A&A North Africa - TO I8.pdf Hello everyone, I propose the position on the board at the beginning of the eighth turn of Italy in the “Operation Torch” scenario to have your opinions on the strategy of the game in practice (often “abstract” considerations are made, before playing, which then “clash” with what actually happens on the board). In this game I was assigned the American (we decided to draw by lot at the beginning of each game the power with which we will play in order to be able to experiment and try the game under various aspects). This is only the third game we play and the first ever with “Operation Torch” (so there may again be involuntary errors in the rules, but games also serve this purpose: to clarify doubts and avoid errors for the future). The English have (as I think is obvious) heavily attacked MM in the first turn and took Tobruck in the second, wiping out all Axis resistance, but they lost Malta (this also seems to me an almost inevitable thing if the Axis decides to concentrate on it) and a good part of the fleet has sunk due to the mines around the Mediterranean Channel (very lucky shots by the Axis) and the action of the Italian air force, managing however to eliminate some German supplies. The Axis has destroyed a good part of the American convoy with its 3 U-boats (it sank the 2 destroyers and part of the cargo) and is preparing for an offensive to the West towards Casablanca. The Italians I imagine will try to create a front around Tripoli, waiting to be able to organize a counteroffensive against the English if the latter “stretches too far” without due preparation. As an American I plan to invest in the very first turn in planes (forbidden in turn 7) that can serve as escorts to convoys against the terrible German U-boats, but also as attack/defense units; I will also take destroyers and some ground troops (in addition to the fixed 10 supply) trying to contain the German initiative in Algiers to try to organize a counteroffensive as soon as there are enough troops. I also have to understand which convoy to use and which is more convenient (considering that in the seventh turn I could not choose being forced to use the one in Casablanca). It is the first time that we play this scenario which, however, gives me the impression of being a bit unbalanced in favor of the Allies (maybe it will have depended on the initial moves, on strategic and tactical errors, I don’t know). However, it seems clear to me that only the Allies can, in this scenario, aim for a total victory (since Tunis is a concrete and achievable objective, if everything goes well), while Cairo seems to me really a utopia for the Axis. But I would like your considerations as experienced players. Eventually I will update you on the continuation of the match (I think we will resume it on Saturday).
Scout cars, Breaking up 5 supply tokens, landmines, Fighter from Atlantic tot Cairo, SL Malta, flanking attack
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I have only played this new A&A game once and I think it is a sublime game, but now I have the following questions:
- I do not understand the last sentence of Scout cars p 31, Long range patrol: can scout cars enter enemy territory in the non-combat move? And if this territory is not defended, can they still conquer it?
- Are you obliged to exchange 5 one supply tokens for a 5 supply token when an enemy wants to buy less than 5 one supply tokens and they are exhausted in the box?
- Ditto: Can you exchange a 5 supply token for 5 one supply tokens when a friendly power wants to buy less than 5 one supply tokens in their turn ?
- There is no limit to the number of land mines you can buy (but you may not place them in the area under the control of a friendly power). This implies that you can also buy all the remaining landmines in the box just to make sure your enemy can’t buy any the next round, correct?
- I have also found out that when you defend your capital with e.g. 6 landmines (= rolling 18 dice for a 3) your protection is very high. Doesn’t this lead to a race in the beginning to buy as many landmines as possible until they run out ?
- You buy a UK fighter and place it in the Atlantic Ocean Convoy. It then supposedly protects this convoy even though there is no possible threat. The next round, phase 1, the fighter must land in 2 moves: can it go directly to Cairo across the Atlantic convoy / Cairo border or must it follow the arrows to the Suez Canal (but that is not territory!!). Or can this fighter go to Cairo in the non-combat move with 4 moves?
- Does the SL for Malta apply separately for supplies and AAA/Air units? So 3 supplies and 3 pieces (AAA and/or Air units) are allowed?
- In an attack with flanking: if mines cause the main attack to be smaller than the flanking attack, is there a switch?
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Hi there. Glad you like the game!
- No, they don’t conquer it with a Noncombat Move. Units may only attack/enter controlled territories in A&A during a Combat Move. For example, if other units capture the territory, or you attacked it just to destroy some supplies, you can then move in if it isn’t enemy controlled.
2 & 3. Yes, in the name of sportsmanship. Odd, that never happened in playtesting.
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Any landmines you cannot deploy go back into the general supply.
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It could. Even the best minefield can be breached over 2 attacks. Get into position to deliver a 1-2 punch before they can buy even 1 more in between your turns. Yes, they likely won’t trigger all of them on the first attack, but they probably will trigger the rest on the 2nd attack. Then they might have 1 mine during the next attack you make. And you still have plenty of units, as many were turned back by landmines.
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No. Page 12 says otherwise, but perhaps not strongly enough. We further clarified this in the pg 12 rules posted online, adding to the rules on Atlantic and Indian convoy advancement: “These units may not move again in any other phase of the same turn.” So they cannot fly off to Cairo. They must go to the Indian and then the Suez. The air units shipped to Cairo were crated for compact storage.
