Minor Axis & Allied Powers

[Monroe]

Actually, I’m from the Bronx… 8-)

Kidding aside, you make a good historical point regarding Canada cts17.

I actually made a few adjustments to the rules regarding unit placement for India, Australia and Canada based on feedback from Deaths Head (the man behind the map).  I posted these revisions on his “Global Axis and Allies” Thread under the “Variants” tab.  The Minor Allied Unit placement rule listed above really made axis survival in mid east and mainland asia impossible.

Basically, India (Calcutta) New South wales (Australia) and Canada (Quebec) IPC placement is revised to the value posted on the map rather than (4), (4) and (2) respectively.  Also, the UK player can only place 1 unit in only 1 of the three Minor Allied powers.  This would help balance the Axis chances in Asia and Mid-East.

But please feel free to offer a revision regarding canada IPC.  Main challenge with varinats, as always, is to help keep game play balanced. So if Canada has more IPCs, does the UK get less?  OR just reduce India to balance better against Canada - but tthen Japan romps the mainland…tough call.

IL,

Have you tried this variant?  Interested in your feedback as well.

[Imperious Leader]

well where is last map file?

[Monroe]

IL,

http://www.mediafire.com/?sharekey=f209fe65b016190991b20cc0d07ba4d2a8a1a6316787b5b1

The map should be up on this MediaFire link now, along with rules update from July 09.  Map is 22mb PDF version (never had a copy of the original map file for edit…)

The map is from the work done by Deaths Head in the Variants seciton of this site (he took over and finished the infamous Positronica map):

http://www.axisandallies.org/forums/index.php?topic=11672.0

So my rules are based on this map.

Let me know what you think.

Thanks.

[Monroe]

Oh…and this map received a high grade from Flashman (I think 12/20)…No Rio de Oro though  :wink:

[cts17]

I understand all the talk about game balance, that’s why I’ve never really protested the historical imbalance of Canada’s assistance in the war as represented in the Axis and Allies series. If UK gets all of this, plus all of the ‘1’ territories making up Africa, then the strategically important Pacific islands, she’d be way overpowered.

But if people want to start increasing the power of the Commonwealth in view of the colonies for historical truth, then Canada should definitely be upgraded.

I’ll look into making a mod for Canada.

P.S. One thing I’ve always wondered… what’s the point of the 8 IPC value of Borneo and the East Indies. Why are they worth so much? At the time (and still today), they were nothing but isolated European settlements and mountainous rain forest. Hardly any industrial power there. Why so much then? For Japan to take?

[Imperious Leader]

the oil Borneo and Indies had large oil reserves

[cts17]

Then why don’t Trans-Jordan and Persia get jacked right up on oil?

[Flashman]

India has always been badly treated on A&A maps.

People know very little about the country, so cannot adequately divide it up into territories, and just lump it into one huge area.  I’ve even seen WWII boards containing such nonesense as “Pakistan” and “Bangladesh”, which didn’t exist until after the war.  And Delhi was the capital of India, not Calcutta (which lost this status in 1911).  This is fortunate, as Delhi can be placed in a central area with a “buffer” Bengal territory between it and Burma.

[cts17]

I know, I just read up on the military history of various nations to get a vague idea of Canadian placement in terms of this… turns out India lost more people than Great Britain! They had a standing army of 2 500 000 by the end of the war!

[whitewolfmxc]

Hi i was wondering if you could update your map a little here : http://www.axisandallies.org/forums/index.php?topic=12841.15
too add just a little bit more of realism XD

Let me know what you think lol

For players aid :

1. add in cruiser ship for the purchase chart

2. add in neutral deploy unit symbols on the map (just for neutrals)

To add a bit more realism :

1. make japan into 4 areas :

“The four largest islands are Honshū, Hokkaidō, Kyūshū and Shikoku, together accounting for 97% of Japan’s land area.”

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Regions_and_Prefectures_of_Japan.svg

2. Gibraltar : who ever controls this can pass through between there and Morocco

3)  Denmark : who ever controls it can pass through sea zone 18

4. Norway : who ever controls it can pass through sea zone 17

5. Maylay : who ever controls it pass through sea zone 70

6. add in polisti (the main oil production for Germany , inside Romania) for Romania as a victory city

7. Change name of Cairo to Egypt : and make Cairo a victory city inside it

8. add Portugal beside Spain as neutral (will join axis if attack) and Azores belong to them too

9. Iraq was actually pro axis , so at least make it neutral (join axis if under attack)

10. add in whales for mainland England

11. add in northern Ireland as England controlled separating from Eire

12 ) add in Belgian at where it was

13. add in Cherbourg at western France as victory city

14. Split Yugoslavia into two half  , the inner land first half still remains Yugoslavia (inner land) or as Croatia  as German control, All the shore areas are into one new area (maybe something like Italian owned Yugoslavia) this area connects mainland Italy and Greece / Albania together

15. add port in Vladivostok

16. add Soviet convoy at sea zone 134

17. add German convoy at sea zone 18 (all the Sweden minerals are imported there)

18. add British convoy in sea zone 64 (Suez was the most important supply line for Africa)

19. Argentina would turn axis if under attack ( they were pro axis at the time )

20. Brazil would turn allies if under attack (pro US they were)

[Monroe]

whitewolfmxc,

Thanks for the feedback.

