Messages

1

General Discussion / Re: CONVENTIONS

« on: May 12, 2009, 04:54:49 PM »

I am going to Origins this year.    Will there be a Struggle for Europe and Asia game at Origins this year??  Hope you can make it, John.

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Game Design / Naval Air Units

« on: July 17, 2007, 01:33:03 PM »

Here's a set of ideas to introduce a naval air unit to the game.  Playing the U.S. in the Pacific at Origins got me thinking...

Naval Air Units

The American Dauntless, Helldiver and Avenger, the Japanese Aichi and Nakajima, the Italian Sparviero, the British Swordfish and Beaufighter are some examples of WWII naval aircraft.  Their primary role is to attack enemy shipping of all types, including submarines.

Naval Air units would cost 8 production points to build, the same as fighters.  They hit in air to air combat on a 2 or less, hit surface naval units on a 3 or less and have a ground support value of a 1.  They may conduct strategic attacks against convoys centers doing 1d6 damage, but they have no strategic attack capability against enemy production centers.  They may operate off carriers as well as land bases.  During a strategic naval battle against enemy submarines, naval air attack on a 1 or less and defend on a 2 or less.

If naval air units are to be added to the game, the following additional changes are recommended to current set of rules:

1. Naval air are the only units capable of landing and taking off from aircraft carriers. 

2. Fighters have no attack capability against naval units, including submarines.

3. Bombers, including Stukas and Sturmoviks, only hit naval units, including submarines on a 1, instead of a 2 or less.

4. The British Swordfish and initial Italian fighter units become naval air units.

5. The American and Japanese fighter units that start the game based on carriers become naval air units.

3

Reviews / Origins Rematch

« on: July 17, 2007, 01:14:02 PM »

Thanks to all for an enjoyable, well played game!  It was definitely the highlight of my Origins 2007 experience.  The pictures shown in the After Action Reports under the heading Origins Grudge Match show the players and the turn by turn action. 

I am looking forward to our next match.  Perhaps a road trip to the New England area will be in order.

Until next time,

Eric

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After action reports from first edition / Re: Origins Grudge Match

« on: July 15, 2007, 10:47:52 AM »

That was by far the most entertaining WWII game that I have played as the US in the Pacific theatre.  In almost all of my previous experiences, the war was decided in Europe before the Pacific war got going.  This time Churchill and Stalin were able to keep the Axis contained so that I could focus nearly all the prewar American builds towards the Pacific.  As Yoper mentioned earlier, I was working on a Japan first strategy.

I finally got a chance to review the replay pictures.  They key to breaking Japan was using the US industrial might to overpower them with fighters.  The US can have 8 on the build card while Japan can only have 2.  I recall many naval air battles in which my airmen where outnumbered and often outfought (those crazy dice ).  Even though my air casualties where higher, my replacement rate was higher.  If memory serves, it was the spring of 43 when the US finally got air superiority in the Pacific.

I have to give credit to my Allies.  If they were not doing as well as they did in Europe, the drive to Tokyo would have been more difficult.

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After action reports from first edition / Re: Origins Grudge Match

« on: July 15, 2007, 10:27:56 AM »

Wow what a game!!!

This was definitely the highlight of my 2007 Origins experience.  Even when the other side is doing their turn, I was always planning my builds and moves for my next turn.  The two days seemed to fly by.

I am sure we will meet again for another game!

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After action reports from first edition / Re: Detroit Game #7

« on: June 03, 2007, 02:43:01 PM »

Update from the Eastern Front

As predicted by some, Operation Encircle Stalingrad was a go for the Spring of 43.  In addition, 2 paratrooper units were sent to capture Grozny in order to accelerate the push towards Baku.  The group attacking to the north of Stalingrad was met with fierce resistance and of the 5 panzergrenadiers and 1 panzer units sent across the Volga only the panzer unit survived.  If the Russians had scored one more hit, the encirclement would have failed...

To my surprise, the encircled Soviets attacked to the north and withdrew after a round further north, abandoning Stalingrad altogether.  The large force in Moscow stayed in place.  These moves emboldened army group center and south to drive on into Stalingrad and Baku in the Summer of 43.  Then in the Fall of 43, army group north charged into Novogorod which the Germans and Russians had been trading back and forth for many turns.  These conquests have pushed the German war economy to 109 PP! 

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After action reports from first edition / Re: Detroit Game #7

« on: May 31, 2007, 01:29:00 PM »

I did notice the possiblity of encircling Stalingrad before John mentioned it.  At the same time I have been keeping a close eye on the medium armor stack in Moscow.   It looks like the Red Army would be able to break out of such an encirclement, but it may require a Moscow Front mechanized attack to do so. 

Ah, the choices and decisions to be made.

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After action reports from first edition / Re: Detroit Game #7

« on: May 30, 2007, 04:15:02 PM »

As Germany, I have been investing in 3 forts per turn to build the Atlantic Wall since the fall of France.  Thus, the large number of fortifications along the Atlantic.  Most of the Luftwaffe was recently sent to Genoa to chase the Allied fleets out of the Mediterranean.

