Escape from Colditz - argh!

[M. Tettnanger]

We've been trying to start a good game of Escape from
Colditz (the 1970s-ish version) and are running into
snags. The Nazi player always quickly dominates
the game by forcing all the Allies into jail, and
from there nothing further can be done.

The biggest problem is the instruction that says:
"6.b. He [security officer] may post more Sentries
on black circles from his reserve in the
Kommandantur; as many as he wishes; up to his
total number of moves."

The result is that six soldiers EASILY end up in
the inner prison area, and any Allied player that
steps out of the inner ring is jailed almost
immediately (8 POW's vs. 6 Nazis). As a result
the POW's are always in lockdown, and by
that point the Nazi just has to block the ends
of the Cells corridor or be near the end ready to
pounce -- stalemate, and the game can't continue.

What is going on here? Or are we missing on a
tactic?

See here if you need a refresher of what the
board looks like:
Loading Image...

Mark

[Ed Hiseler]

Try the 'GEEK' for some rule clarification. Haven't played this for a LONG
time either. Think I looked into the updated rules on-line and find that
guards cannot block corridors AT ALL and can you only get nabbed by the
germans IF your country is carrying equipment?

ED...

Post by M. Tettnanger
We've been trying to start a good game of Escape from
Colditz (the 1970s-ish version) and are running into
snags. The Nazi player always quickly dominates
the game by forcing all the Allies into jail, and
from there nothing further can be done.
"6.b. He [security officer] may post more Sentries
on black circles from his reserve in the
Kommandantur; as many as he wishes; up to his
total number of moves."
The result is that six soldiers EASILY end up in
the inner prison area, and any Allied player that
steps out of the inner ring is jailed almost
immediately (8 POW's vs. 6 Nazis). As a result
the POW's are always in lockdown, and by
that point the Nazi just has to block the ends
of the Cells corridor or be near the end ready to
pounce -- stalemate, and the game can't continue.
What is going on here? Or are we missing on a
tactic?
See here if you need a refresher of what the
http://boardgamegeek.com/bggimages/pic985592547jpg.jpg
Mark

[Anthony Simons]

Post by M. Tettnanger
We've been trying to start a good game of Escape from
Colditz (the 1970s-ish version) and are running into
snags. The Nazi player always quickly dominates
the game by forcing all the Allies into jail, and
from there nothing further can be done.
"6.b. He [security officer] may post more Sentries
on black circles from his reserve in the
Kommandantur; as many as he wishes; up to his
total number of moves."
The result is that six soldiers EASILY end up in
the inner prison area, and any Allied player that
steps out of the inner ring is jailed almost
immediately (8 POW's vs. 6 Nazis). As a result
the POW's are always in lockdown, and by
that point the Nazi just has to block the ends
of the Cells corridor or be near the end ready to
pounce -- stalemate, and the game can't continue.
What is going on here? Or are we missing on a
tactic?
See here if you need a refresher of what the
http://boardgamegeek.com/bggimages/pic985592547jpg.jpg
Mark

A few problems here; some rules/points to help you:

1. The German player is not allowed to block the inner courtyard
corridors (grey spaces, I think); thus all POW's will have access to
the rooms.

2. The German player may only enter rooms with the appropriate search
card.

3. The POW's may force arrest on themselves by moving onto a German
sentry (where appropriate, of course - I believe that this would
exclude sentries posted to the courtyard area).

4. The German player may not block the route back from the cells, nor
may he arrest and/or interfere with POW's returning from the outer
cells.

Most people who play this game complain that the German player has no
chance of winning (usually because they fail to impose the appropriate
time/turn limit), so you must be doing something wrong.

Other important points to note:

1. The Escape Oficers can cooperate fully with each other at (almost)
any time, so may exhange/donate equipment with/to other Escape
Officers.

2. The above rule does not imply that an Escape Officer may offload
all equipment to another Escape Officer during arrest to prevent its
loss (there is ample time to think of this beforehand - anyone who
takes the rule this literally is just being silly).