Regarding the map edits/changes:  All I have is the PDF version, not the original file to edit, so I can’t make any changes.  The map is the creation of a long Postronica/DeathsHead thread under the Variants forum.  I beleive the original file “died” when Postronica dropped the project after some frustration.  DeathsHead ressurected the project which resulted in the map I posted.  I simply pulled their map and created the set up/rules to incorporate Axis/Allied Minors.  Their map is great because of the extra territories to make the Minor powers actually playable.

Of course, the rules you note reagrding territory ownership and sea passage can be easily incorporated (i.e. control Gibraltar and your forces can pass between their and Morocco…).  I actually use some of them in my version of the game, but I didn’t actually add them to the official rules I posted.

So basically the following numbers you noted below could be added to the rules using the current map version: #2, 3, 4, 5, 19, 20.  I beleive all you other recomendations would require revisions to the map which I don’t have access to…

[whitewolfmxc]

So nobody has the original map files ? >< humm , so its just impossible to change the map layout then……

[HBG]

I am going to try this map with country roundels.

[HBG]

has anyone played this through with the AA50 map?
How did it work?

[idk_iam_swiss]

I want to try it but I dont have any ideas for a turn order…

[Monroe]

Any after action reports on this version?

I played 2 more games recently, using the latest version of the rules in this post.  The game flows a little better and Commonwealth/UK IPCs are more balanced now.  As I noted in this post, rules are very playable and don’t add too much game time.

One area I am still looking to revise is Vichy France.  Currently, they receive 3 IPCs per round.  Per the rules, they cannot attack/only defend, so they sort of end up piling up forces (usually an infantry each round), unless attacked.  Vichy still serves as a kind of “block” for the Allies early in the game.  Allowing German/Italian forces to reside in some North African Vichy territories also expands Vichy play soemwhat.  I’ll keep working some ideas and post a revision…

I’m also working through a version that could work with AA50.  This is a little tougher given there are fewer territories.  I’ll post something soon.

Of course AAP40/AAE40/Global may offer a whole new range of options for Minor A&A Powers!

[HBG]

I am interested in the game. I am painting up all the Axis minor countries as well as expanding the canadian, Australian etc .
I have not played that version yet but have the map and rules printed.

[Monroe]

Based on some additional game play, here is a revision regarding the rules for Vichy France:

• They collect no income (verusus collecting a fixed 3 IPCs each round in previous rule versions).

This solves the stock piling of 1 Infantry per round based on collecting 3 IPCs, especially if the Allied plan is to avoid attacking Vichy territories.  Vichy France still continues serving as a “blockade” against Allied attacks, because Vichy French units can only defend, they cannot attack.  So if Allied forces want to attack through North Africa or mainland Vichy France, they now have to deal with Vichy forces (which could possibly have German/Italian defensive units positioned in these territories as well).

In addition, this forces the Axis player for Germany (and Italy in North Africa) to have to consider whether they should bolster Vichy territories with their own units, since Vichy will collect no income and not be able to add any of their own units to their defenses.  Whether or not the Axis player builds up Vichy defenses with their own forces could sway the Allies decision of whether to attack Vichy territories and gain a foothold position in Africa or mainland Europe.

Feel free to add any comments/thoughts.

[Monroe]

Working on revised set up charts for this variant that take into account the new AAP40 rule introductions including:

• Revising Mech Infantry stats/capabilites
• Tac Bomber
• Revised China Rules
• Updated Unit costs and stats
• Captial Ships
• The addition of the ANZAC pewter color units allow for clear distinction between UK (use AA50 UK units); ANZAC (use ANZAC AAP40 units) and India (Use light green UK units from revised edition)

I will post the updates when ready.

[HBG]

@Monroe:

Working on revised set up charts for this variant that take into account the new AAP40 rule introductions including:

• Revising Mech Infantry stats/capabilites
• Tac Bomber
• Revised China Rules
• Updated Unit costs and stats
• Captial Ships
• The addition of the ANZAC pewter color units allow for clear distinction between UK (use AA50 UK units); ANZAC (use ANZAC AAP40 units) and India (Use light green UK units from revised edition)

I will post the updates when ready.

How are the charts coming?