Will these moves serve to keep the Western Allies at bay?  Or will they draw too many resources from the Eastern Front?  Only time will tell.

The great part of a war game like this is that you can try out different strategies to test out "what if".

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After action reports from first edition / Re: Detroit Game #7

« on: May 30, 2007, 04:00:58 PM »

One question. You play 'ownership' a bit different? Because some territories stay italian while there are only german units on it?

Der Fuhrer and Il Duce have a good working relationship.  Those territories in Africa that have Italian control markers in them were jointly conquered by German and Italian units.  Since we are playing with the optional Italian morale rules, it makes sense to give control of these areas to Italy since they serve to boost the Italian morale.  As shown on the marker on the map, Italian morale is at a +10!  The Italian's could not be happier with their conquests in this war.

At the same time. it makes sense to garrison these areas with German units in case the Italian's change their mind about the war.  If Italy surrenders to the Allies and their units go home, then Germany would gain control of those territories, or at least make the Allies have to fight for them!

10

Game Design / Re: Optional US Entry

« on: May 21, 2007, 05:20:44 PM »

Along with the optional rules for USSR and US entry, perhaps the victory point targets should also be flexible.  I suggest having the targets start the turn after both the USSR and US are in the war.  That way Japan is not forced to attack the US in spring of 42 in order to include Japanese victory points into the Axis total to prevent a defeat.  (An item that Yoper brought to light in our Big Game in April)

The other effect is that if the USSR and US enter early, the victory point "clock" if you will, starts early.  For example, if the USSR and US both enter the war in autumn 41, then the victory point targets would begin in the winter 41/42.  They would then count down at the same pace ending in turn 24 rather than turn 25.  The opposite would then be true if the USSR and US enter the war later than they did historically.

The USSR seems to have the most of the control over when they are ready to go to war, while the US seems to be very dependent on Axis actions, especially Japan's.  Just an observation.

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After action reports from first edition / Re: Detroit Game #7

« on: May 21, 2007, 04:51:04 PM »

That sneaky Stalin broke our pact and declared war on the Fatherland!  He beat me to the punch and actually invaded the Carpathians and Galacia.  Of course you know, this means war!!!

Il Duce and I cooked up a plan to capture Cairo in which all of our effort was focused unto that end.  Churchill sniffed out what we were up to and threw all that he could into Cairo's defense, including his carrier planes.  In a multi-round battle that swung back and forth with alternating hot and cold dice on both sides, the Axis emerged victorious with the 7 panzer divisions making the difference.  Rommel was given the proper support to get the job done.  We decided to give control of Cairo to the Italians to boost their morale for the long fight ahead.

The Afrika Korps are being recalled from their glorious victory to serve on the Eastern Front.  The Japanese ambassador just has informed me of danger of war coming sooner than anyone would expect.  The war is heating up and I predict victory for the Axis!

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After action reports from first edition / Re: U.S. National Championships (sort of)

« on: May 07, 2007, 03:14:17 PM »

What a game!  Thank you Mark and John for coming to Detroit and giving us such a challenge.

These pictures bring back fond memories of that struggle.  As Sir Winston, most of my focus was on the British and the Western Allies in Europe.  Things looked rather bleak for the Allied cause in the beginning as the Germans smashed into Paris in the Spring of 1940 against improbable odds.  It was bad enough that the French gave up so early but 2 cruisers and a destroyer joined the Italians!  That was followed by a brief blitz on London while Hitler started maximum U-boat production.

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After action reports from first edition / Re: Detroit Game #6

« on: March 13, 2007, 09:20:14 AM »

I am writting a simulation of the first 7 turns of the game as if I were playing all the major powers.  The purpose is to create an alternate summer 1941 scenario.  The issue that I saw with the current 41 scenario is that Soviet forces nearly match those of Germany while the Soviet Union is outproducing Germany.  Basically, I don't think Germany has a chance!  They will quickly hit a red wall and then be forced back to Berlin.  That is what happened when we tried the 41 scenario.  I am thinking that a balanced 41 start could get our group into the later stages of the war.

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After action reports from first edition / Re: Detroit Game #6

« on: March 13, 2007, 09:10:20 AM »

Hey!  I had nothing to do with Germany's plight in the current game.  Dan, playing the French High Command, deserves all the credit.  His strategy of making Germany fight their way into Burgundy, roll high enough to keep the French in the fight through the spring and summer of 40 and the strong defense of Paris in the autumn of 40 that resulted in very high German casualties has put the Allies in the drivers seat.

Vive la France!

15

After action reports from first edition / Re: Detroit Game #6

« on: March 07, 2007, 03:26:58 PM »

We are using the following optional rules for this game:

1) We are, for the first time, limiting the tactical range of aircraft (2 for fighters and 3 for bombers).  Although this is now a standard rule, we had been allowing in all of our previous games for fighters to move out 3 spaces to attack and then land with their last movement point, for example.

2) The optional Italian surrender rules.

3) Airbases.

4) Allied surface ships do not block Japanese naval movement during the turn that Japan has surprise over the Western Allies.  The anti-block Pearl Harbor rule.