New Player Guide

Opening the Box
Upon receiving your copy of World in Flames, be sure to take note of the contents of the box: Set aside the counter sheets for now. It is important that you don't simply start punching out counters, as there are a lot to keep track of. Sorting through your counters will be covered shortly.
 * 1) WiF Rulebook
 * 2) * Contains the rules needed to play the game. Aside from the core game rules at the beginning that are useful in most steps of gameplay, the rulebook is ordered into a roughly sequential order to allow for easy reference during play.
 * 3) * The most recently updated version of the WiF rulebook is available for download at the ADG Downloads page.
 * 4) WiF Campaign and Player's Guide
 * 5) * Contains instructions on setting up and playing the different campaigns and scenarios for World in Flames, Days of Decision, America in Flames, and Patton in Flames, as well as general player strategies for each campaign or scenario.
 * 6) WiF Map Set
 * 7) * Four large mounted mapboards containing Eastern Europe, Western Europe, Asia, and the Pacific region, respectively
 * 8) * One small mounted mapboard containing North and South America
 * 9) * One small mounted board containing the turn record chart
 * 10) WiF Classic counter set
 * 11) * Contains 8 pages with 1600 game counters used for a basic game of World in Flames
 * 12) Two 10-sided dice
 * 13) Five full-color game charts
 * 14) * These charts are used for referencing various results during the game, including weather effects, US entry, and combat results.

World in Flames also has several expansion sets, spinoff games, and supplemental maps that you may have ordered: If you have any of these additional materials, place these aside; you will not want to use them until you are fully familiar with the base game. Ideally, do not open their packaging to avoid possibly losing any of the components.
 * Planes in Flames expansion
 * Ships in Flames expansion
 * Divisions in Flames expansion
 * Territories in Flames expansion
 * America in Flames game
 * Patton in Flames game
 * Days of Decision III game
 * Africa map
 * Scandinavia map
 * Khaki in Flames kit
 * Millennium WiF Annual with Politics in Flames expansion
 * 2008 WiF Annual with Factories in Flames expansion

Each of these materials contain instructions on how to add them to the base game when you are ready. Note that both Ships in Flames and Khaki in Flames replace counters from the base game; read their instructions carefully before adding them.

Organizing Counters
Counter organization is a time-consuming and possibly expensive step to preparing the game to be playable, but is necessary to organize the pieces for accessibility. There are a variety of ways to organize counters; one recommended method is with inexpensive segmented storage boxes that can be found at your local hardware store (e.g. this product from Harbor Freight).

There are many was to organize the counters, so feel free to experiment and find what works for you. Here is a recommended method:
 * A 24-section storage box can contain two major powers each. With two additional boxes for minor countries and other game counters, six boxes should be needed.
 * For each box containing major powers, separate the counters as follows, using multiple sections if necessary:
 * Counters dated 1939 and earlier
 * Most of a country's counters will have a year printed on the top of the reverse side; this is the availability year, which indicates what game year they will become available. Those dated 1939 and earlier will be available from the start of most games.
 * Counters dated 1940
 * Counters dated 1941
 * Counters dated 1942
 * Counters dated 1943
 * Counters dated 1944
 * Counters dated 1945
 * Counters dated 1946 and later
 * Reserves counters
 * Counters with 'Res' printed where their availability year should be are reserve units. These are placed on the board after a country enters a state of war.
 * Convoy Points
 * Convoy points are represented by counters with small ships and a large white starburst on both sides, with one side reading 5 and the other reading 10.
 * Geographical Units(not in the base game)
 * Some units are only available when their respective major power controls certain territory, such as a specific city; this is shown on the back of the counter where the availability year should be. These counters may be added at certain points in the game when their respective territory is controlled by their major power. These units include Territorial units, Warlord units, and City Based Volunteers.

Setting Up the Game
Select the scenario or campaign that you wish to play. New players are recommended to start with the shorter scenarios as follows: Each of these scenarios have the benefit of being completed in only a few hours, and allow a new player to get accustomed to the game rules before being dedicated to a major campaign. They also allow play between two players without having to handle multiple major powers at their full complexity.
 * Victory in the West to learn the basics of land and air combat, with minimal use of naval units
 * Barbarossa to learn land and air combat on a larger scale
 * Guadalcanal to learn the basics of naval combat and amphibious invasions

After following the instructions found in the scenario instructions and the front of the campaign guide, refer to the Detailed Sequence of Play for step by step instructions on playing the game.