West of the Dauphiné Alps, the Vercors Plateau forms a 3,000 feet high natural fortress with limited access to the outside world. Following the invasion of France's Zone Libre by the enemy, elements of the now disbanded Army of the Armistice found in Vercors the perfect base of operations from which to continue harassing the German occupier.

By 1943, the ranks of this rural guerilla known as the maquis du Vercors (literally "Vercors' thicket", for the type of high ground covered with scrub growth found on the Plateau) were swelling with young men. All eager to avoid conscription into Vichy France's Service du Travail Obligatoire (STO) - whose purpose was to provide forced labor for Germany - they began to organize themselves. Under a plan code-named "Montagnards" ("Mountain men"), the maquisards worked tirelessly to turn theVercors Plateau into an advanced base of operations for Allied airborne forces. The plan called for them to parachute on Vercors ahead of the invasion of Provence and then go on to seize the cities of Grenoble and Valence in an effort to cut-off any German retreat during the Liberation of France.

Designed by Jacques "jdrommel" David, this campaign does not focus on a particular front or on an important general. It is dedicated to the memory of all of the GIs that, like Audie Murphy, did their duty during the dark hours of World War II, and that went "To Hell and Back".

The 3rd US Infantry Division "Rock of the Marne" was one of the first divisions engaged in World War II. It fought in Sicily, in Italy (Salerne and Anzio landings), then in southern France, in Alsace, and finally in Germany, near the Czech border, where it finished the war.

The division suffered heavy losses throughout the war, as it was engaged in violent battles in Italy and in the Vosges mountains.

One of the bravest soldiers of this division was Audie Murphy, the most decorated American soldier of Second World War. He started the war as a private in the 15th US Infantry Regiment in 1943. By they time the war was over in 1945, he was a lieutenant with 38 medals, including the Medal of Honor. After the war, he became a Hollywood movie star and wrote an autobiographical book, "To Hell and Back", about his World War II experience.

Required expansions: Terrain Pack, Eastern Front

Recommended expansions: Winter Board, Campaign Book, Pacific Theater, Tigers in the Snow

On the morning of May 20, 1941, hundreds of German planes appeared in the Cretan sky. The invasion of Crete, codenamed Unternehmen Merkur, had just begun. About 15,000 German Fallschirmjäger were dropped onto various strategic points of the island with the intent of capturing the British airfields and harbors. Taking these objectives would grant control of the Eastern Mediterranean to the Axis forces.

After 10 days of a fierce battle, the British, Greek, Cretan, Australian and New Zealand soldiers finally surrendered to the invader. While the German paratroopers were victorious, more than 4,000 men had been lost, and Hitler forbade any further large-scale airborne operations. Yet the Allies realized the potential of airborne divisions, and began to train their own paratroopers...

This Campaign was created by Richard Borg for the World Boardgame Championship held in August 2011 in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

Required expansion: Terrain Pack

Recommended expansion: Mediterranean Theater