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They are separate limits. So yes, you can have 3 units and 3 supply, tho the supply will instantly drop to 2. You’ll only ever have 3 there at the start of a game or if you unwisely choose not to spend 1 supply for the 15 RPs. Malta is always hungry.
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There is no switch. In fact, the entire main force can call off their attack after the first round of combat, and then you may proceed with only the flanking attack, with rerolls. We call this a feint.
Good questions!
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@Matt-Hyra Ok, Thanks a lot. Up to the next game with maybe some new questions…
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After playing the game a second time, here are some more questions:
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You attack 1 area from 2 areas. Scout cars must retreat after 1 round. Can that be to a different area than where the scout car attacked?
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Are trucks allowed to drive back and forth during road movement (and pick up men or supplies on the way)?
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What happens if the flanking attack land units are as large in number as the main attack land units? Can you choose then? If so, can you consciously limit your flanking attack so that it becomes flanking…
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Victory conditions: “Capture Tunis or elminate all axis combat units in territories in North Africa”: I don’t see how you can eliminate all axis combat units without having conquered Tunis (unless you have only destroyed Tunis with planes)?
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when you attack a convoy zone with an overwhelming force and there is only one defending unit (eg a fighter), can 2 convoy units escape after the battle? Or are all hits - 1 attributed to casualties in the convoy?
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my flanking attack consists of only 1 infantry. In my main attack there is an artillery. Can this artillery support the infantry? (I don’t think so but I’m asking anyway to be sure…)
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@COJOH A second game already. Many are jealous…
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No, as a retreat in North Africa means you stay in the territory from which you attacked. You don’t move in and then retreat out. The Scout Car can still use Long-Range Patrol to move during Noncombat, tho.
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Yes, nothing prohibits them from driving through the same territory twice. And yes, they can pick up along the way.
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Page 19 the blue box “Flanking Attacks” says: “The units attacking from the territory that contains the highest number of attacking land units is considered to be the main attack (in the case of a tie, you choose the territory from among those tied).”
That means you can have a main attack of 5 units and a flanking attack of 5 units.
Yes, you can always consciously leave potential attackers behind to make one territory flanking, or to spend fewer supply to attack, or just because you feel like it. Units with Move 2 help, as you can move them into attack position, and then check for flanking. -
If there are no units in Tunis, it’s possible, but still a 1 in a million chance. Just there to stop a total domination from continuing.
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Two units (up to 5 supply also counts as a unit) escapes the combat at the end of each round of the convoy combat. So if your convoy is 2 units escorted by 1 fighter, the attackers need to score 2 hits in the first round of combat to wipe out all 3 units. If only 1 hit is scored in that first round of combat, the combat defenders must be taken as casualties first, and then the 2 land units would escape at the end of the first round of combat. The combat would then be over.
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Page 30 under Artillery “Supports Infantry and Mechanized Infantry” says: “paired units need not necessarily be attacking from the same territory.”
Thanks for the questions. You’re getting the hang of it!
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@Matt-Hyra OMG, Q5 and Q6 : I played it all the time wrong ! Thank you again for the clarifications.
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Next game finished, some new questions :
- 7th round operation torch, USA attack in Cassablanca/Algiers/Oran : is only the supply token for the first attack round provided in the setup or is that so for all subsequent rounds of the attack ?
- UK fighter is in the convoy zone of Malta and on the island of Malta is a UK bomber. Can a GE bomber fly through the convoy zone and attack the lone bomber on Malta or must he engage the UK fighter ?
- Can retreating units be part of a defensive battle in the area they are retreating in (“combat happens at the same time” => No ?) ?
- What about defending fighters who retreat ? How many steps ?
- Flanking attacks :
a. Can you only continue the fight in the flanking attack and stop the main attack. Does it remain then a flanking attack with reroll ?
b. Your main attack has casualties in the first round so that it becomes a smaller attack than the flanking attack. Does the flanking attack remain with the reroll advantage? Or is there a switch? - A cargo remains in convoy because the SL has been reached. A sea mine is placed by the enemy. Can it be detonated during phase 6 of the owner of the cargo even if he does not place additional forces in the convoy?
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- Just for the first round of combat.
- It bypasses the fighter and can just attack the island.
- They cannot retreat into a territory where ground combat has or will take place that turn. They can still retreat into a territory that is only under air attack. See graphic example in rulebook.
- Same restriction, and they too may only retreat to an adjacent territory.
- The flanking effect is not removed under either circumstance. It always remains.
- No, may only be detonated against newly-arriving units.
Thanks for the questions!
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@Matt-Hyra Thanks for the answers. About Q6, Does this means that if you place newly arriving units, the mine detonation cannot hurt the older, remaining cargo ?
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@COJOH
Yes, that is correct. Think of the old cargo as at the mouth of the port. Not so easy to mine that area.
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