A Nations at War Series Game

TABLE OF CONTENTS WHITE STAR RISING:

Scenarios
Scenario Layout
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3
OPERATION COBRA
General Scenario Rules 4
Expansion Designer: Matt Lohse
Cobra Campaign 4
Author’s Note: Campaign Introduction 4 On July 25th, 1944 the American, British, Canadian, Free French,
and Polish Armies launched an offensive to eliminate the deadlock in
Winning 4
the Norman peninsula and launch the Allied Armies into the interior
Leaders 4 of France. The German Army, over committed and underequipped,
Refitting 4 was soundly defeated and thousands of its troops, in addition to
The Campaign 5 much of their equipment, were captured in the Falaise pocket.
Cobra Scenario 1: 5 In short, the offensive worked, but those five words fail to do justice
Cobra Scenario 2: 6 to the blood spilled and courage shown during the six-week battle.
Cobra Scenario 3: 6 As with any battle, the whole is made up of an almost uncountable
number of skirmishes, clashes, and firefights. Fourteen such events
Cobra Scenario 4: 7
make up the scenarios of White Star Rising: Operation Cobra.
Cobra Scenario 5: 7
Beyond Cobra: Nine Stand Alone Scenarios 8
Scenario 1: Mont Ormel Ridge 8 SCENARIOS
Scenario 2: Operation Totalize 10 The following rules apply to both the five campaign scenarios as
Scenario 3: Mortain 10 well as the nine stand-alone scenarios.
Scenario 4: Mont Pincon 11
Scenario 5: Rolling Forward 12 SCENARIO LAYOUT
Scenario 6: St. Lambert-sur-Dives 13 Title: A catchy name for the battle at hand. This might be followed
Scenario 7: Chambois 14 by the type of battle and the who, what, where, and when of the
Scenario 8: Alencon 14 fight.
Scenario 9: Hebecrevon 15 Background: A brief lead in for the impending battle that sets the
Order of Battle (OOB) Formations 16 stage for the combatants.
Poland 16 Forces and Setups: Each scenario will list a number of formations,
France 16 such as The 24th Polish Lancers [24PL], and the units that are either
United States 16 part of the formation [have the formation name on their counter]
Canada 16 or Attached to the formation [listed in the scenario as Attached].
Great Britain 16 Unless stated otherwise, place the Formation marker for each
listed formation in the opaque container. Also listed is the support
Germany 16
[artillery, air support, Fate Points, and fortifications allocated to the
given side]. Where and when units are placed on the map is stated
BONUS SCENARIO: You Shall Not Pass! 17 in the setup.
BONUS SCENARIO: Trouble with Bridges France 18
Map Layout: An explanation of which maps and what areas the
Cobra and Beyond 19 battle takes place in.
The Allied Breakout from Normandy 19
Turns and Markers Used: This is how long the battle will last
Introduction 19 and the number of turn markers to use [2 or 3] and any special
The Plan 19 information on other markers.
The Attack 19
Victory Conditions: These are the objectives each player must
Aftermath 20 achieve in order to win the battle. Some scenarios will define
Reference 20 victory with control of a location or locations. To control a hex a side
Contributors 20 must be either the only side with a unit in the hex, or the last side
to move a unit through a currently unoccupied hex.

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Special Scenario Rules: These are special rules that apply for
the scenario being played. Players should take care to read these
rules so as not to miss out on things like surprise, reinforcements,
withdrawals, and other important items.
GENERAL SCENARIO RULES
Control: To control a city, a player must have a unit in, or have been
the last player to pass a unit through, each hex of the city. A player
automatically begins the game with control of all hexes he could
theoretically set a unit up in.
REFITTING
Refitting, or the ability to rebuild units, is the cornerstone of the
Cobra Campaign. The American 2nd Armored Division has limited
resources and will only use them to reinforce success. Accordingly
the American 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, purchase a P-47 Airstrike,
or purchase HE artillery strikes. Refit costs are listed below. Refit
points can be saved for later use.

