Historical Text
How do you build an atomic bomb? No question burned heavier in the minds of scientific minds and world leaders in the 1940s. A simple version of the process works something like this;
First, you will need the best scientific minds in the world and facilities for them to use. These are represented by the research marker.
Second you will need Uranium. As of 1940 there were only four places in the world you could find it; Colorado, the Belgian Congo, northern Canada, and Czechoslovakia.
Third, you need a nuclear reactor to enrich the uranium that will be usable in an atomic bomb.
Finally you need heavy water. Heavy water contains a larger than normal amount of the hydrogen isotope deuterium. Heavy water acts as a moderating element in the sustaining an nuclear reaction as well as a coolant to the reactor. At the start of the war, there were heavy water plants in Tinn, Norway and Dnepropetrovsk, USSR.
Building A Nuclear Device
Building a Nuclear Device Requires the right components.
1. Scientific Minds: Scientists, and the necessary facilities for them to use are represented by the Research marker. The USA, USSR, and Germany begin the game with one (or more) research markers. Any other major power must purchase them for 15 IPC. The marker must be placed in the home nation. If the zone is captured, the research marker is destroyed. The capturing player gets 2D12 IPC to spend on nuclear research.
2. Uranium: Players are considered to have uranium if they control one of the zones that has a uranium marker. If that zone is controlled by an ally (i.e. France controls the Belgian Congo, but the Great Britain is working on the atomic bomb) the owning player must consent to allow the player to have the uranium. The uranium marker does not move and may not be destroyed.
3. Nuclear Reactor: Any player may build a nuclear reactor by paying 20IPC and placing the Nuclear Reactor marker in a zone in his or her home country. The Nuclear Reactor has 10 damage points and may be tactically bombed. The reactor must be fully functional for any research IPC to be spent. It is destroyed if it takes 20 IPC worth of damage. A nuclear reactor, like other facilities, has its own inherent AA guns.
4. Heavy Water: A player is considered to have heavy water if he either captures one of the existing heavy water plants or builds a heavy water plant. Building a heavy water plant costs 10 IPC. A heavy water plant has 10 damage points and may be tactically bombed. A heavy plant, like other facilities, has its own inherent AA guns.
Completing The Bomb:
Concurrent with the acquisition of proper materials, building a bomb requires the player make research rolls and spend IPC until such a time that he has reached the target number for his nation to acquire the atomic bomb.
Technology Target Number
Atomic Bomb 85
Building Bombs:
You may build individual atomic bombs for 5 IPC. These arrive at a nuclear reactor and may be moved by a strategic bomber.
Delivering Bombs:
You may deliver an atomic bomb by attacking with a strategic bomber (or heavy bomber).
Effects of an Atomic Bomb:
An atomic bomb has several effects:
1. If used to attack forces, the atomic bomb attacks rolling 4d12 and getting hits on an 8 or less.
2. If used as a strategic bombing attack it does 6d6 damages to its target.
3. Radiation; The turn after the atomic explosion, convert the explosion marker to a radiation marker. Each radiation marker permanently negates one IPC of the territory’s value.
Set up:
Place a research marker in the following locations:
Oak Ridge TN (Appalachia)
UC Berkely (San Francisco)
Moscow
Berlin
Place a heavy water marker in the following locations:
Norway (Oslo)
Dnepropetrovsk, USSR (Western Ukraine)
Place a uranium marker in the following locations:
Colorado (Western USA)
Czechoslovakia
Belgian Congo
Northern Canada (Ontario)