@userx:
Air Units
Probably the biggest changes we’ve made is changing cost and values of default air units and introducing Tac Bombers from Europe/Pacific/Global as well as introduce a new unit, Medium Bomber (got the pieces from Historical Board Gaming) that is a versatile bomber that can perform ground/naval attacks as well as SBR. The changes in price and values was influenced in large part by Baron Munchhausen.
Special abilities are all default so I don’t specifically state below however, Fighter units have a hit priority of other air units when attacking or defending, Med Bomber can SBR and Strategic Bombers get +2 damage against industrial complex during SBR. We use option interception rules for SBR
Fighter: A2 D3 M4 Cost:7 Hit priority Air Units
Tac Bomber: A3 D2 M4 Cost:8
Med. Bomber: A3 D2 M6 Cost:10 Can SBR
Strategic Bomber: A2 D1 M8 Cost:12 +2 SBR damage
The game still leans towards Axis victory. Going to try balancing a little with starting Russia with a Med. Bomber (the Moscow bomber idea that I’ve read about here) as well as try Younggrasshopper’s house rule of ‘Round the Clock Bombing’
Would love feedback, especially on our cost/values of air units.
Thanks for reading.
To provide a few feedback on this numbers (and you know how much air units is my tea cup) it might help understanding what you looking for in your 1942.2 game
The first thing I can see is your going to open the way to a very dramatic unbalancing Dark Sky Strategy, if German player knows enough if this game and forum.
Increasing StB range, reducing defense point of Fg but not increasing room on Carrier is going to make USA invasion fleet an hard task.
One thing I ask myself is why bothering to buy TcBs. On the same IPCs basis, you get similar results but on defense D3 Fg at 7 IPCs are way better.
In addition Fg have a special airstrike capacity while TcB have nothing and is costlier. An optimized purchaser will buy TcB in desperate situations only.
I just wrote this post about a similar issue with Fg defending at 3, or 6 in a D12 game.
The main conclusion for a G40 2 hits Carrier is:
Buying A0 D2 C16 Carrier for 2 Fgs D4 was difficult to manage.
36 IPCs: 3 StBs A12, 3 hits vs 1 full Carrier D10, 4 hits is quite enough to survived: 20% vs 75%, but you don’t bring any other units.
Nonetheless you have a few room for TPs.
If you drop to 3 StBs A12 vs D8 (2 Fg D3 + CV D2): 46% vs 48%, you cannot buy any TPs.
Any invasion force would be weaker than StBs on the same IPCs basis.
If we assume 3 StBs A3 D2 vs 1 full CV A0 D2 C14 + 2 Fgs A2 D3 C7, is about same IPCs basis
A9 D6 C30, 3 hits vs A0 D8 C28, 3 hits
AACalc gives: A. survives: 68.4% D. survives: 19.9% No one survives: 11.7%
Adding 1 TP+ 1 Inf and 1 Art = 14 IPCs + 28 IPCs = 42 IPCs
4 StBs A3 C40 IPCs vs 1 Full Carrier with 1 TP C42 IPCs:
A. survives: 95.2% D. survives: 2.6% No one survives: 2.2%
So, if Germany invest in its Black Medium Bomber it is able to sink USA fleet.
What balances things a bit is Strategic Bomber only A2 D1 C12.
@Baron:
Where do you start do give your combat values for planes?
I simply make an assumption that OOB G40 was the reference.
But I feel Global War is different.
You say you don’t have TcB in initial set-up.
Where is the basic set-up for your map?
If you make a conversion from 2 planes to get a third but don’t change Fighter combat values, I doubt you will get a more balanced game.
When I developed my idea for Fg making hit directly on aircraft, I first try to divide the combat power in half because of increased casualties:
(D12) Fg A3 D4 C7. And it was possible to add 3 Fgs on a Carrier to get almost same combat factor for same cost than 2 Fg A6 D8 C10
3 Fgs A9 D12 C21, 3 hits vs 2 Fgs A12 D16 C20, 2 hits
At least on defense, 10 D4 vs 7 D8 gives odds of survival around: 50% vs 48%.
On a AACalc, you get similar odds of survival between them.
So, 10 divided by 7 gives 1.43 which is near 1.5 so for 2 OOB Fgs I add a third one (2*1.5=3).
But it is not the same if you use higher combat values for Fighter.
You will not preserve the initial set-up balance if adding Fg.
For TcB, I used this scale down 2 pts for each IPC (using 10 IPCs Fg as basis):
10 IPCs A6 D8
9 IPCs A6 D6
8 IPCs A6 D4 or A4 D6
TcB will be better on offense compared to Fg, so I chose A6 D4.
