New Version Available: Icarus 7.0
I am releasing a new update to my Icarus mod for Strategic Command, numbered Version 7.0. (I am posting this update to this thread even though the title refers to Version 6, as it contains the full history of all of my updates to this mod over the past two years). You can find the folder and files for both the 1914 and 1916 campaigns for Version 7.0, plus updated versions of all my documentation for this mod here in my Dropbox:
https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/a1q6i6sr ... c42kf&dl=0
This update to the mod is focussed on changes to the map and opening positions for Serbia, Montenegro, Austria-Hungary and Albania which better reflect the geography and infrastructure that existed in the Balkans in 1914. There have been a few small changes to French naval deployments and the French convoy to Serbia which follow from these changes to the map. Here is a summary of what has been changed in Version 7.0 of the mod, compared to Version 6.9.
Map Changes:
- The Sava River has been re-drawn, and it is now the northern border of Serbia. There is only one rail line and road connection from Serbia to Austria-Hungary, at Belgrade.
- The Serbian town of Valjevo has been renamed as Sabac. It is connected by road only to Uzije and Belgrade.
- Austria-Hungary has an additional port at Cataro on the Adriatic, next to the renamed town of Dubrovnik. The hex south-west of Dubrovnik on the border with Montenegro is now a hill hex and there is no road into it.
- The towns of Cetinje and Pec have been removed from the map, and the town of Podgorica has been added as Montenegro’s capital. The coastal hex where Cetinje was located is now a mountain hex, labelled Mount Lovcén.
- The coast of Montenegro has been redrawn. Its only port is one hex further south at Antivari. It is connected by road to Podgorica.
- The rail line from Serbia to Montenegro has been removed. The road from Serbia to Montenegro has been redrawn.
- The hex with Lake Skadar has been transferred from Albania to Montenegro. The Bojana River has been added to the border of Montenegro with Albania, and the Drini River now runs south of Scutari.
Opening Deployment Changes:
- The 1st and 3rd Serbian Armies (which are corps) now start the game one hex further north on either side of Belgrade, defending the river line with Austria-Hungary.
- Serbia General Putnik’s HQ unit now starts two hexes north-west of Nish, closer to their front-line.
- The Austro-Hungarian detachments on Pola and Budapest now start at 10-strength, rather than 5-strength.
- The Austro-Hungarian destroyer Warasdiner no longer starts deployed on the map; instead it arrives in the production queue on August 1, 1914.
- The French destroyer Yatagan starts deployed in the Ionian Sea, one hex in front of the French dreadnought Jean Bart, rather than on the Atlantic coast at St. Nazaire.
Serbian Generals:
- Serbian generals can now command Montenegrin units.
- The DE giving Serbia the choice of deploying General Jankovic as a Montenegrin or Serbian general has been removed. Instead, a second Serbian HQ for General Misic now arrives in the production queue on September 5, 1914.
Montenegrin Partisans:
- The partisan hex in Montenegro that was added in earlier versions of the mod has been removed.
French Convoy to Serbia:
- The French convoy to Serbia now goes to the port of Antivari on the coast of Montenegro. Since this port is not connected to Serbia by rail, it has a maximum capacity of 5. The maximum capacity of this convoy has been reduced from 10% to 5% of French MPP production.
- The French convoy to Serbia can be re-routed to Salonika in Greece via several decision events. These DEs will fire if the road from Antivari to Nish is cut by CP units. It will also fire is there are two CP naval units (including mines) adjacent to Antivari at the end of an Entente turn, thus reducing the port to level 4 and interrupting the convoy.
- If the French convoy is re-routed to Salonika, it will have an increased maximum of 10% of French MPP production.
Sinking of the Lusitania:
- The percentage chance of sinking the Lusitania (and thus increasing U.S. mobilization by 5- 8%) is increased from 2% to 4% for each turn that Germany is carrying out unrestricted naval warfare (by having a naval unit on or adjacent to a British NM hex).
Deployment of the B.E.F.
- If the B.E.F. is not sent to France on August 8, 1914, the I Corps will deploy to Dover and the II Corps will deploy to Southampton (rather than having both corps deploy to Southampton). This will position both corps next to a port so they can be put on transports the next turn, if the Entente wishes to do so.