3. The Escape Officers may not obtain equipment using POW's of
different nationalities, even though they may fully cooperate
otherwise.

4. There is a general difference of opinion as to whether other
Escape Officers may send POW's down the rope after yours (the
cooperation thing again); I would say no, even though a chasing German
sentry would be able to do so.

5. Escape Officers who cooperate well will walk all over the German
Security Officer, and easily get POW's out. Remember the GSO has one
turn versus up to five EO turns, so there is lots of opportunity to
upset the GSO's security. Of course this means the first playing POW
probably has the worst time of it because it is likely there will be
more sentries about on his/her turn. Of course, POW cooperation will
limit this anyway.

[Peter Clinch]

Post by M. Tettnanger
The result is that six soldiers EASILY end up in
the inner prison area, and any Allied player that
steps out of the inner ring is jailed almost
immediately (8 POW's vs. 6 Nazis).

As others have pointed out, the Germans can't block entrances to rooms.
And also the case that they can't go *inside* rooms. Nabbing POWs in
a room requires a Search Security card, so all you need is to roll a
high enough number to get from the Appel area into a room and you can't
be arrested unless you're lucked out with the Searches the Security
Officer may have to hand.

Post by M. Tettnanger
the POW's are always in lockdown, and by
that point the Nazi just has to block the ends
of the Cells corridor or be near the end ready to
pounce -- stalemate, and the game can't continue.

Not that many people are likely to get into the cells to start with (see
above), but even if that does happen you can use Escape from Solitary
Opportunity cards or a double dice roll to escape combined with a Move
Fast to get out and clear okay. You could use Diversions or Inspection
by High Command cards too, though that would be a bit of a waste!

Pete.

[M. Tettnanger]

Thanks everyone for the excellent replies about Colditz.

One question: The instructions say, "In a dangerous situation
[the Security Officer] may choose to call out the 'riot
squad' by employing all his reserves from the Barracks in
the Kommandantur."

This implies that the Security Officer usually has no need
to deploy all of his men into the inner castle. I don't
get it -- under what circumstances would you leave guards
languishing in the barracks, instead of right there near
the courtyard sweating the POWs?

Mark

[Anthony Simons]

Post by M. Tettnanger
Thanks everyone for the excellent replies about Colditz.
One question: The instructions say, "In a dangerous situation
[the Security Officer] may choose to call out the 'riot
squad' by employing all his reserves from the Barracks in
the Kommandantur."
This implies that the Security Officer usually has no need
to deploy all of his men into the inner castle. I don't
get it -- under what circumstances would you leave guards
languishing in the barracks, instead of right there near
the courtyard sweating the POWs?
Mark

An intelligent use of sentries is to hold a reserve at the barracks
for rapid deployment to trouble spots; as you have noted yourself it
takes one pip on the dice to deploy a sentry (whereas it would take
more to move a sentry around the courtyard, etc).

Of course, in order to do this one must leave the sentry spaces free.

[Tony Barber]

Post by Anthony Simons
An intelligent use of sentries is to hold a reserve at the barracks
for rapid deployment to trouble spots; as you have noted yourself it
takes one pip on the dice to deploy a sentry (whereas it would take
more to move a sentry around the courtyard, etc).
Of course, in order to do this one must leave the sentry spaces free.

And don't forget when you move a Sentry back to the barracks he cant be re
deployed the same turn
So only a fool will leave the barracks empty!!

[Tim Fitzmaurice]

Post by M. Tettnanger
Thanks everyone for the excellent replies about Colditz.
This implies that the Security Officer usually has no need
to deploy all of his men into the inner castle. I don't
get it -- under what circumstances would you leave guards
languishing in the barracks, instead of right there near
the courtyard sweating the POWs?