Assuming attack is costlier than defense, it makes sense if Fg A4 D4 C7 to get TcB A6 D4 C8
So, when Fg A4 is attacking TcB D4, it is same values (but since Fg cheaper, it remains better unit)
TcB A6 attacking Fg D4, TcB is better but because I use Fg hit directly aircraft there was no issue about it.
However, with StBs it is another case:
StB A8 C12 vs Fg D4 C7 was quite an issue.
I partly solved it knowing that 7A8 worth same in Calc as 10D4.
So, a 12 IPCs bomber is not better than defending Fg.
And not at all on offence considering that 12 Fg A4 are better than 7 StB A8.
OOB StB A8 C12 vs Fg D8 C10 is on par in absolute value, but since Fg is cheaper we still view it as better on defense.
However, I was not totally happy of my number.
I rather like something which clearly show how Fg are superior on defense against bombers.
Something like bomber C5 totally solved it.
If it have no regular combat value. Problem solved.
You keep it for SBR dogfight.
A StB A1 or A2 C5 (is the lowest combat number) against Fg D4 C7 it makes a very good match, if not perfect.
TcB A2 C8 (is the same lowest combat number but higher cost) showed it is not better than StB against Fg in air combat.
But TcB A6 D4 C8 can be part of regular combat and pick ground unit upon hit, which is pretty descriptive on what can be done from air.
All units can fight air vs air.
IDK if these cost are really slowing things down because 7+8+5 gives 20 IPCs or 7+8 gives 15.
Also 7 and 8 are usual numbers for TPs and DDs.
IMO it solved all symbolic issues with combat values.
Now if I look at Fg A6 D6 or D7 C10 it is weaker on defense against StB A8 D2 C11.
And your game is safe because German player don’t play Dark Sky to make abusive Heavys power projection.
But your weaker Fg D7 being on 2 planes Carrier cannot compete against a flock of StBs A8 M7-8 C12.
Using correctly such Superweapon, your US fleet wouldn’t dare to land in North Africa.
Running a few simulations even with Fg D8, it requires 3 scrambling Fgs and even best 6 Fgs to get a good cover.
Buying A0 D4 C16 Carrier for 2 Fgs D8 was difficult to manage.
36 IPCs: 3 StBs A24, 3 hits vs 1 full Carrier D20, 4 hits is quite enough to survived: 20% vs 75%, but you don’t bring any other units.
Nonetheless you have a few room for TPs.
If you drop to 3 StBs A24 vs D16 (2 Fg D6 + CV D4): 46% vs 48%, you cannot buy any TPs.
Any invasion force would be weaker than StBs on the same IPCs basis.
Number below makes for 6 StBs vs 2 Full Carrier with Fg A6 D6.
http://calc.axisandallies.org/?mustland=0&abortratio=0&saveunits=0&strafeunits=0&aInf=&aArt=&aArm=&aFig=&aBom=6&aTra=&aSub=&aDes=&aCru=&aCar=&aBat=&adBat=&dInf=&dArt=&dArm=&dFig=&dBom=&dTra=2&dSub=&dDes=&dCru=4&dCar=2&dBat=&ddBat=&ool_att=Bat-Inf-Art-AArt-Arm-Sub-SSub-Des-Fig-JFig-Cru-Bom-HBom-Car-dBat-Tra&ool_def=Bat-Inf-Art-AArt-Arm-Tra-Bom-HBom-Sub-SSub-Des-Car-Cru-Fig-JFig-dBat&battle=Run&rounds=&reps=10000&luck=pure&ruleset=AA1942&territory=&round=1&pbem=
If you add 2 StBs for 2 TPs+4 Infs you gets 95% vs 5% odds of survival. So you are completely toasted.
So Germany may repel any US invasion if Fg are A6 D6.
With Fg A6 D8 C10 you gets 83% vs 13%.
http://calc.axisandallies.org/?mustland=0&abortratio=0&saveunits=0&strafeunits=0&aInf=&aArt=&aArm=&aFig=&aBom=8&aTra=&aSub=&aDes=&aCru=&aCar=&aBat=&adBat=&dInf=&dArt=&dArm=&dFig=4&dBom=&dTra=2&dSub=&dDes=&dCru=&dCar=2&dBat=&ddBat=&ool_att=Bat-Inf-Art-AArt-Arm-Sub-SSub-Des-Fig-JFig-Cru-Bom-HBom-Car-dBat-Tra&ool_def=Bat-Inf-Art-AArt-Arm-Tra-Bom-HBom-Sub-SSub-Des-Car-Cru-Fig-JFig-dBat&battle=Run&rounds=&reps=10000&luck=pure&ruleset=AA1942&territory=&round=1&pbem=
And you only bring 2 TPs! A single TP for each fully loaded Carrier.
It is the best I can do to show the issue of a too low defense factor for Fighters
