World in Flames House Oil Rule

WIF House Oil Rule

(12/3/10)

Acquiring Fuel:

Each oil resource received by a major power at a hex containing a friendly operating factory can either be used to produce 1 production point (as usual, if they have sufficient factory capacity) and generate a number of fuel points equal to the major power’s production multiple times five; or it can be directly converted into 10 fuel points (and not be available for production that turn).  When oil is received in the Production Phase it is placed on the map at oil depots in the form of barrel markers.  Each barrel = 10 fuel points.  Neutral Major Powers cannot place more than one barrel per Production Phase.  Neutral Major Powers can acquire fuel by purchasing it on the open market during the Production Phase.  1 build point purchases one barrel or 10 fuel points.  Note that this purchase can be made even if the major power has no access to any oil resource.

During the reinforcement phase, any face-up unit that is in supply can be flipped face-down to increase the controller’s fuel total by amount equal to its reorganization fuel cost.  You may add fuel points to your track and place new barrels but you cannot go above the national barrel limits set below.

Barrels can be captured by enemy ground units entering their hex.  The barrel is destroyed and the major power capturing it adds 1d10 fuel to his track (remember that your track cannot go above 10 so any excess is ignored).  

Storing fuel:

All major powers start the Global War scenario with zero fuel.  Oil specified in the setups are starting barrels placed on the map.  When oil is received in the Production Phase it is placed on the map as barrels with any fraction added to that power’s fuel track.  Keep track of the number of fuel points a major power has available by placing a marker on the pilot track.  The maximum amount of fuel this marker may display is 10.  If it drops below 0 at any time a barrel must be expended from the map to make up the difference.  Each new placement of a barrel creates an oil depot.  Depots/barrels may only be placed at a Factory City, City or Major Port that can trace supply of any length to your Home Factory that received the oil.  Depots/barrels placed across water require a DEDICATED CONV chain from a Home Factory.  For example, for the US to place two barrels at Brisbane would require a chain of two CPs from the west coast to Brisbane.  Once placed barrels cannot be moved.  Note that depots may be placed on islands so long as there is a city or major port present.  Neutral Major Powers can place barrels only in hexes they control.  The maximum number of barrels that may be placed at each depot is limited as follows:  Factory city = 4; City or Major Port = 2.  Stockpiled barrels cannot be used in production in future turns; they can only be converted into fuel. 

Depots are considered controlled by the Major Power in whose territory they are placed, regards of who placed them there.  Depots placed in conquered hexes are controlled by the Major Power with a unit stacked with it, or closest thereto.  Resolve ties in favor of the Major Power with the most oil resources.

Storage capacity limits:

At the end of each reorganization phase, each Major Power must remove all barrels they control in excess of the following limits:  US = 8; CW = 8; Germany = 8; Russia = 8; Japan = 5; France = 3; Italy = 3; Nationalist China = 2 (Communist China uses Russian oil).  Depots/barrels are never placed in the Continental US as it is considered to have an unlimited number.

Bombing fuel:

Oil Resources and/or Barrels can be bombed by strategic bombing.  They may be chosen as the target instead of a factory.  Each hit reduces the owner’s fuel track by one.  A destroyed result also destroys a resource or barrel.  If the fuel track goes below zero, eliminate the target barrel (or closest one if necessary) and convert it to fuel and then subtract the lost fuel points.

Expending fuel:

Combat: 

2 fuel for each BLITZ attack that includes at least one HQ-A, ARM or MECH army/corps unit. 

1 fuel for each ASSAULT attack or any defense that includes at least one of the above units.

These units may attack/defend at half strength (and half armor value) if no fuel is available (or you choose not to spend fuel).  Divisions do not require fuel on attack or defense.  Note that units which trace supply to Emergency HQ Supply or to an expended Supply Unit are considered to have fuel for that impulse.  An HQ that is a primary supply source due to Rule 22.4.10 is considered to have 2 fuel with which to supply attacks that turn.  In the case of units from multiple Major Powers, the fuel must come from the Major Power with the most ARM/MECH corps in the battle.  If tied, anyone can pay.

Reorganization:

Oil-dependent units being reorganized must be able to trace a supply path of unlimited length to a controlled factory hex that has an oil resource or barrel present or that received an oil resource during that turn’s production phase.  During the reorganization phase only, units may trace to a another Major Power’s depot with that Power’s consent.  If tracing to a depot outside your Home Country 20% of the fuel is lost (round down).  For example, Germany allows Italy to trace to a depot located in Germany for 6 fuel points.  One is lost, so Italy would only receive 5.  Likewise, if Italy traces to a depot located in Tripoli, then it will be expended and Italy will draw 8 fuel from it (instead of 10).  The Continental US is a special case:  Once the US is active and with the US consent, CW and/or French units can draw up to 10 (1939-41), 20 (42), 30 (43), 40 (44) or 50 (45+) “free” fuel points by tracing a supply path to the Continental US for reorganization only.  A barrel that cannot itself trace an unlimited supply path must be consumed when used for any amount of fuel.  The CW is another special case:  At the start of the reorganization phase, make a note of the CW fuel point track number.  This number of fuel (only) can be spent from any depot.  Otherwise, CW units tracing to a depot in a given CW Home Country must expend barrels in that area or any other area it is linked to via a supply route.  In other words, you cannot use barrels in England to reorganize units in India unless the supply line is unbroken between the two.  Units of minor countries controlled by a major power count towards that major power’s fuel consumption.  Communist Chinese units must use Russian fuel to reorganize.  Units reorganized during the turn by HQs do not consume fuel.

Reorganization costs:

2 fuel = HQ-A, ARM, MECH, TRS, AMPH.

1 fuel = HQ-I, MOT army/corps, ARM & MECH divisions, ASW, SUB, 4+ cost Aircraft

½ fuel = MOT div/Art, CV, BB (2+ first cost), Queen Mary/Eliz., 2-3 cost Aircraft, V-Weapon, Supply Unit.

¼ fuel = CA, CL, Frogmen/Minisub, CV planes.

0 fuel = German CX raiders.

# fuel = HQ reorganization value to remove an activation from an HQ (during reorganization)

Maintaining units at sea (note that these maintenance costs must be paid if possible, but there is no effect if they cannot be paid):

1 fuel for every 10 convoy points or fraction thereof which stay at sea.

1 fuel for each ASW that stays at sea in any box (this is in addition to any reorganization cost).

Production:

5 fuel = Offensive chit.

2 fuel = Supply unit.

#fuel = to reorg value for HQs

Note that other ships/subs that stay at sea do not require fuel.  Ships/subs that go face-down DO require fuel to reorganize, but may stay at sea even if face-down.