To give the illusion of less threat to the PoWs. Some of th clearance
cards the PoWs use moe guards - usualy IIRC to the Barracks. If they are
there already then you can't send them there. It gives a mobile reserve to
respond to the usual multiple breakout attempts. Only takes one point to
hit a guard spot from the Kommandantur doesn't it - as opposed to moving
to a black spot from a space in the Inner courtyard and then outside.

Tim
--
When playing rugby, its not the winning that counts, but the taking apart
ICQ: 5178568

[Peter Clinch]

Post by M. Tettnanger
get it -- under what circumstances would you leave guards
languishing in the barracks, instead of right there near
the courtyard sweating the POWs?

If they're in the Appel area they've no need to sweat, and not *that*
much need to sweat in rooms (there are the Search cards, but with a 3
card limit and other priorities the Security officer will generally not
keep them in hand much (Chapel possibly excepted, but there's only one
in the deck). So since the POWs can choose their moments in the
courtyard and there's not much the Germans can do about it (damn the
Geneva Convention! ;-)) not really that much point in being there in
force beyond a fairly basic presence to annoy a bit.

Good escape officers will co-ordinate several escapes at once, and
they'll often be ones it's awkward to chase out from the inner courtyard
so you're just making life *easy* for the escapers if everyone's
marching round the main courtyard...

Pete.

[Paul Murray]

Post by Peter Clinch

Post by M. Tettnanger
get it -- under what circumstances would you leave guards
languishing in the barracks, instead of right there near
the courtyard sweating the POWs?

If they're in the Appel area they've no need to sweat, and not *that*
much need to sweat in rooms (there are the Search cards, but with a 3
card limit and other priorities the Security officer will generally not
keep them in hand much (Chapel possibly excepted, but there's only one
in the deck). So since the POWs can choose their moments in the
courtyard and there's not much the Germans can do about it (damn the
Geneva Convention! ;-)) not really that much point in being there in
force beyond a fairly basic presence to annoy a bit.

While the German Officer isn't allowed to actually block the entrance to
a building, he can form a line to make it longer for the POWs to get in
and out of them. That is quite annoying :)

[Peter Clinch]

Post by Paul Murray
While the German Officer isn't allowed to actually block the entrance to
a building, he can form a line to make it longer for the POWs to get in
and out of them. That is quite annoying :)

It's often been tried in games I've played, but it's not really that
useful against Escape Officers who can think of more than one plan and
co-ordinate their efforts. In fact, it ties up several guards so for
some purposes is *good* for the POWs.

<bad_hollywood_german_accent>
Vot are you men doing lined up in front of ze chapel? ze englander dogs
are all running across the Kommandantur!
</bad_hollywood_german_accent>

Pete.

[Paul Murray]

Post by Peter Clinch

Post by Paul Murray
While the German Officer isn't allowed to actually block the entrance to
a building, he can form a line to make it longer for the POWs to get in
and out of them. That is quite annoying :)

It's often been tried in games I've played, but it's not really that
useful against Escape Officers who can think of more than one plan and
co-ordinate their efforts. In fact, it ties up several guards so for
some purposes is *good* for the POWs.

It does slow down the initial portion of the game though, as once equipment
has been collected, the POWs have to get from appel circle to building in one
go, and a longer line makes that less likely.

[Peter Clinch]

Post by Paul Murray
It does slow down the initial portion of the game though, as once equipment
has been collected, the POWs have to get from appel circle to building in one
go, and a longer line makes that less likely.

Though there are several entrances with possible escape routes, Move
Fast opportunity cards, and also the simple expedient of offering up a
single POW to arrest to blow a hole in the line as the sentry returns to
base.

Pete.

[Christopher Dearlove]

Post by Paul Murray
While the German Officer isn't allowed to actually block the entrance to
a building, he can form a line to make it longer for the POWs to get in
and out of them. That is quite annoying :)

This wasn't in (or was as clear as mud in, I forget which) the original
printing of the game. Consequently I've only ever played games
where the German _is_ allowed to block entrances. (When we
heard they had "changed" - from our perspective - the rules we
were happy as we were and ignored them.) The game still works.