WiF-Historical: US Entry System

The new WiF-Historical (WiF-H) US Entry System gives the USA significant increases in its early production capacity, while severely channeling its production choices. As the US player you will face a series of hard decisions. Do you want to enter the war quickly, but with little more than a strong navy? Would you prefer to risk delay, and increase your land and aircraft pool? Or do you want to fill the role of the "Arsenal of Democracy" and beef up your allies at the expense of your own forces?

We feel that US production is grossly underrepresented in WiF, and this system grants the US the ability to greatly increase the size of its pre-war forces. But it also put some governors on what exactly the US can produce, reflecting the isolationist pressures that the FDR administration contended with.

Early on the US will find it difficult to make its production perfect - this reflects the inefficiencies, corruption and pork-barrel tactics of the early years. The US also has the option and incentives to put its early production into the hands of its allies.

This modified USE system has been designed by Jeff Hartke. It is currently leaving beta-test stage, and has been played more than a dozen times. Explanations for new options not standard to WIF are detailed below.

You can download or view pdf versions of the charts here.

The USA faces significant restrictions on the unit types and force pools available for production. These restrictions can be removed either by playing the appropriate US Entry Option or when at war with an Axis major power.

Unlike other major powers, the USA may not use the scrapping rule to remove obsolete units from its force pool. When USE Option 12 (Truman Commission formed) is played, the USA may scrap 1 unit of its choice per production phase, so long as that unit's printed production year is at least 4 years earlier than the current year.

There is a cap on the gearing limits for land units amd pilots until the US plays the appropriate US Entry Action, or is at war with an Axis major power. The USA may produce a maximum of 1 land unit of any sort (as allowed by the various USE Options) and 1 Pilot each production phase. This increases to 2 of each (plus a gun) after USE Option 22 (Selective Service Act) is played. As clarification, the USA may produce a gun as its land unit prior to choosing Selective Service Act.

Many force pools are not available for production. The USA may not produce Armor class units (ARM, MECH, HQ-A) until USE Option 26 (Start Armor Production) is played. It may not produce aircraft with a production cost of 4 until USE Option 34 (Start Strategic Bomber Production) is chosen. Nor may it produce AMPH until USE Option 21 (Start Amphibious Transport Production) is played. The USA may not build Factories or Offensive Chits until it is at war with an Axis major power.

All restrictions are removed once the USA is at war with an Axis major power, and thereafter the normal rules apply.

USE Option 0 - "Republican named Secretary of War"

Unlike other USE Options, this is available at any time on or after the N/D 1940 turn. The USA may, once only, move a random chit from one Entry pool to the other, or from one Tension pool to the other.

USE Option 9 - "National Defense Resources Board"

This option raises the US production multiple to ½, and has a prerequisite of an adjusted Entry level of 9+ in both pools, and an adjusted Tension level of 3+ in one of the two pools.

USE Option 12 - "Truman Commission Formed"

Until this USE Option is played, the US cannot scrap any unit for any reason. After it is played, the US player may scrap one unit of his choice at the start of the production phase.

(Prior to the formation of the Truman Commission, US military contracts were rife with corruption and inefficiency. Truman's work cleaned up the worst excesses and put the rest on notice - and also earned him the Vice Presidency.)

USE Options 14, 28 - "Aircraft Contracts"

When played, the USA may add to its force pool foreign aircraft units bearing the green Lend-Lease stripe, and produce them with its production points. The US removes from its force pools the equivalent US unit (see the Foreign Sourced aircraft rules in WiFFE for details.) When produced this unit is the property of the foreign country - it appears as a reinforcement of that country and requires a PIL of that nation.

Note that the normal foriegn sourced aircraft rules are still applicable. This is simply another way to produce these, by having the US build them instead of the Major Power receiving the aircraft.

Example: The USA plays USE Option 14 and adds CW units to its force pool, but chooses not to add French units. The USA player adds all the available blue CW aircraft that bear a green stripe to his force pools, removing the equivalent US units. In the course of producing FTRs, the USA draws a CW P-40. The USA pays the production cost and places it on the spiral, where it is considered a CW unit henceforth.

USE Option 20 - "War Appropriations"

This option raises the US production multiple to ¾, and has a prerequisite of an adjusted Entry level of 20+ in both pools, and a Tension level of 6+ in both pools. You can only choose this option if you chose option 9 in a previous turn. It provides none of the other benefits of War Appropriations from the normal WIF rules (i.e. it does not remove the penalty for the US to declare war on Axis major powers or begin the US PM increase cycle).

USE Option 21 - "Start Amphibious Transport Production"

The USA adds all legal AMPHs to its force pools, and may begin their production.

USE Option 22 - "Selective Service Act"

This option allows the US to increase the number of land units to two per turn plus one gun. It can now produce 2 PIL per turn.

USE Option 25 - "Start Armor Production"

The USA may now add all legal ARM, MECH and HQ-A units to its force pools, and may begin their production.

USE Option 33 - "Close Panama Canal to the Axis"

Axis units may no longer use the Panama Canal. It is available for use by Allied units, even while the USA is neutral.

USE Option 35 - "US Adopts War Footing"

This option has a prerequisite of an adjusted Entry level of 35+ in both pools, and a Tension level of 17+ in both pools. You can only choose this option if you chose option 20 in a previous turn. The option removes the penalties associated with not playing War Appropriations when the US attempts to declare war on an Axis major power. It also begins the timetable for US PM increases every 6 turns for the rest of the game.

You can download or view pdf versions of the charts here.