A scenario expansion pack for Nations at War: White Star Rising.
White Star Rising: Airborne is an expansion to the widely popular White Star Rising series. Featuring fourteen scenarios and a set of new map overlays, the expansion details British and American paratroopers fighting in Europe during 1944-45.
Included are two persistent campaigns--one featuring the British Paras at Arnhem, and another detailing the battles fought by the troopers of the 101st Airborne on June 6th, 1944. The British campaign is five scenarios long and the Screaming Eagles three. Additionally, there are six standalone scenarios detailing paratroop actions of the Americans, British, and Germans.
The persistent campaigns really make the gamer think. He must learn to conserve his forces, because what he finishes one scenario with is the basis for the next. On the other hand, the more objectives a player meets the more refit points he gets to refit his troops. These are the types of delicious decisions wargamers game for.
Ten of the scenarios in Airborne were originally published in Line of Fire, and four of the firefights are brand new. Fourteen scenarios, overlays to change your existing White Star Rising maps, what's not to like?
The Expansion Includes:
Fourteen scenarios put together in an attractive 30- page, full color scenario book, including historical commentary for each campaign/group of scenarios.
Three new map overlays. These are on cardstock for the professionally printed version, and part of the PDF for the print and play version.
One new British recon jeep counter.
The Campaigns and Scenarios
The primary goal of a combat leader is not only to accomplish the assigned mission, but also to take care of the members of his command. For example, in White Star Rising: Airborne, the Allied player may take an objective, but without preserving his command he will be left with insufficient forces to win subsequent scenarios. The two campaigns in Airborne simulate those often conflicting objectives. They also add the dimension of Refit Points for the Allies.
Refitting
Refitting, or the ability to rebuild units, is the cornerstone of the campaigns. Divisional command has limited resources and will only use them to reinforce success. Accordingly, the Allied player earns Refit Points (RPs) in relation to how well they do. These Refit Points can be used to purchase new (but reduced) units, refit existing units, or buy Support Weapons (Bazookas or Hvy MGs); a player can also bolster an already reduced HQ in to a full-strength HQ or purchase a P-47 Airstrike. Refit costs are listed with the appropriate campaign.
Normandy Scenario 1: June 6th, 1944, Early Morning- The 101st Airborne Division dropped behind Utah Beach in the early hours of D-Day. A combination of weather, darkness, and general confusion resulted in units being spread over a wide area. One on the ground, small units began trying to capture whatever objectives they landed close to.
Normandy Scenario 2: June 6th, 1944, Approaching Dawn- As dawn approached elements of the 101st Airborne Division began trying to secure the exits from Utah Beach before the Germans could bring more forces into the area.
Normandy Scenario 3: June 6th, 1944, Afternoon- Having secured many important crossroads inland from Utah Beach, elements of the 101st Airborne Division waited for reinforcements to reach them from the beachheads.
Arnhem Scenario 1: To the Bridge: September 17th, 1944- Having landed near Arnhem, elements of the 7th Para and an attached recon platoon had orders to capture the roadway bridge in Arnhem before the Germans could move reinforcements into the area.
Arnhem Scenario 2: The First Defense: September 18th, 1944- Capturing the bridge over the Rhine was the easy part of 7th Para's mission. Having captured it, they now had to hold it against whatever forces the Germans could organize for a counterattack.
Arnhem Scenario 3: Breaking Through: September 19th, 1944- Although British forces held a foothold in Arnhem, they had been cut off from the bulk of the 1st Para back around the drop zone. Someone needed to clear the road so the 7th could be resupplied and reinforced.
Arnhem Scenario 4: Hold the Line: September 19th, 1944- In addition to threatening the bridge itself, the Germans also made serious efforts to shrink the areas held by the British around Arnhem and the drop zone.
Arnhem Scenario 5: One More Time: September 20th, 1944- Even though the Drop Zone had not been lost, all would be naught if the Germans recaptured the bridge before XXX Corps showed up. 7th Para had one last mission to accomplish...
Market Garden Scenario: Come As You Are: Market Garden Day 1: September 17th, 1944- With many objectives to capture, only a small portion of the 82nd Airborne was initially focused on capturing the bridge in Nijmegen. Standing in the way were a few Germans and whatever reinforcements could arrive within the next few hours.
Market Garden Scenario: Groesbeek Heights: Market Garden Day 2: September 18th, 1944- Having taken the Groesbeek Heights the previous day, elements of the 82nd Airborne were soon faced with a counterattack from a mixed bag of German units. To make things worse, the counterattacks threatened to overrun landing zones just hours before a large number of gliders were scheduled to arrive.
Noville Scenario: Attack Countered: December 19th, 1944- The 2nd Panzer Division occupied the high ground to the north and east of Noville, allowing them to rain accurate artillery fire on the village. On the afternoon of December 19th the 1st Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment (PIR) attacked the high ground, determined to drive the Germans off of it. As two of the 506th's companies crested the ridge, they were met by a battalion of German infantry supported by 32 tanks.
Noville Scenario: Dancing at Dawn: December 20th, 1944- The 2nd Panzer Division launches another attack on Noville. The 2nd Panzer's commander, General Lauchert, ordered his panzer grenadiers to lead the way. Small packets of armor accompanied them, artillery shells roared overhead.
Noville Scenario: By the Skin of Their Teeth: December 20th, 1944- Shortly after repulsing the dawn attack (which lasted well into the morning), Team Desobry, realizing their position in Noville was untenable, requested permission to withdraw. Permission came, and Team Desobry (now, due to Desobry's wounding and subsequent evacuation, under the command of Maj. Robert F. Harwick, a paratrooper), prepared to withdraw to Foy, 2.5 kilometers south. At 1400, a battalion of paratroopers from the 502nd PIR counterattacked through the 304th Panzer Grenadier Regiment, capturing Foy, and digging in a few hundred meters past the town. Team Desobry was to withdraw through these paratroopers.
Noville Scenario: Last Call: December 16th, 1944- During the Ardennes Offensive, Friedrich August Freiherr von der Heydte led his unit of 1,200 men, Kampfgruppe Von der Heydte, in the last large-scale German airborne drop of the war, this scenario is a fictitious representation of that drop.
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