Quartermaster General WW2: Prelude

About this expansion

Quartermaster General: Prelude is a short pre-game for 2–6 players, designed to set the stage for World War II before regular play begins. Released in 2018, it takes about 10 minutes and creates differing opening situations for the game that follows.

The prelude uses a truncated sequence of play. Players resolve new Prelude cards until the total tension from History cards reaches 10, at which point regular play begins.

• History cards: Generally resolved immediately and marked with a tension modifier.
• Armament cards: Played face down, like response cards, and costing a regular card to use.

History cards determine how tension builds during the pre-game. Each card’s tension modifier contributes to the shared total, providing the threshold that moves the game into its regular phase.

Armament cards add another form of preparation. They are played face down rather than resolved in the same immediate way as History cards, and their use requires spending a regular card, while playing them does not carry that cost.

By combining these two card types, Quartermaster General: Prelude establishes a different starting point before the main sequence of play. The result is a compact opening designed to vary the circumstances from which regular play can begin.

When the tension total reaches 10, the prelude ends and regular play starts. This clear transition makes Prelude a focused way to introduce changing opening conditions while preserving the structure of the game that follows.