As the pace of battle increases, Yudenich is
named Commander in Chief of the
Caucasus Army (#33). The Dashkov unit is
replaced with the Yudenich unit at a
Battle Value of 4, a substantial
increase in strength. The Arabs cannot
advance as they have not been
activated, so only Maude advances (to Kut). The two Actions are
spent adding guns to the Narrows at Dardanos and Nagara. The
Straights are now fully fortified (except for the destroyed
Sedulbahir guns). National Will remains at “1.”
The next card reveals the installation of the
Sinai Pipeline (#23). This is a
trigger card (marked with a brown
circle on its number), indicating
the addition of a new deck: in this
case, the Dusk Deck. It is then shuffled into
the remaining cards. Feisel Hussein is placed
in Space 6 of the Arab track (Jidda) and
activated as the Arab track is automatically activated by either the
Arab Revolt card (#32) or the transition to the Dusk
Deck, whichever comes first. Hamilton advances to the
Anafartalar Range, right outside of Constantinople,
while Sarrail advances to Monastir. This card’s one Offensive is
directed at Hamilton and fails with a roll of #. Desperate to keep
Hamilton’s forces at bay, the Turks request a German
Staff Operation and permanently liquidate the Resource
on the Eastern Theater. A % yields success and
Hamilton returns to the Chunuk Bair as a result of the counterattack. National Will remains at “0.”
Too late to deter the Allied Fleet, German U-boats enter the
Mediterranean (#14). This event has no effect because Forcing
the Narrows (#8) has already taken place. Yudenich advances to
Van. Because of the Pipeline, Murray only needs to roll against
the Gaza-Beersheba Fortification. Rolling a @, the fortification is
weakened and flipped over, yet Murray still does not
advance (7.4). Taking advantage of the +1 DRM as to
Gallopoli, an attack is staged there. A # is increased to
“4” and pushes Hamilton back to Anzac Cove. A $ sends
Yudenich back to Sarikamish. National Will is increased to “1”
because Chunuk Bair has been reclaimed.
Armenian Massacres (#15) break out. Hamilton reclaims Chunuk
Bair, Sarrail advances to Lake Dorian, and rolling a !, the Gaza
fortifications are destroyed as Murray moves forward. Hamilton is
sent back a space as is Murray when the three Actions are spent
for Offensives. National Will falls to “0” for the loss of Lake
Dorian.
Bulgaria joins the Central Powers (#18). Maude moves to
Baghdad and Murray reoccupies Gaza. A ^ forces Maude back,
so National Will stays at “0.”
Wassmuss is in Persia (#6), and with a DRM of +2 from the
Intelligence Bureau, the Turks roll for the coup. A @
still is not enough and the coup fails. Yudenich moves to
Van and Hamilton reclaims Chunuk Bair. Hamilton is
pushed back, but Maude stays in place at Kut. National Will
remains at “0.”
Lawrence Stirs the Arabs (#40) and the Arab front is flipped to
its Battle Value of “3” side. Yudenich moves into
Erzurum, but is pushed back with the one Action on a
roll of $ (remember Yudenich is only a 3 because of the
Provisional Revolution in Russia).
The Battle of Verdun (#26) next breaks out. Even with a +2 from
the Resource, the roll of ! means a Central Powers
defeat. Yudenich advances as does Maude. The single
Offensive fails to dislodge Maude. With the additional
defeat and the seizure of two Strategic Sites, National Will settles
at a menacing “-3.”
Vittoria Veneto (#48) adds another nail to the Ottoman coffin
when drawn. Without DRM, a @ is rolled and another
defeat is added to the tally. Coupled with Hamilton’s
advance to the Chunuk Bair and Sarrail’s advance past
Lake Dorian to Adrianople, defeat is hovering over the Turks.
Lawrence also advances to the Hejaz Railroad, yelling “No
Next, the Suvla Landing (#16) is
launched. Hamilton is flipped over to
a higher Battle Value of 3 and Chunuk
Bair is seized (a Strategic Site).
Murray manages to advance into El Arish
with a roll of @ and Yudenich captures
Erzerum. With two Strategic Sites in enemy
hands, it is time for some successful
Offensives! The first one is directed at Hamilton and dislodges
him from the heights of Chunuk Bair with a roll of % (greater
than its Battle Value of 3). With a roll of ^ Yudenich is sent
reeling back to Van. National will remains unchanged.
The set-back affects domestic politics in
Russia and the Provisional Government
takes Charge (#35). Yudenich is flipped
over and pushed back to Sarikamish.
