Frequently Asked Questions
Can air factors bombing fleet factors in port be intercepted?
YES. The defender's air factors based within two zones of that port can intercept the attacker's air factors.
Can Russia and Italy build, move, and SR units while they are neutral?
YES.
When do Russia and Italy take their turns while they are neutral?
Russia's turn always occurs during the Allied turn and Italy's turn always occurs during the Axis turn.
When does Germany receive her U-boats?
Germany receives her U-boats during each turn's Unit Construction Phase.
One artillery and one infantry attacking the same zone equals four attack factors?
CORRECT.
Additional forces are available in the spring of the year they become available?
YES.
The United States cannot grant WPPs until they are in the war?
CORRECT.
Could fleets perform a base change and still be eligible for Strategic Warfare Movement?
YES. A base change is not considered a naval mission.
Combat losses may include air factors that performed Ground Support or Defensive Air Support?
YES.
There is a border around Rome. Is that a seperate zone?
YES.
If a fleet is down to 4 factors it can not be increased or rebuilt until it is it is eliminated?
CORRECT. You may only rebuild full 8 factor fleets. The 8 factors can come from any number of partial fleet factor losses, meaning that you don’t have to wait until you lose that other specific 4 factor fleet. Keep in mind also that having a partial fleet loss (less than 8 factors) does not restrict you in any way from constructing other full 8 factor fleets that are available in the force pool, but that have not yet been built and initially placed on the board. Finally, remember that re-constructed 8 factor fleets take one year to build.
There is a two air wing stacking limit per zone. Can more than two air wings perform Ground Support or Defensive Air Support in one attack?
YES. The only air factor limit in an attack is that the number of air factors providing Ground Support cannot exceed three times the number of attack factors and the number of air factors providing Defensive Air Support cannot exceed three times the number of modified defense factors. The stacking limit refers to how many factors can base in a particular zone.
I just received my copy of NEPPAGames: ETO™ and I want to play immediately. What is the quickest way to learn how to play?
Read through the manual to get a general understanding of the game rules. Don't worry about trying to remember everything. We developed the game and we still have to refer to the manual from time to time. The 1939 Scenario is the best scenario to jump right into and learn how to play. Pull out the Turn Sequence sheet and follow along with each step. Each step has a game manual reference number in parenthesis next to it for your convenience. Also, the manual's index is very helpful to locate answers to any questions you might have. Once you feel comfortable with the game's mechanics try another scenario or campaign game.
What was the inspiration for creating this game?
We got tired of playing WWII games that were not properly playtested and, thus, not properly balanced. And then having to create house rules to compensate for holes in the games. We didn't want to roll 20-30 dice to resolve a battle anymore. We haven't found a WWII game that is historically accurate and doesn't require countless hours to complete it.
Our goal was to combine the best elements of several existing board games (including but not limited to A&A/A&AE, Third Reich, General Patton, etc) into a very playable, very historical package. We believe the game will have appeal to several categories of gamers:
Is this a hex or zone based game?
NEPPAGames: ETO™ uses a zone or area-based mapboard, which we believe significantly increases playability. Since each hex covers less ground than a zone or area, hexed base games require more playing pieces. More playing pieces require more time to move them around, which is what we wanted to avoid in the first place.
Does the game have cardboard counters or plastic miniatures?
The units that will come with the game will be cardboard counters. We considered using plastic miniatures, but the board became very cluttered with pieces. Now, the board gets cluttered with counters, but at least the cardboard counters are stackable. The alternative would have been to enlarge the gameboard, but to make any meaningful difference, it would have required a substantial enlargement. Currently, the mapboard measures approximately 2ft x 3ft. With respect to making the board larger, I dont know about you, but there's not much room in my home to setup the equivalent of half a sheet of plywood on the kitchen/dining room table.
In NEPPAGames: ETO™, for simplicity and playability, we chose to keep the attack/defense values consistent from country to country. Instead, we simply added or removed units to adjust the strength of each country's force pool accordingly. Therefore, for those of you who prefer the plastic pieces, the game can be played using the A&A pieces to represent the infantry, armor,and artillery units. The air and fleet units however, are less well suited for this, as air and fleet
units can vary in strength. For example, a full strength fleet unit in NEPPAGames: ETO™ has eight (8) combat factors. A full strength air wing has three (3) combat factors. To have plastic pieces to represent all the possible partial strength fleet factors or air wings raises the price of the game fairly quickly. We chose to keep the price of the game as affordable as possible.
Finally, because each country has a fixed force pool, it is important to know what units are in play and what units are available in the force pool but, but are as yet unconstructed. We found during playtesting that having lots of plastic poker chips scattered around caused some confusion. Ultimately, I believe that it will be the player's preference. Should you prefer playing with A&A-style infantry, armor, and artillery, you can do so. Others may find the cardboard counters preferable. Your choice.
Is the map mounted on a board or is it printed on a piece of paper?
The map is mounted on a board and it really looks great. It measures approximately 2ft x 3ft and folds in 4.