
- BGG rank
- BGG #11,143
- BGG rating
- 8.1
Retro: Tactical WWII Wargame Variant Rules
- 2 players
- 30 min
- Complexity 2.5/5
- 2001

Rules assistance for The War: Europe 1939-1945 – Expansion Kit
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.

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Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
The War: Europe 1939-1945 – Expansion Kit is an expansion for The War: Europe 1939-1945 released in 2017 for 2–5 players and 1,080 minutes per game. It was designed by Ernie Copley and its main mechanics are Hexagon Grid.
The War 1939 – 1945 Expansion Kit offers twelve new scenarios, including 3 alternative history scenarios: "A Road Not Taken" (Hitler does not declare war on the U.S.in 1941) "Lord Halifax’s Treaty" (Britain makes a deal with Germany in summer 1940 after losing the BEF at Dunkirk) "The virtue of vigilance" (Britain and France rearm early enough tobe ready for war in 1939) The other 9 scenarios are historical or near historical: Battle of Britain Operation Sealion (the never-executed invasion of Britain) Arctic convoy Kursk Stalingrad Bombing the Reich Clandestine war Italian campaign Operation Tannenbaum (the never-executed invasion of Switzerland in 1940) A 38-page optional rule book, which introduces such new concepts as Hidden Buildups (which allow Bulge-style strategic surprise); variable French and Soviet Surprise rules (for 1940 and 1941, respectively); new Diplomatic targets and strategies; solitaire Diplomatic rules; a much more robust Spain; expanded SS recruiting, Hiwis, Brandenburgers and 49 (!) new variants. Two new counter sheets, enabling players to operationalize the new scenarios, optional rules and Variants. Components: 2 full sheets of 5/8” counters 3 sop cards 1 sequence of play booklet – there is an SOP for each of the 12 new scenarios 1 optional rules booklet 1 scenario booklet 1 full color box and lid – the big 3” deep box (adapted from the publisher's description and back of the box)
The War: Europe 1939-1945 – Expansion Kit supports 2–5 players according to the catalogue. This range comes from the publisher’s listed player count, so the game can be set up for any group size within it. Some setups, rules and scoring details may still vary by player count, so check your edition’s rulebook for the exact configuration.
The listed playing time for The War: Europe 1939-1945 – Expansion Kit is 1,080 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 War: Europe 1939-1945 – Expansion Kit belongs to these categories: Wargame, World War II, and Expansion for Base-game. Its main mechanics are Hexagon Grid. 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 The War: Europe 1939-1945 – Expansion Kit are: Ernie Copley. 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 The War: Europe 1939-1945 – Expansion Kit as an expansion for The War: Europe 1939-1945. Expansions add new content, rules or scenarios to the base game and usually cannot be played on their own, so you need The War: Europe 1939-1945 to use it. Check that your edition of The War: Europe 1939-1945 is compatible, as some expansions were revised between editions.