Firestorm: Warsaw
by Mike Haught
Early on in the Warsaw Project, I wanted to make sure there was a world in which the AK and Sicherungs forces could battle it out. The tournament scene really doesn't suit them and the occasional pick-up game simply isn't enough of a reason to keep playing your Warsaw forces. The Firestorm campaign system offers an excellent avenue for players to fight the battle of Warsaw using these unique forces.
Firestorm: Warsaw is designed for small fast games so that players can play through the campaign in one or two nights of play.
F S Warsaw Map
Campanha
Do I need Firestorm–Bagration to play?
Nope. Firestorm: Warsaw is mostly self-contained. We have included all of the rules you will need to play, so it is not necessary to own Firestorm: Bagration. However, Firestorm: Warsaw uses the same pieces from the Bagration campaign, so if you do own a copy of Firestorm Bagration, you can reuse its parts for this campaign.
There are ten Firestorm troops, five for each side. The Soviets arrive on turn four, giving the Polish an additional troop (six altogether). Ideally, we’ll have some downloadable Firestorm: Warsaw tokens for you very soon.
What’s Different?
Firestorm: Warsaw uses most of the rules from Firestorm: Bagration. I have taken out some of the rules to make the campaign more streamlined for faster play. Some of the most notable changes are:
- No Partisans and Polizei phase (Obviously, this is what the campaign is all about anyway!)
- No Supply (neither the AK nor the Germans were really in a position to cut off each other’s supply. In the campaign, this helps keep the games easy to set up and moving a long)
- No Exploitation (the city was way too congested with choke points, ambushes and barricades to give anyone fast mobility in order to exploit gaps)
The Map
The map is divided into ten areas, each centring on the major districts of Warsaw. There are three bridge points on the map giving access from Praga to the opposite districts. Each area has a point value depending on the strategic importance of the area.
The Germans and Soviets arrive from outside the city from uncapturable reserve areas, reflecting their ease of reinforcement. Whereas the Polish are restricted to remaining in the city itself.
The map is downloadable. It is designed on an A3 (11"x17") sheet of paper. It has everything you'll need to track the progress of the campaign.
The History
Heath Alexander provided an excellent history of the Uprising, giving readers a more general view of the conflict. I'd like to take a moment to thank Heath for working on the history section.
What Forces Should I Play?
Other than the AK and Sicherungs briefings, there were several forces involved in Warsaw. Some force suggestions would be any of the German lists found in Hammer and Sickle and River of Heroes. The SS and Heer had troops inside the city, so those forces are just as valid as the Sicherungs.
On the Allied side, you could field a Soviet Strelkovy or Tankovy, representing the Ludowe Wojsko Polskie (LWP, or the Polish People’s Army) or the 2nd Tank Army. You could also play a British Parachute Company, representing the Polish paratroopers arriving from England, in a what-if scenario.
Of course, like all Firestorm campaigns, the forces you bring are up to you and your campaign organizer, so feel free to set whatever parameters you like!
Report Back!
I'm always looking for anything that I've missed in the campaign system. If you've dicovered oddities or errors, please report them in the Firestorm forum found on our website. In addition, we're always excited to hear your feedback and read your campaign reports!
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