World War II
1939 – 1945
Six powers on a global board, which means the war is never one war — the Pacific and the Eastern Front run on separate clocks and reinforcements have to be chosen between them. The classic mistake here is winning both theatres slowly instead of one of them quickly.
The era at a glance
- Period
- 1939 – 1945
- Factions
- 6
- Board
- World War II (1939–1945) — 35 territories
- Grows to
- 42 territories as the eras advance
- Regions
- 9
- Players
- 2–8, any mix of people and AI
- Price
- Free. No download, no account required.
Who you can play
Each faction has its own passive strengths and one ability that changes how it fights. They are asymmetric on purpose — the same board plays differently depending on who you take.
- Third Reich
-
Blitzkrieg doctrine — after a successful capture, may make one immediate bonus attack per turn.
A mechanized war machine built on shock and tempo, Germany seeks to collapse fronts before attrition can catch up.
Ability: Blitzkrieg: once per turn, after capturing a territory immediately execute a free additional attack from that territory.
- Soviet Union
-
Vast reserves — +2 reinforcements per turn, and once per game a mass mobilisation places five extra units.
Factories beyond the Urals and endless manpower let the Soviet state trade land for time and return with crushing mass.
Ability: Mass Mobilization: once per game, place 5 extra units on any owned territory.
- United States
-
Industrial supremacy — +1 reinforcement per turn, and the arsenal turns out a fresh division every turn.
Protected by oceans and powered by industry, the United States converts economic depth into global military reach.
Ability: Arsenal of Democracy: once per turn during draft, place 1 extra unit on a territory you hold.
- United Kingdom
-
Island fortress and global empire — the Dominions send a division every turn.
Britain survives through naval control, imperial links, and the stubborn advantage of making every approach expensive.
Ability: Commonwealth: once per turn during draft, place 1 extra unit on a territory you hold.
- Imperial Japan
-
Pacific supremacy — +1 reinforcement per turn, and a banzai charge turns one assault a turn overwhelming.
Fast carrier warfare and aggressive expansion define Japan at its peak, where initiative matters more than margin for error.
Ability: Banzai Charge: once per turn, one attack exchange uses 4 attack dice (maximum).
- Chinese Nationalists
-
Guerrilla resistance — once per turn, a hidden reserve places a free unit on ground you hold.
Fighting across fractured provinces, Chinese resistance depends on endurance, local knowledge, and refusing decisive collapse.
Ability: Guerrilla Warfare: once per turn, place 1 unit on any owned territory for free.
Regions and what they pay
- Western Front
- 5 territories · +4 per turn
- British Isles
- 1 territory · +2 per turn
- Eastern Front
- 6 territories · +5 per turn
- North Africa
- 4 territories · +4 per turn
- Pacific Theatre
- 6 territories · +5 per turn
- China Theatre
- 5 territories · +4 per turn
- Atlantic
- 2 territories · +2 per turn
- Middle East
- 4 territories · +4 per turn
- Sub-Saharan Africa
- 2 territories · +2 per turn
Play this era
Start a game and pick the era in the lobby, or let a full campaign carry you through the whole arc — a single game can begin with legions and end in orbit. Guest play needs no account.