Revised National Objectives and other modifications for 1942.2

[Russiangoat]

We have a play group that can usually get together 4 or 5 people for 1942.2 every few months.  We’re not experts like most of the pros on here, but middle level players.

As everyone knows, the game OOB is unbalanced towards the Axis; Russia is not really fun to play in a 5 man match; and the Pacific gets largely ignored.  I see there’s a 1942.3 rule mods, but we’ve been gradually refining our own mods.  To shake things up, we added in the National Objectives (borrowed from Argothair), which made the game less predictable and got some more money on the board, which is fun.  We’ve tweaked the NOs a bit as we’ve used them, and we have recently added in Paratroopers and a mechanic for Russia to convert Western allied fighters to Russian Fighters (which give them a lot more to play with in deadzoning) for 3 IPCs (sort of a Lend-Lease deal).

Bombers can drop one INF unit in combat, but only in support of amphibious assaults or ground assaults.  First time we added in Paratroopers, they were just doing annoying unsupported drops all over Europe, which was sort of gamey, and ahistorical that the Allies would just paratroop guys deep into German territory to be killed the next turn.  We did allow for unsupported paratroop drops onto islands (not Japan or Britain), in order to activate the Pacific somewhat.  With the Japanese and American NOs in the Pacific we were trying to make it so their was more opportunity and incentive to island-hop.  We also made Bombers able to drop 2 INF in non-combat, so there would be a little bit more depth.  It was used by the US to reinforce Egypt from Gibraltar on US2, after Germany got diced in the G1 attack.

Anyway, we’ve played one game with this full set of rules.  It was fun and seemed good for playability, but it is hard to tell from a sample set of one.  The Allies went KJF, even after an unsuccessful SZ 37 attack, and a G1 naval build that got sunk on UK1, so that was a strange move to me.  I was Japan and just doing the India crush until the US fleet (weaker fleet on the water, but supported by 5 bombers, with another 4 imminent) moved within two spaces of my main fleet, and I sunk the US fleet and the 9 bomber counter attack with some lucky dice.  So hard to tell how a more normal game would go.

Anyway, I would love to hear some feedback, or maybe rules that appear too exploitable, or some suggestions for further improvements.

House Rules Summary

1. Red Bomber
   ∙ USSR starts the game with a bomber in Moscow

2. Russian Fighters (Purchase and Place Units Phases - USSR Only)
   ∙ During the USSR’s ‘Purchase Units’ phase, for 3 IPCs they may remove 1 Allied fighter from the board if that fighter is located in an original USSR territory.  The fighter is returned to the Allied player’s unit pool and a USSR fighter is placed in the mobilization zone along with their other purchased units.
   ∙ During the USSR’s “Mobilize New Units” phase, the fighter purchased for 3 IPCs is placed in the territory that contained the Allied fighter at the beginning of the USSR’s turn.

3. Paratroopers (Combat Phase - Any Faction)
   ∙ Paratroopers occur in combat phase
   ∙ Each bomber tasked to transport paratroopers into combat can move one infantry provided they both start the turn in the same zone.
   ∙ Paratroopers can be used in one of two situations:
   i) in support of a combat movement involving other ground units, including amphibious assaults 
   ii) independent combat on a 1 zone island (e.g. Australia doesn’t count as it is 2 zones);  CANNOT be used on Japan or Britain; BB and CA can provide bombardment support

4. Air Transport (Non-Combat Phase - Any Faction)
   ∙ Air Transport can be used in the non-combat phase
   ∙ Each bomber assigned to air transport can move two infantry provided they both start the turn in the same zone.  Infantry can be air transported into territories captured during the player’s combat phase.  Normal movement rules for bombers apply.
   ∙ Bombers that have been previously used in the combat phase cannot be used for air transport
   ∙ Alternate rule for consideration if the above is found to unbalance the game:  Infantry can only be air lefted into territory controled by the faction at the beginning of their turn (i.e. cannot land in territory captured during the combat phase).

5. Victory Conditions
   ∙ Victory is achieved when one side concedes defeat or the consensus when the game is ended due to time.  Victory cities count for NOTHING!

National Objectives
  USSR
“Lend-Lease Support: Allies control Archangel, and Sea Zones 3, 4, and 6 are clear of Axis submarines.”
"Trans-Siberian Railroad: Allies control at least 3 contiguous territories of Novosibirsk, Evenki, Yakut, and Buryatia.  "

GERMANY
“Scandinavian Iron Ore: Axis have at least 1 unit in Norway.”
“Eastern Oil Supplies: Axis control at least 3 of Egypt, Trans-Jordan, Persia, and Caucasus.”
“Mare Nostrum: Allies have no ships in Sea Zones 14 through 17 (Mediterranean and Black Sea).”

UNITED KINGDOM
“Mediterranean Campaign: Britain has at least one unit in Algeria, Italy, or Southern Europe.”
“Commonwealth Brigades: Allies controls at least 3 of India, South Africa, Eastern Australia, and Eastern Canada.”

JAPAN
“Chinese Hegemony: Allies have no units in Sinkiang, Anhwei, Szechuan, Yunnan, Kwangtung, Kiangsu, and Manchuria.”
“Secure Oil Routes: Japan has at least one unit in at least 3 of Borneo, New Guinea, Solomon Islands, and Caroline Islands.”
“Non-Aggression Pact: Russians have no units in orange territories, and Japanese have no units in red territories.”

USA
“Pacific Island Bases: Allies control at least 3 of Iwo Jima, Wake Island, Hawaii, and Midway.”
“Liberation Army: Americans have at least one unit in France, Northwest Europe, or Italy.”

[taamvan]

Did you make all the NOs worth 3, or 5?  Don’t see that you’ve added values.

The Axis have it so good, most of my NO ideas are minuses

-3 if Germany owns no North Africa Terr
-3 if Germany owns no Scandanaivan Terr
etc…

not sure you need to give any special bonuses to the axis…more to US and USSR…they are the ones that have the huge income problem.

[Russiangoat]

Hi, Taamvan.  thanks for the comments.

Sorry, the values are all 4 IPCs for National Objectives.  The NOs came from Argothair, but with some tweaks by our group (I think originally came from a different A&A version).  More money on the board makes the game a little more fun, but in theory it should last longer (which is not desirable), but I feel like we get to the climactic battles faster than we would with minuses…

I do feel like the board is still tilted for the Axis, but Russia having an extra 8 IPCs per turn is a bigger impact than Germany having an extra 8 IPCs.  We maybe could nerf the values down for the Axis, maybe.  I feel like the paratroop rules and the Russian fighter conversion support the Allies.  We’re trying to steady the board without tilting it to the Allies; and meanwhile trying to make some other strategies playable.