Blitzkrieg refers to the German offensive in 1940, at the early stages of war and prior to US intervention.  Hitler's earlier stage of war - labeled by many as "Sitzkrieg" and the "Phony War" - are about to be over, and in dramatic fashion.  In the late Spring of 1940, Germany has taken over Poland and several small countries, and they are setting up to invade and occupy France, Belgium and eventually Britain. 

Preparation for the attack included building and securing the Maginot Line along the Rhine River between France and Germany, as well as several exploratory missions beyond the Line. 

 

THE GERMAN OFFENSIVE
 

Germany, positioned at #9, has ONE Command Post from which to operate, one Commander and one Field Marshal.  The German Wehrmacht Commander, Franz Halder, has the duty of issuing missions and communicating with his Field Marshal, Wilhelm Keitel. 

Germany's goal is to establish a foothold for the invasion, then invade and occupy Britain, Italy and/or France.  Germany can take over up to two Allied bases at a time [see game rules below], stopping Allied forces from having a base from which to attack AND giving the Germans points for 1) invading and 2) occupying it for 15 or more minutes.   

THE ALLIED COUNTEROFFENSIVE
 

Allied countries, positioned at #4, #20 and #25, have THREE Command Posts from which to operate, one overall Commander and up to three Field Marshals.  The Allied Commander, Winston Churchill, has the duty of issuing missions and communicating with his Field Marshals, Maurice Gamelin, , Gaston-Henri Billotte and Charles de Gaulle. 

Furthermore, the Commander and his Field Marshals have the responsibility of maintaining and supplying troops for each of their three countries. It is up the command staff to communicate and correspondingly allocate troop levels at/to their respective countries.  Securing these lands is the default position;  NOT securing all three countries is worth positive points to the enemy.  

 

POINTS
 

Regular MISSION points, available every 30 minutes, worth 100 points per completed mission [unless otherwise noted on the mission card]

German INVASION points.  If Germans get base kill on any Allied Country [#4, #20 or #25], they get 10 Points

German OCCUPATION points.  If Germans invade and occupy Allied County [#4, #20 or #25] for 15 consecutive minutes, they get 25 points.  EVERY additional minute past 15 is worth an additional 5 points per minute. 

Allied INVASION points.  If Allied forces get a base kill on German CP [#9], they get 100 points.   IF Allied Forces can't keep Germans from taking over and occupying their Allied Countries... running more missions and/or destroying German CP may be the only way to win.  Effective spies could come in handy...

ROLE PLAYER points.  There will be assigned roles and assignable roles for role players.  Showing up to an assignment is worth 10 points.  NOT showing up is worth -20 points.  Many of the assigned roles will carry with them "BONUS" points of up to 50 points for carrying out a specific role.

NOTE:  GENERALS AND 24HG WILL KEEP UP-TO-THE-MINUTE RECORDS ON POINTS, GOOD OR BAD.  INVASIONS AND OCCUPATIONS WILL BE PUBLICIZED TO BOTH GENERALS.

REWARDS/INCENTIVES PROGRAM
 

Both sides start out with two medics. 
Everything else "important" is earned or bought. 
 

REWARDS:

Faster Reinsertions:
Up to three* purchases, runs all (or remainder of) game. 
*Allied Forces can buy three [one for each CP], Germans can buy one. 
Each purchase knocks down 5 minutes off reinsert schedule for a CP.

Paratrooper Deployment:
Available for purchase up to three times.
Deploy any 10 soldiers with 3'x3' green ponchos anywhere on the field. 

Commander MUST state a desired "location" [map number] but the players can "land" anywhere within 200 feet [one map grid] of the location, should there be heavy troop placements at the actual, stated location.  Paratroopers MUST drop at/around the location, and CANNOT just wander around waiting for the "right" time.  Everybody rips off their green poncho at once and you're all "live."  Play by the intent ... a paratrooper deployment.

Medical Training Institute:
Up to three additional medics available, per side.  Runs all game.
Each medic is a purchase. 

