The 3rd Campaign: First Stage - "Race to the Sea"
Tank Commanders,
Inspired by the tactical battles fought in World War I, the first stage of the 3rd Campaign is themed after the significant historical event. This stage will be a test of your clan's speed, strength, and courage as you take on the Global Map for dominance. Search the provinces for wagons to capture and take on missions to gain fame points.
Roll out!
1. General rules of the First Stage of the 3rd Campaign on the Global Map
1.1. The First Stage of the Campaign called "Race to the Sea"* lasts for 10 days - from 14 to 24 November 2014.
1.2. Vehicles up to tier VI can take a part in this Stage.
1.3. Before the beginning, the 3rd Campaign Map will be completely "wiped":
- All actions done by players are cancelled.
- Riots and Ransacks disabled.
- Ransacked provinces income will be restored.
- All the chips that were applied on the Campaign Map will be available for the first turn in the "Race to the Sea" stage.
1.4. From November 10, 01:00 (UTC) until November 13, 01:00 (UTC), “World Redivision” mode will be active:
- All provinces will be available for landing.
- The Wargaming Clan will own the Töv and Mangystau provinces on the first day.
- Spy/Counter-spy enabled.
- Riots and Ransacks disabled.
- Maximum number of landing applications during "World Redivision" mode - 32.
- If during the landing tournament, a battle with the province owner ends as draw, the province goes into the possession of the clan-challenger.
1.5. The "World Redivision" mode ends on November 13. After that, the “Race to the Sea” rules come into force:
- Riots and Ransacks enabled.
- Possibility of Riots increase greatly for all provinces.
- Spy/Counter-Spy enabled.
- The maximum number of landing applications - 64.
1.7. During the 3rd Campaign, any clan may change the Map or leave the Map. A clan loses all provinces on the map upon leaving.
1.8. After leaving the map all the chips of a clan as well as its Headquarters will be removed from the Map and goes to reserves. The chips and headquarters, which were withdrawn from the Map, will be available after 24 hours. Chips which are in the reserve may be deployed on the Global Map during the next turn after leaving.
2. The Main Objective of the First Stage
2.1. During the First Stage a group of wagons will move on the Global Map. Clans are to conquer as many provinces with wagons as they can during one turn.
- In contrast to the 2nd Campaign, clans don’t need to hold wagons as long as possible, but to seize the largest possible number of wagons.
2.2. Wagons are moving to the next province every day. On the map, the icons will be displayed indicating the current position of the wagons and position for the next day. (Icons display can be disabled.)
| Wagon location | Captured | Uncaptured |
| Current Wagon Position |  |
 |
| Next Wagon Position |  |
 |
2.3. Clans which possess a wagon (by wagon appearance on clan’s province or by capturing province with wagons), will receive a reward of 40,000 Fame Points.
2.4. Repeated possession of the same wagon won’t bring any awards to a clan. Wagons, which were already captured by a clan, will be marked with special icon (See 2.2).
2.5. All wagons are moving simultaneously. The timing of wagon’s movement will not fall on the province’s primetime, from or to where a wagon moves.
2.6. As soon as the wagon moves in the province to another location, a Revolt breaks out on the next day.
2.7. If on the next day a wagon should move into the starting province (the province which is constantly landing), the Revolt in this province will not start.
2.8. Revolt cannot appear in the province with a wagon.
2.9. If the province where the Revolt supposed to begin has enemy chips, they return to the reserve of the clans without "freezing" time.
2.10. If encounter battle was scheduled between the province where the Revolt is to begin, and other provinces, then:
- Encounter battle is cancelled;
- All chips on Revolting province return to reserve of appropriate clan without "freezing" time;
- Chips that have been moved from Revolting province to another, remain.
2.11. If the province is where a Revolt should start, and a deferred Revolt was appointed, then:
- Deferred Revolt cancelled;
- All enemy chips returned to appropriate clan reserve without "freezing" time;
- The revolt will begin in the province.
2.12. Maximum number of landing tournament players in Revolting provinces is 64.
2.13. If a province which has a wagon is a starting province, the tournament for landing in it goes according to standard rules.
3. Additional Missions of the First Stage
3.1. "Intercept" mission: win a battle against a clan who owned at least one wagon. The award is a Fame Points multiplier, which is 1.1 (Z multiplier could be found in Fame Points calculating formula).
3.2. Starting from the First Stage and until the end of the 3rd Campaign, players are available to complete landing missions. Full list of landing missions and its rules are given in 3rd Campaign General Regulation.
3.3. Additionally, during the Campaign, it is possible to perform secondary and special missions, which may be found in Regulations. Medal for “Let's Battle” mission will be credited to players who won it after the end of the First Stage.
View full campaign regulations
"Race to the Sea": Historical Reference
"Race to the Sea" is the name of three consecutive manoeuvrable operations conducted by German and Anglo-French armies on the Western Front during the First World War from September 16 to October 15, 1914. The operation’s aim was a mutual bypass of open flanks.
"Race to the Sea" can be divided into three major stages. The first stage is a battle in the Somme and Oise rivers in the second half of September. The second stage is a battle on both sides of the river Scarpa (September 29 - October 9), the so-called Battle of Arras. The third stage is a battle on the river Lys: Battle of Lille (October 10-15), the battle on river Isere (18-20 October) and Ypres (October 30 - November 15).
By mid-September 1914 military actions on the part of the front from the Oise River to Swiss border, began to take a positioning character; only the north-western flanks of the parties remained open. Unallocated by militarists, the space between the Oise River and the North Sea reached 200 km.
September 16-19, the French 6th and 2nd Army began an offensive against the right flank of the German 1st Army between the Somme and Oise rivers in the direction of Saint-Quentin, but faced with the German 6th Army. The battle continued until September 28, and then the two sides went on defensive.
Subsequent operations were conducted by the French 10th Army on September 29 - October 9, in order to bypass the right flank of the German 6th Army near Arras on both banks of the River Scarpe and the British Army on the River Lys on October 10-15, also failed. Anglo-French troops once again faced with the compounds of the German army, which in their turn tried to get around the left flank of the allies. In view of equality of forces, both sides went on the defensive after heavy battles.
Upon completing "Race to the Sea" operations, German troops occupied Antwerp on October 9, defended by the Belgian Army, which was ceded to the line Ostend, Ypres and joined the Allied forces.
After the "Race to the sea", the battles in Flanders on the River Isere and near Ypres took place in October 20 to November 15. The front stabilized and manoeuvrable period during battles in the West ended. From the Swiss border to the Strait of Dover, a solid front position was established.
In general "Race to the Sea" had manoeuvrable operations character with limited forces. Both parties have acted vigorously enough that helped to stabilize the front. To ensure the flanks, covering convergences and deployment of arriving infantry formations at the front, large masses of cavalry were used. Rail and road transport was widely used for the forces and equipment transfer.