Hamilton’s forces reoccupy Chunuk
Bair and, with a roll of !, Murray
surges toward the Gaza defenses. With
a roll of ^, however, (not less than 3, his
Battle Value), the defenses stand firm and the advance is negated.
The Young Turks decide to be bold and direct another Resource to
the Western Theater for two Actions. National Will is reduced to
“0” because of the occupation of Chunuk Bair.
Sarrail Lands at Salonika (#20). His unit is placed on
the board at Space 4 (Salonika). Yudenich
advances to Van. The one Action is spent shifting
the Intelligence Bureau marker to Persia.
Finally, the Allied Fleet attempts to Force the Narrows (#8). The
guns at Seddulbahir have been destroyed and so they do
not get a shot. The guns at Kum Kale score a “hit” on the
fleet by rolling a @ (equal to their fire value) and British
fortitude is moved down from its starting position of “4” to “3.”
Moving to the first Minefield, British fortitude is reduced once
more (to “2”) with a roll of $ (the minefield is powerful). The
shot at Dardanos, further along, fails with another roll of $,
which is higher than its Fire Value of 3. Yildiz misses as well with
a roll of ^. The second minefield also fails with a roll of ^. Now
things are getting desperate; British fortitude is at “2” and only
three guns remain! Canakkale, however, pulls o
ut a hit with a
roll of !. British fortitude is lowered to “1” and the
Turkish government starts to unpack their bags. Their
optimism suffers when a % is rolled on Nagara, causing the
Allied Fleet to make it right outside the Capitol. One final
roll will decide the issue. A resounding ! strikes true and British
fortitude is reduced to “0.” The marker is kept on the track at that
position to remind the player of the additional victory point for
defending the Straights in the event the player should win.
Advances now go forward. The Arabs are not in play, but
Yudenich moves to Erzurum, a Strategic Site. Two Actions are
Prisoners!” Sarrail is sent back with a roll of %. Yudenich suffers
the same with a roll of ^. Hamilton is also sent reeling with a roll
of $. Defeat is just barely staved off! National will is at “-3”
again.
Following Vittoria Veneto, Italy Joins the
War (#13) and the Italians are crushed with
a roll of % (compared to a defeat
level of 3). Perhaps they let the
Western Allies through their
territory the previous turn before officially
entering the fray ineffectively themselves?
Lawrence takes Aquaba and Adrianople is
recaptured by Sarrail. The first Offensive attempt on the Salonika
Front fails, but the second succeeds with a roll of #. National will
rises to “-2” because of the victory over the Italians.
Hindenburg and Ludendorff decide to roll
the dice and the Kaiserschlacht (#45) is
declared. The marker is placed near
the Sequence of Play to remind the
player of the new turn phase.
Yudenich recaptures Erzurum and
Maude makes a demonstration to Mosul.
Taking advantage of the +1 DRM on all
Offensives, the player tries to force back Maude. He fails four
times in a spell of really bad luck. Knowing the danger, he spends
a Western Front deployed Resources marker for a German Staff
Operation (the marker is removed from the game) to try again and
rolls a ^, driving Maude back to Baghdad. Dangerous territory,
but the Turks decide not to press their luck with a second Staff
Offensive. The first Kaiserschlacht battle is resolved with a +2
DRM (+1 for the Western Resource and +1 for the
Card). A ^ makes the DRMs moot. The big offensive
in the West begins with a victory. National Will remains
at “-2” (4 victories-3 defeats and -3 Strategic Sites).
The Erzurum Offensive (#25) places Yudenich at the gates of
Constantinople in Ankara. No Offensives may be conducted
against him as indicated on the card. The two Offensives are used
on Maude and one succeeds in sending him back to Kut. The
second Kaiserschlacht battle is a defeat (a !, modified
to “2” by the Staff Operation, is still less than the
victory value of “3”). National Will is at “-3” with the
Russians in a very threatening position.
War Weariness Sets in (#41), not
unexpectedly. Rolling the die to determine
the random advance, a ! moves Murray into
Jerusalem, a Strategic Site. No
Actions can be taken because the
card does not grant any. A German
Staff Operation is not allowed on a turn
where Actions are prohibited. Disaster
Strikes in the West! Another Kaiserschlacht defeat follows, with a
modified roll of ! (The DRM for the Staff Operation
and War weariness cancel out). National Will collapses
to “-5” [4 victories – 5 defeats - 4 Strategic Sites
(Ankara, Erzurum, Lake Dorian and Jerusalem).
Play ends in a Crushing Turkish Defeat (all National Will
collapses are “Crushing Defeats”). With only 21 cards left, the
Young Turks can at least console themselves that they survived
more than half the deck.