We have been playing a 39 game for the last month or so.
Eric- USSR/China/France
Craig- US/UK
Dan- Italy/Japan
Mike- Germany
Dan ran all the Axis in the first and third session while Mike was there for the second and fourth session.
We are playing with the following rule changes:
1) US/USSR Event Driven Entry-
Use the US/USSR Event Driven Entry charts for the bringing of these two countries into the war.
2) Alternate Italian Surrender Chart-
Use the Italian Morale Table and associated Dobbin Game Group info to determine the status of Italy in the game.
3) Revised VP Requirement-
Use the Revised VP Chart for determining game victory conditions.
4) Spanish and Turkish War Reluctance-
Axis minors Turkey and Spain do not immediately join the Axis upon successfully rolling a trigger entry for them. Instead, it takes two successful trigger rolls to bring Spain or Turkey into the war.
On the first successful trigger roll, Spain or Turkey become “pro-Axis” neutrals and contribute half of their production points to Germany rounded up (like Sweden) every turn. Upon the second successful trigger roll, Spain or Turkey join the Axis as a regular Axis minor ally as discussed above.
5) Fall of France-
France falls when one of the following conditions applies:
• The European Axis occupy four (4) territories in France at the end of the Axis half of a game turn.
• The European Axis occupy three (3) territories in France at the end of the Allied half of a game turn. The applicable territories must be “in supply”.
• The European Axis occupy Paris with 5 (or more) ground units.
6) Limited Airbase Capacities-
Mountainous, desert/arid and forest/jungle territories that are not production centers (do not have a national flag) have limited infrastructure and can support only one air unit until more infrastructure airbases are built.
Only one plane may remain in one of these territories at the conclusion of a movement phase. If players are forced to move or retreat planes to territories where the airbase capacity is exceeded, excess planes are eliminated at the owning players’ choice.
Players may build airbases to increase air unit capacities in these spaces. During the production phase, a player may spend 4 production points to construct an airbase at any territory they own at the beginning of the turn. At the conclusion of the turn, during “place new units on the board” phase, a 3 plane capacity airbase may be placed in the territory. Territories with an airbase can accommodate up to 3 planes instead of just one during any phase after the airbase has been placed on the board.
Three plane capacity airbases may be upgraded to 5 plane capacity bases in the same manner as airbases are built and cost an additional 3 production points.
Gibraltar, Tunisia, Tripoli, Cairo, Calcutta, Manila, and Hawaii start the game with 3 plane capacity airbases.
7) Extra Airbases-
In addition to the Optional Rule concerning Limited Airbase Capacities, we have added more airbases. New 3 plane capacity airbases- Malta, Midway, the Caroline Islands.
8 ) Airbase Reaction to Uncontested Amphibious Assaults-
Airbases allow the reaction of air units into an adjacent seazones to contest an amphibious assault. There doesn’t need to be a naval combat in the seazone as per the normal rules.
9) Parachute Assaults during the Mechanized Phase-
Allow parachute assaults during the mechanized phase with the following rules: If neither the bomber nor the paratrooper move (or conduct combat) during the regular movement & combat phase, the bomber may para-drop the paratrooper on the mechanized movement phase.
10) Air Transport during the Mechanized Phase-
Infantry class units may be air transported during the Mechanized Phase, but the territory that the land unit is being transported to must have been friendly controlled from the start of the current turn.
11) Naval AA Fire-
The naval AA fire has been adjusted to include abort shots. A naval task force in a sea zone has as many AA shots as the total number listed for those units on the Naval Warfare Combat Chart.
First, the ships fire as many kill shots as there are attacking air units. AA fire is targeted during the kill shot phase, so specific air units are rolled for separately. Next, any excess AA shots are fired and these hits would then abort any remaining air units (up to the number of hits rolled). These shots are general and the attacker would choose which air units are aborted from the battle.
Any remaining air units would then fire at their chosen targets. Remember, the attacking air units make their targeting determination prior to AA fire, and can only fire at that target once AA fire has been resolved.
Example: Italy has nine AA shots with its fleet and it is attacked by three UK air units. Based on the above rule change, the Italians would roll three targeted kill shots and resolve any casualties. Then, it would roll six general abort shots at any remaining attack air units to see if it forces any of those units out of the battle.
12) Naval Units Taking Damage-
Nothing is for certain, even the ability of ships to stay afloat after taking damage.
Immediately after taking a hit on any Battleship or a U.S., British, German, or Italian carrier, the owning player rolls a die. If the result is a “6”, then the battleship or carrier will be eliminated at the end of the combat round instead of being damaged.
Immediately after taking a hit on any cruiser or a Japanese fleet carrier, the owning player rolls a die. If the result is a “5” or “6”, then the cruiser or carrier will be eliminated at the end of the combat round instead of being damaged.
Treat damaged Japanese fleet carriers like U.S. fleet carriers (can only carry one plane).
13) DD ASW-
A destroyer is required for air units to attack an enemy submarine.
We have had some interesting game playout. The biggest choice was the attack by the Germans against Spain. That occupied them long enough that we now have a stalemated Eastern Front that is being fought in Poland and Romania.
The US finally entered that game in the Fall of 1942 and Dan didn't attack the US with Japan because he was watching how long he could keep the US out.
We have been discussing the USSR tension system and we are looking to seriously/completely overhaul it. The ability of the Soviets to drive its own entry into the war is still a lot like the base game mechanism. Multiple ideas have been proposed and we continue to debate the individual merits of each.
We shall play it out and see if the Axis can grind out a conditional win. Or I should say that some want to play it out and others are looking to get out and start again. It will be interesting to see what we will be the choice. I tend to believe that we should play it out and see if the Axis can hang on, especially since the Japanese just showed up and are jumping out to grab VP.