ALL medics need to sit down with the general and go over the medic rules, line by line, to make sure they understand them.  ANY ref caught cheating or not playing by the rules will be ref punched once, then stripped of his tape and medic card.  Medic cannot be re-bought.  Striped medic cannot be issued medic credential again.

Spy Recruitment: 
Up to three spies may be purchased.  Runs all game. 
Each spy is a purchase.

Any player wanting to be a spy needs to brief their general in advance of the game as to their intentions and/or goals for being a spy.  General should select a spy (if warranted) out of a pool of players that show interest and that have goals as part of doing the role. 

ALL spies need to keep their original player ID on them at all times.  General will have nine of the other side’s player IDs pre-punched for chronos (one set punched for AM, one set punched AM and PM, and one set punched AM, PM and AM) and MUST verify that the spy role player has his own original card punched before giving up his spy ID card.  Any spy caught during the game must give up his SPY ID card and retain his original card.  To "be caught," your General and accuser MUST come to you with proof, and not just randomly ask players if they are the spy.

Reconnaissance Balloon:
Up to 6 flights per side, runs for 1 hour. Balloons can overlap. 
Each run is a purchase.
One invincible player with bright orange 3’ x 3’ poncho over shoulders that can wander the field and radio in troop numbers/locations. 

Tank Factories:
One tank [we are building] that can run up to two times per team. 
Each “run” is a purchase.
Normal tank rules.  Tank runs for 30 minutes.    

Weapons Factories:
Two cases of paint, to be distributed by general to players that come up during the game. 
One ENGINEER role player will be given out with each purchase.
Each case of paint is a purchase.

Explosives Factories: 
Up to six paint grenades, to be distributed by general to players that come up during the game.
ONE demolition role player will be given out with each purchase. 
Three grenades = 1 purchase.

V2 Rocket Laboratory:
One use per side. 
Can use any time during the game, on any target (including base).
General’s base ref will radio Jack with his intentions.  Nearest field ref will run over and call everybody within 100’ of the location marker dead. 

Artillery Barrage:
Three uses per side.
One use = one purchase.
Can use at any time during the game, on any target except base.
Kills all players within 10’ of any target except base. 
DOES NOT need to be a numbered location.
See V2 rocket laboratory for how to enact the kill.

[WILL ADD ANYTHING ELSE ANYBODY WANTS TO SEE]

HOW TO GET REWARDS:

Best Pre-Game Strategy
[I know this is subjective… but its the best I can do.]
Short paragraph or two that will be evaluated 1 week before the game. 

Generals write a paragraph or two about how they plan to win the war.  Allocation of troops to different areas...  Thought behind time-distance relationships… Deployment of Field Marshal(s)...  Written with historical theme...  Etc… No limit to length or creativity. 

Best Percentage of Players at Boot Camps
[15+- minute “walk throughs” on the field
Scheduled Friday at 5PM, 6PM, 7PM; Saturday at 9AM, 9:30AM, 10:00AM]

Best Percentage of Players at Orientation
Total # registered versus total # there at 11:00

Points Winner from First Third of game
Points Winner from Night Play
Points Winner, Best 2/3 

Most RP Bonus Points Scored by end of first 1/3 of game
Most RP Bonus Points Scored by end of second 1/3 of game
Most RP Bonus Points Scored by end of third 1/3 of game

Most Effective Spies at end of game
Spies need to report to 24HG staff pre-game and tell us what all they did post-game

Forfeiting Mission Points
Not a "fun" method, but sometimes it is required.  For every 100 points you have amassed, you can buy ONE thing above.

SPECIFIC GAME RULES
 

In addition to the "boxes" full of normal rules, above, here are some new or game-specific rules.

First, as you may have read above... we're going to start doing BOOT CAMPS before every game.  Nothing terrible... Nothing very time consuming... Just a 15-20 minute "walk through" covering how to play the game right and what things NOT to do.

