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Expansion for The Fall of France
Operation Saar: The French First Strike (Europa Battle Scenario #5)
1993
Rules assistance for Operation Saar: The French First Strike (Europa Battle Scenario #5)
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2 players
- 240 min
- 12+
- Complexity 4.0/5
Rules assistant for Operation Saar: The French First Strike (Europa Battle Scenario #5)
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Operation Saar: The French First Strike (Europa Battle Scenario #5) is an expansion for The Fall of France released in 1993 for 2 players, 240 minutes per game, and ages 12 and up. It was designed by Jason Sinclair Long and its main mechanics are Dice Rolling, Hexagon Grid, and Simulation.
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About the game
Appearing in Europa Magazine #29, Operation Saar is a pullout from the magazine. Operation Saar posits a French attack on German forces in Poland in 1939. As the designer states: "Due to consistent over-estimation of German military might and poor intelligence, the French made only a token effort to fulfill their obligations to Poland by a desultory advance a couple of kilometers into Germany on September 7th that was soon withdrawn. I've thought it a fascinating "what-if" to consider what might have happened had the French attacked before the Germans had redeployed from Poland." Operation Saar uses the First to Fight (1991) rules set with various adjustments, along with maps from Second Front.
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- Games Research/Design (GR/D)
Questions and answers
Operation Saar: The French First Strike (Europa Battle Scenario #5) supports 2 players according to the catalogue. This is the publisher’s listed player count, so the game is designed for exactly that number of participants. Variants for other group sizes, if any, are described in the rulebook of your edition, so check it before setting up a different configuration.
The listed playing time for Operation Saar: The French First Strike (Europa Battle Scenario #5) is 240 minutes. This is the publisher’s estimate for a full game. The actual duration depends on the group, the player count and familiarity with the rules: first sessions usually run longer, while experienced groups often finish faster. Setup and teaching time are not included in this estimate.
The catalogue lists Operation Saar: The French First Strike (Europa Battle Scenario #5) for ages 12 and up. This is the publisher’s recommendation and reflects reading demands, rule complexity and small components rather than theme alone. Younger players can often join with help from an adult, so check the age guidance on your edition and consider your group’s experience with board games.
Operation Saar: The French First Strike (Europa Battle Scenario #5) has a complexity rating of 4.0 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a heavy game. The rating reflects how much rules knowledge, planning and decision-making a typical game demands. Expect a longer first teach for heavier games, and use a preparation guide before game night.
Operation Saar: The French First Strike (Europa Battle Scenario #5) belongs to these categories: Wargame, World War II, and Expansion for Base-game. Its main mechanics are Dice Rolling, Hexagon Grid, and Simulation. Categories describe the theme and setting of a game, while mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you want something comparable.
The credited designers of Operation Saar: The French First Strike (Europa Battle Scenario #5) are: Jason Sinclair Long. These credits come from the published game data and name the people responsible for the game’s design, not its illustrators or publishers. Designer pages on MeepleRules collect other titles by the same designers, which helps when you enjoy a game and want to find similar ones.
The catalogue lists Operation Saar: The French First Strike (Europa Battle Scenario #5) as an expansion for The Fall of France. Expansions add new content, rules or scenarios to the base game and usually cannot be played on their own, so you need The Fall of France to use it. Check that your edition of The Fall of France is compatible, as some expansions were revised between editions.