Before we get into this series of Event Card Spoilers I want to say this. Werwolf: Insurgency in Occupied Germany, 1945-1948 is not a glorification of Nazism. Nor is it an attempt to change the narrative, although this game is an alternate reality look at the occupation of Germany by the Allies immediately following the fall of Berlin and the resistance from various groups to that occupation. This game will not be for everyone and may offend some with its portrayal of the events and participants in this struggle. I would say give it a chance to develop over the next year or so as the game has just been placed on pre-order with Legion Wargames. I have long been enthralled with the COIN Series from GMT Games for its attempt to tell the less than squeaky clean side of some of the most infamous struggles in history. This game is not an official part of that series but is COIN Series inspired.

I have seen lots of information put out by the design team of Clint Warren-Davey and Ben Fiene and it appears that these two have done their homework and extrapolated some theories that may or may not have been totally 100% accurate but are based in some semblance of plans or partial historical information. I think that it is good to explore history in these type of games.

With all of that being said, we were contacted by our good friend Randy Lein from Legion Wargames a few months ago about this project and asked if we would be interested in doing some coverage through an interview and possibly some other mediums, such as our Event Card Spoilers format that we have used in other games, and we were immediately intrigued by the concept and the fact that the game uses some of the elements of one of our favorite series. I have been in communication with one of the designers Clint Warren-Davey since that time and he has shared lots of information with me, including the rules and some of their background work on this one, and I wanted to make sure we gave it some light to give you a chance to understand what the game is so that you can make an informed decision about whether you plan to order this one or not. Clint has been great to work with and has agreed to write a series of short articles on the Event Cards and their basis in history as well as how they are used in the game.

If you are interested in ordering Werwolf: Insurgency in Occupied Germany, 1945-1948, you can pre-order a copy for $72.00 from the Legion Wargames website at the following link: https://www.legionwargames.com/legion_WER.html

The game is not yet published, has been put playtested pretty extensively to date and has just started getting ready to offer playtesting on Vassal so there is a little work left to do but we thought an early look would be a good thing.

*Note: Any graphics or pictures of components and cards used in this series are nothing more than the prototype version for playtesting purposes (although they are fantastic graphics and look near finished!). Also, details of the game play and mechanics, as well as Event Card text may also change throughout playtesting and final development prior to publication.

#26 Radio Werwolf

From April 1945, Reich Propaganda Minister Joseph Goebbels began regular broadcasts on his station called “Radio Werwolf.” A true believer in Hitler to the very end, Goebbels believed that mass civilian resistance, supported by the loyal Waffen-SS and Hitler Youth, might actually work. In other words, he believed that a timeline like the one depicted in our game was possible. This was the goal of Radio Werwolf.

With true Nazi theatricality, broadcasts began with the sound of a wolf howling and an anthem featuring the lyrics, “My werewolf teeth bite the enemy / And then he’s done and then he’s gone / Hoo, hoo hoo.” This radio station was aimed not just at the official members of the Werwolf organization but to all German civilians, including women and children. The initial broadcast informed the country that “Every Bolshevik, every Englishman, every American on our soil must be a target for our movement … Any German, whatever his profession or class, who puts himself at the service of the enemy and collaborates with him will feel the effect of our avenging hand…” This highlights one of the horrific things about the Werwolves and indeed all insurgencies – the real target is often unarmed civilians and not just soldiers or police.

In the game’s timeline, the Radio Werwolf station continues to operate from a secret location even after the fall of Berlin, with or without Goebbels to manage it. Its broadcasts will greatly increase the efficiency of Werwolf propaganda and terror as civilians are encouraged to strike back against the occupiers and anyone who sides with them. The Radio Werwolf token is placed underneath a base, and as long as the base exists all Werwolf terror actions will cost 0 resources. This is enormously powerful, especially considering that the Werwolf faction will frequently be low on funding – they mostly rely on capturing enemy supplies and equipment. To protect the secret radio station, it is best to place it with the National Redoubt (another card that provides a special token to be placed with a base). The base with Radio Werwolf will certainly become a high priority target for the Allies and Soviets. Take it down quickly or you will see a wave of terror spread across occupied Germany…

There will be more card spoilers to come in the near future. In the meantime, if you are interested we recently posted an interview with the designers and you can read that at the following link: https://theplayersaid.com/2022/06/27/interview-with-clint-warren-davey-and-ben-fiene-designers-of-werwolf-insurgency-in-occupied-germany-1945-1948-from-legion-wargames/

-Grant