WW2 Path to Victory - Rules Discussion

[regularkid]

Hey all. Proud to announce the release of WW2 Path to Victory–a project Adam514 and I put together to provide an enhanced gameplay experience to World War II strategy-game enthusiasts and lovers of Global 1940, more particularly.

You can become a recognized member of the NerdHerd and support the content creators of Path to Victory and Balanced Mod at https://www.patreon.com/nerd_herd.. Also, join our Path to Victory Discord Server for live chat and further community engagement at https://discord.gg/kSbeKFa

Much of the ruleset from Global 1940 Balanced Mod 3 (e.g., marlines, Vichy France, Chinese guerrillas, revised national objectives, etc.) is adopted by PTV. Below is a list of differences: This list may not be up to date. Please refer to the map’s Game Notes for an authoritative listing of the rules.

PATH TO VICTORY REVISIONS OF BM3 RULESET

• Mongolia: If Japan declares war on Russia, Mongolian territories and units will automatically turn Russian at the end of Japan’s turn.

• Factories in Russia: Originally owned Factory Minors in Russia are destroyed upon capture by the Axis.

• Tsugaru Strait: Passage through the Tsugaru Strait, connecting sea zones 6 and 7, requires ownership of Japan. Submarines, however, may pass through freely regardless of ownership.

• Land Scramble: Path to Victory is designed to be played with “can scramble to land” turned on for both Airbases and Carriers. This option, however, may only be used for battles where the defending player has at least one unit in the defending territory–i.e., a scramble cannot be used to defend an empty land territory. The TripleA engine does correctly enforce this rule. However, at present, the engine still prompts players to scramble to undefended territories if the attack is amphibious. This prompt should be ignored since the engine will ultimately not recognize such a scramble, even if it is selected.

• Carrier Scramble: A carrier may scramble one plane to battles in adjacent sea zones/territories where there is at least one defending surface warship/land unit. No more than three planes may be scrambled from a particular sea zone in this manner. The number of planes that may be scrambled from a sea zone (up to the three-plane maximum) is determined by the number of undamaged carriers in that sea zone (one per carrier). This is true irrespective of how the planes may be allocated among the carriers. For example, if a sea zone contains an American carrier with two planes and a British carrier with no planes, the total number of planes that may be scrambled from that sea zone is two. Damaged carriers are disregarded for purpose of determining the scramble capacity of a sea zone (player enforced).

• Note - Return of Scrambled Planes: A scrambling plane must return to the place from which it scrambled, unless that place is no longer a viable landing spot (either because the territory was taken, or the scrambling carrier was damaged/destroyed). If the place from which the plane scrambled is no longer a viable landing spot, the plane may land in any available spot that is adjacent to or in the battle zone itself. Note: Per the foregoing rule, scrambled planes may land in eligible Friendly-Neutral territories that have already been attacked by the other side (play enforced).

• Revised Plane Landing Rules: Planes may not make attacks that require landing on a newly purchase carrier that is not yet on the board.

• Revised Carrier Defense: Carriers defend at 1.

• Revised Mech Rules: Mechs now cost 5 PUs. They are supportable by tanks in both attack and defense (add one to their combat value).

• Revised Bomber Rules: Strategic bombers attack at 3, and cost 12 PUs.

• Retreat from Lone AA Guns: An attacker may retreat even if there are only AA guns left in the battle.

• Reduced Unit Costs: Transports now cost 6. Cruisers 11. Battleships 18. And tactical bombers 10.

• Capital Ships: Battleships and carriers may only be built from territories that have both factories and harbors.

• Restricted US Movement When Not at War: When not at war with Japan, naval units belonging to the United States may not end their turn in sea zones adjacent to Japanese territory. The exceptions to this rule are sea zones 22 (Guam) and 32 (Wake Island).

• Great Purge Penalty: Russia starts the game with 10 fewer PUs than its total production.

• Civil War Penalty: China starts the game with 4 fewer PUs than its total production.

• Sicily: Sicily is now connected to Southern Italy.

• Revised Victory Conditions: Japan must capture seven Victory Cities for a win in the Pacific. Malaya is now a Victory City.

• Global Victory: In addition to achieving a theater-specific victory, Axis can win the game by capturing and holding for one complete turn 13 victory cities, globally.

PATH TO VICTORY REVISIONS OF BM3 NATIONAL OBJECTIVES

Except as otherwise stated below, the national objectives in Path to Victory are functionally identical to those of BM3.

GERMANY

• NEW OBJECTIVE - Atlantic Wall: 3 PUs if Normandy and Holland Belgium are both Axis controlled at the beginning of Germany’s turn and each garrisoned with at least one land unit at the end of Germany’s turn.

• REVISED OBJECTIVE - Control of Balkans: 3 PUs (increased from 2 PUs) if Romania, Yugoslavia, Albania, Bulgaria, Greece and Crete are Axis or Pro-Axis controlled.

RUSSIA

• REVISED OBJECTIVE - Lend Lease: Russia no longer receives a 2 PU boost from an unprovoked Japanese declaration of war. Instead the Mongolians automatically turn Russian as aforesaid.

JAPAN

• NEW OBJECTIVE - Vital Forward Bases: 5 PUs if Caroline Islands, Marianas, Marshall Islands, Paulau and Gilbert Islands are Axis controlled.

UNITED STATES

• NEW OBJECTIVE - Strategic Initiative: 5 PUs if Americans have a land unit in at least one Axis capitol.

• REVISED OBJECTIVE - Control of Philippines: 5 PUs if Americans are at war and control both Manilla and Davao.

CHINA

• REVISED OBJECTIVE - Burma Road: 3 PUs and may build artillery if the Allies control Eastern India (as opposed to “India”), Burma, Yunnan, and Szechwan.