COBRA CAMPAIGN Note: Reinforcing units can also be split to bring two existing
Reduced units of that type up to full strength. Refitted units are
switched from their Reduced to their full-strength side. Purchased
A Five-scenario Campaign for Operation Cobra. By Matt Lohse
platoons enter play as Reduced platoons and cannot be refitted to
full strength until the next scenario. For example, you can’t spend 6
AUTHOR’S NOTE: CAMPAIGN INTRODUCTION RPs and bring in one new full-strength platoon.
Five linked scenarios comprise the Cobra Campaign, which is At no time can there be more than six M4A1, three M4A3E8, two
based on the experience of the American 2nd Armored Division M5A1s, five Arm Inf, one M7, one M10, one M18, one M4/105, or two
during Operation Cobra in July 1944. Gamers command a small support weapons [any combo of HMG/Bazooka]. If reinforcements
portion of this division and must lead them through the campaign. called for would exceed these limits, the extra units are lost. The
The primary goal of a combat leader is to accomplish the assigned M10 and M7 may not be purchased until Scenario 3.
mission, but also to take care of the members of his command. For Airstrikes do not carry over from scenario to scenario.
example, the American player may take an objective, but without
preserving his command he might be left with insufficient forces Refit Points Table
to win subsequent scenarios. This campaign simulates those Unit Type Refit Point Cost [RPs]
conflicting objectives. It also adds the dimension of Refit Points for
the Americans—but only if the Americans win, of course! Armored Infantry Platoon 3
M5 Stuart 3
WINNING
M4A1 3
The emphasis is not just on winning the campaign, but also fighting
the good fight and preserving your force. Scenarios have specific M4A3E8 4
victory conditions, but more importantly how well you do in a M7 4
scenario will determine how many refit points you have to use to
prepare your force for the next battle. For those who must keep M10 4
score, losing the following scenarios corresponds to the following M18 4
result [having your force wiped out and/or failing to satisfy the M4/105 4
victory conditions counts as a defeat in a scenario].
sHQ 3
Scenario 1: German Decisive
Bolster HQ 5
Scenario 2: German Marginal
HMG 3
Scenario 3: Draw
Bazooka 2
Scenario 4: Draw
P47 Airstrike 6
Scenario 5: American Marginal
Win Scenario 5: American Decisive HE Strike [3^4] 6
Designated Formation Marker 10
LEADERS
The American leader follows the normal WSR leader rules. If the
leader is removed due to a combat result, he returns two scenarios
later [i.e. if removed in scenario 2 return in scenario 4]. The leader
can stack with any American unit.

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 THE CAMPAIGN
COBRA SCENARIO 1:
July 26, 1944 - Despite yesterday’s carpet-bombing by the 8th Air Force and attacks by several Infantry Divisions, a thin line
of German forces is still preventing an American breakout. Two Armored Divisions have been committed to today’s follow up
in the hopes of shattering the remaining German defenders. –Matt Lohse

AMERICAN
Setup second, between columns K and M [inclusive].
t
Elements of CCA: 1 x HQ, 4 x M4A1, 1 x M4A3E8, 1 x M5 Stuart, 4 x Arm Inf
Support: 1 x P47 close air support mission. Place in the cup at the beginning of Turn 1.

GERMANS
Setup first, anywhere between columns A and F, inclusive. See SSRs 1 and 2.
t
Elements of Stz107: 1 x HQ, 5 x Infantry, 1 x HMG, 1 x STuG III [Attached],
1 x 75mm ATG [Attached], 1 x Quad 20mm [Attached]
Support: 3 x Improved Positions
Playable Area: Map A from White Star Rising. The playable area is columns A-M,
inclusive.
Scenario Length: Eight turns, use two End Turn markers in the cup.
Victory conditions/Refit point schedule: The Americans win as long as they
exit at least two full strength units from hex A6. Two Reduced units count as one
full strength unit, HQs and Support Weapons do not count for this purpose.
The Americans get 5 refit points if no German units are within 2 hexes of the road
from A6 to Celles at the end of play. They also get refit points based on the turn on
which the first American unit exits the map via hex A6.

On or before Turn 3: 7rp

Turn 4: 6rp
Turn 5: 5rp
Turn 6: 4rp
Turn 7 or later: 3rp

Scenario Special Rules:

1. No more than one unit may occupy the hexes with Improved Positions. Improved Positions may not be setup in urban hexes.
2. The Cobra offensive was preceded by a massive airstrike. To reflect this, prior to Turn 1, roll
one dice for each German unit. On a result of 2-4 the unit starts the game disrupted. On a roll
of 5-6 the unit is disrupted and Reduced to start the game. A roll of 1 has no effect.
3. In the event the P47 is shot down or rolls for a return to base, it returns two turns later.
4. CCA goes first on Turn 1. Do not put its chit in the cup until Turn 2.