Second, we're going to start doing something that'll hopefully help people from getting shot up that don't necessarily need being shot up...  Certain people will be wearing 3' wide by 3' long "ponchos" of varying colors with a hole in the neck of the poncho.  When they're wearing it, they should be EASILY identifiable to everybody out there, even from long distances.  These people are either 1) Generals you can shoot; 2) Invincible role players you can't shoot; or 3) Paratroopers you can't shoot until they "land" [take off ponchos] 

-Generals will wear bright blue or bright red ponchos
-Invincible players [think of them as "tanks"] will be wearing bright orange
-Paratroopers will be wearing bright green ponchos.  Green means go - after they take the ponchos off.    
 

Now.... back to the game...

The name of the game is stopping German occupation of Allied Countries (#4, #20 and #25).  These three countries are all potential Allied bases.

Equal numbers will be split up between "Allied" and "German" forces.  German forces have one uncaptureable CP and Allied forces have one uncaptureable CP. Allied forces are in charge of PROTECTING their Allied Countries (#4, #20, #25).  Germany MAY take over up to two Allied Countries.  Doing so is Germany's goal.  Stopping them is the Allied Forces' goal.  Allied Commander MAY bulk up #4 and pay no attention to #25 and/or #20, but Germans will take these places over, racking up points and providing reinsertion points from which to attack the remaining Allied Country.  Hint: ... You may want to spread out Allied forces and control #4, #20 and #25.   

BASE KILL METHODS: 1) One foot inside CP door (ANY door) and YELL "ALL DEAD!" 2) TWO LAW shots on CP exterior within TWO minutes 3) DEMO player throws SATCHEL and hits CP exterior

ALL Allied countries MUST have their flag raised or lowered in order for troops to spawn at that country.  IF German troops attack and complete a BASE KILL on any Allied country, they MUST bring in one of two available German flags and establish that country as a "forward base" from which to deploy new German troops [reinsert dead German players]. Allied forces should attack and re-take over their countries [BASE KILL], establishing their flag and their reinsertion ability at that country.  Note:  We are working on a way of adding blue/red lights at each Allied Country to help with visually spotting Allied/German reinsertion points at night. Flag STILL needs to be raised, regardless.

It should be said that it is the PLAYER'S responsibility for communicating with other players as to the ability to reinsert in an Allied Country.  Suppose Germany gets a base kill on #20, raises their flag and #20 is a reinsertion point.  German players need to communicate to other German players that #20 is POTENTIALLY a reinsertion point.  This is not a definite.  Allied forces can, and should, move in to re-take the Allied Country.  DON'T assume that "...because ___ told me I could reinsert there!!?!" is a valid argument/excuse when you illegally try to reinsert at #20 [or reinsert short of the base because you think it is unfair that you started walking over there, ETC.] after Allied forces take it back over and a ref tells you to leave the game. If you can't play by the rules or understand the rules, just keep reinserting at #9.

NO FLAG = NO REINSERTION.  NO EXCEPTION.

Germany gets 10 points for INVADING [BASE KILL] an Allied Country.
Germany gets 25 points for holding an Allied Country for 15 consecutive minutes, and an additional 5 points for every minute past 15 minutes.
Once invaded, Germany's reinsertion time AT THAT ALLIED COUNTRY is reduced to FIVE minutes.  
*Bolded, capitalized and italicized... for emphasis

Allied Commander must set up his CP at an Allied Country.  He can set up his CP at any Allied country, and can move his CP at any time by placing his BLUE STAR flag at either #4, #20 or #25.

-Commander must wear BLUE 3'x3' fabric with head hole over his body
-Commander will be “live” out on the field during moves, and very much so exposed to enemy fire.  Normal General Kill points apply.
-Commander will keep base ref and all missions with him.

Anything else you need to know, read the rules, hop over to the FORUMS or email me.  Anything "new" or "different" on here overrides the official rule book - however the only thing I know that's different is the "Allies base kill German base" points part.