This thread is for questions regarding PTV rules. Enjoy!

[J.o.C.]

Is this specifically for TripleA, or for the board game G40?

[regularkid]

Hey @J-o-C . Its a TripleA map that is different from the Global map–.e.g, Russia, China, and the Pacific are drawn quite differently. But other than the map itself, I don’t think there’d be any obstacle to adapting for tabletop play with Global pieces. I’d be happy to provide a high-def map image for anybody that wanted to try it on tabletop.

[J.o.C.]

@regularkid Thanks for the reply.

[ksmckay]

Few questions to start

1. Germany Caucasus objective, assume its control of both north and south Cacausus?
2. Can you explain scramble to land better? Does this mean air in Wger can scramble to defend a land attack in Germany?
3. Carrier scramble - 1 per carrier right? And as a follow up to previous question, a ftr on carrier in z116 could scramble to defend Norway, Denmark, Wger, or Ger as well as adjancent sea zones?
4. Can you comment on civil war and great purge - are those one time penalties?
5. Is it correct that there is no convoy in 43?

[Misterblue]

@ksmckay I can answer number one since I tested it: The objective require control of only S.Caucasus

[regularkid]

@ksmckay great questions. Addressing them in turn:

Germany Caucasus objective, assume its control of both north and south Cacausus?

The Caucasus objective applies only to Southern Caucasus. This will be clarified in a subsequent patch to the objectives panel.

Can you explain scramble to land better? Does this mean air in Wger can scramble to defend a land attack in Germany?

Yes. West Germany can scramble to defend Germany, as long as there is at least one defending unit already in Germany (including a lone AA gun). Note that France’s airbase is now actually useful, since it can be used to scramble in defense of Normandy, Holland, Southern France, and Western Germany.

Carrier scramble - 1 per carrier right? And as a follow up to previous question, a ftr on carrier in z116 could scramble to defend Norway, Denmark, Wger, or Ger as well as adjancent sea zones?

Yes. One plane per carrier. And a carrier in sz 116 can indeed do all that. For the land territories, there must be at least one defending unit already in the territory.

Can you comment on civil war and great purge - are those one time penalties?

Yes, it is a onetime penalty that only affects starting income.

Is it correct that there is no convoy in 43?

Correct. There is no convoy in sz 43.

[axis-dominion]

Still no revised tech? I really love the idea of tech, but needs to be revised. Tech played a big role in the real war, and I already know Adam will say well that’s already reflected in the increased income as you conquer more, but I have to say I would really love for tech to be revisited and revised to make it a viable and fun system.

[axis-dominion]

can a capital ship be built in a sz that has a harbor in a territory different from the fac? e.g., harbor on Hainan but fac in fic.

[Adam514]

@axis-dominion No, both the factory and the harbor need to be in the same territory to build capital ships.

[axis-dominion]

@Adam514 said in WW2 Path to Victory - Rules Discussion:

@axis-dominion No, both the factory and the harbor need to be in the same territory to build capital ships.

I feel that may be too restrictive, don’t you think?

[Adam514]

@axis-dominion Only Germany and Central US cannot build capital ships while there’s a harbor for that sea zone, and they have other factories right beside them with harbors so capital ships can be placed there anyway.

[Amon-Sul]

@axis-dominion said in WW2 Path to Victory - Rules Discussion:

Still no revised tech? I really love the idea of tech, but needs to be revised. Tech played a big role in the real war, and I already know Adam will say well that’s already reflected in the increased income as you conquer more, but I have to say I would really love for tech to be revisited and revised to make it a viable and fun system.

yeah, tech in BM3 sucks.

[Amon-Sul]

@Adam514 said in WW2 Path to Victory - Rules Discussion:

@axis-dominion Only Germany and Central US cannot build capital ships while there’s a harbor for that sea zone, and they have other factories right beside them with harbors so capital ships can be placed there anyway.

a minor IC and a harbour are enough to build CS?

so no need for a major IC?

[Amon-Sul]

Factories in Russia: Originally owned Factory Minors in Russia are destroyed upon capture by the Axis.

So what about Moscow major IC?

[Adam514]

@Amon-Sul Just becomes a minor, it is not destroyed.

[Amon-Sul]

@Adam514 said in WW2 Path to Victory - Rules Discussion:

@Amon-Sul Just becomes a minor, it is not destroyed.

in Revised, I think Russia could move its ics in ncm.

we should put it back :)

[regularkid]

@axis-dominion yah, i’ve never really been a tech guy for A&A tbh. But I definitely think it could be a worthwhile pursuit as a mod to PTV, if someone else has good ideas for a tech tree.

[regularkid]

@Amon-Sul No need for a major IC to build capital ships. That is correct. One of the reasons for the harbour restriction was to prevent undue exploitation of the Soviet IC in Siberia. With Russia’s boosted income, it was a concern. Another reason was to prevent what, to me, always seemed a corny scenario of USA pumping out carriers from newly built factories in Greece and Norway.

[regularkid]

@Amon-Sul said in WW2 Path to Victory - Rules Discussion:

@Adam514 said in WW2 Path to Victory - Rules Discussion:

@Amon-Sul Just becomes a minor, it is not destroyed.

in Revised, I think Russia could move its ics in ncm.

we should put it back :)

Adam and I actually gave that some thought. Ultimately we concluded the prospect of a cat-a-mouse with minor factories roaming the Russian countryside wasn’t worth the trouble of adding a complicated ruleset and coding. Usually by the time the factory-capable territories are taken by Axis, Russia doesn’t have enough income to produce in all its factories anyhow. But if you think there are advantages to a moving-factory dynamic, I’d be interested to hear them!