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 COBRA AND BEYOND
THE ALLIED BREAKOUT FROM NORMANDY
By Arrigo Velicogna
INTRODUCTION
While the events of D-Day, June 6th, 1944, have received massive
coverage, what happened after the landing has been subjected
to much less scrutiny. Some histories have simply skimmed the
two-and-a-half months that followed D-Day, presenting them as
a sort of logical consequence of the successful landing: Once the
Allies had established themselves ashore it was impossible for the
Germans to throw them back into the sea. This approach ignores
the fact that for two months the Allies were held within a tight
defensive perimeter, much smaller than US and British planners
had anticipated. According to the planners’ calculations, the Allies,
by the end of June, should have held nearly all of Normandy within
the confines of their lodgement; in actuality, they occupied an area
scarcely one fifth that size. (Blumenson, 1993, p. 4.) By late July,
despite a high a cost in lives and equipment, their controlled area
had not been significantly enlarged. That the Allies were at a virtual
stalemate in Normandy is often not fully recognized. The success
of the D-Day landing was only the first crucial step in the liberation
of Europe. Operation Cobra, the breakout from Normandy, was next.
THE PLAN
July 1944 was thus dominated by the Allies’ need to find a way
out of the static fighting, to break through to the “green fields
beyond”. The main objective was not liberating the rest of France
in one stroke, but a more modest advance to the Brittany ports,
especially Brest. Several schemes were contemplated, including air
and amphibious assaults against Brittany, but in the end they were
shelved in favor of a conventional ground push. The British attempt
to break out from their lodgement, Operation Goodwood, failed to
achieve a decisive result. At the same time as Montgomery’s British
forces were implementing Goodwood, General Omar Bradley’s 1st
US Army, operating in the western part of the lodgement, was
working on a plan to break through the German lines and then
protect the newly activated 3rd US Army in its drive toward Brittany.
The name of the plan was Operation Cobra. Cobra envisioned a
concentrated air bombardment of a limited area of the German
front—just 6,400 meters, at the base of the Cotentin peninsula—
followed by a push by three infantry divisions (4th, 9th and 30th),
with three more divisions (1st Infantry, 2nd and 3rd Armored) held in
reserve.
Once the German defensive line was ripped opened by the infantry,
the 2nd and 3rd Armored Divisions and the fully motorized 1st Infantry
Division would roll in, widening the breach. Then the newly activated
3rd Army could launch itself toward Brittany and the ultimate prize,
the port of Brest.
THE ATTACK
As usual in warfare, plans and reality were different. Bad weather
and poor coordination forced the postponement of the offensive
to July 25th (and resulted in the friendly fire—bombing—death
of Lieutenant General Leslie McNair). When the attack was finally
launched it almost immediately ran in to difficulties. The massive
carpet bombing preceding the ground assault destroyed the
German defenses, but also made forward movement difficult. On
July 26th, Bradley decided to commit the reserve, and two days
later a clean breakthrough was achieved for the first time in the
Normandy campaign.
Once the American forces were out of the German defensive area,
things started to deteriorate quickly for the Germans. The German
commander in Normandy, Field Marshal Günther “Hans” von Kluge,
had no reserve, no defense in depth, and, soon, his command-
and-control evaporated. The situation was rapidly evolving, and his
forces were overwhelmed quickly.
The collapse of the front in Normandy left Hitler and the German
High Command with two unpalatable alternatives. They had lost
the only relatively short defensive line before the Siegfried Line
and Germany, so withdrawing from Normandy meant, in effect,
abandoning France and its political and economic capital. On the
other hand, trying to restore the line in Normandy would have put at
risk the bulk of German forces in the West. In the end Hitler decided
for the second alternative and ordered Operation Lüttich, an
armored counterattack to restore the defensive line in Normandy.
Lüttich failed due to poor planning, poor leadership, and stout
American resistance coupled with superior airpower.
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 CREDITS
Executive Producer Historical Notes Editor
David Heath Arrigo Velicogna

Associate Producer Manual Editor

Blackwell Hird Jeff Lewis

Game Design Manual Design and Layout

Mark Walker Gabriel Gendron

Campaign designer Administration

Matt Lohse Ava Marie Heath

Scenario Designers Customer Support

Matt Lohse, Mark Walker, Arrigo Velicgna Jason Church

Box art Logistic Manager

David Heath, Blackwell Hird Darren White

Scenario Layout
Marc Von Martial

Nations at War development

Sean Druelinger

Playtesters
Matt Lohse, Robert Ellis, Ralph Ferrari

Special Thanks & Support

Ren Bitzer, Shauna Church, Nicholas Heath, Shane Heath, Nick Katzer, Caleb King, Phil Lucero, Austin
Stoltz, Stephane Tanguay, Kindra White, Patrick White

Why We Do What We Do
We love designing, developing and, most of all, playing games. We thank God for blessing us so we can
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White Star Rising: Operation Cobra is an
expansion for the game White Star Rising in the
Nations at War series. This expansion focuses on
the events surrounding the Allied breakout from
the Normandy beachhead in July-August 1944.
Operation Cobra adds the Canadians, the Free
French and the Free Polish to the Nations at War
series in addition to new units for the Americans,
the British, and the Germans.

Operation Cobra comes with nine stand-alone

scenarios, focusing on events near Falaise, as
the Germans tried to escape the converging allied
armies. Among the topics are the Polish stand on
Mont Ormel Ridge and Canadian efforts to capture
the village of St. Lambert-sur-Dives. Operation
Cobra also contains a five scenario linked campaign
following the breakout of American armored units
during Operation Cobra near the end of July 1944.

REQUIRES WHITE STAR RISING BASE GAME TO

PLAY
Complexity Game Includes:
9 Stand alone Scenarios
Solitaire Playability 5 Scenario Campaign
2 Bonus Scenarios
1 Countersheet

12+ 1-2 2-4h

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