Franco-Anglo Alliance in G40.

[toblerone77]

Once France has been conquered, The UK will be allowed to purchase French units for the French player during the UK purchase phase. The units will be given to the French player and may place them at any UK IC at the French player’s placement phase on the following turn.

[knp7765]

The only problem I see with that is if the UK is buying French units, that is less money they are spending on British units. Might make it even harder for UK to go after Germany or Italy. On the other hand, it would be cool to see France being more active.

[toblerone77]

@knp7765:

The only problem I see with that is if the UK is buying French units, that is less money they are spending on British units. Might make it even harder for UK to go after Germany or Italy. On the other hand, it would be cool to see France being more active.

I totally agree. I’d just like to see the French be able to do at least something on the board. It’s more of a “this might be cool” idea rather than something strategically sound.

[toblerone77]

Originally I thought of making the Free French pieces from HBG available to the UK after the fall of France, and they would be controlled by the UK just like their regular units. Once France is liberated the units are then transferred to the control of the French. The only reason I didn’t is because we’d need to wait for the new sets of HBG Free French units from HBG.

[Yavid]

Seeing as the USA supplied so much equipment to France why not let USA buy the French units and they get placed at UK ICs? You can always put some limits on it such as only one unit per turn, or only ground units. Wouldn’t want USA just mass producing Allied pieces from UK ICs.

[CWO Marc]

I like this idea of giving France a more interesting role by giving it a little more hardware as the game progresses.  In developing this idea, one thing that would be useful to keep in mind is the fact that the Global rules don’t actually depict the historical Vichy/Free French scenario (the rulebook says, as I recall, that for purposes of simplicity it ignores this situation).  Instead, the rules basically depict an alternate-history situation in which France didn’t formally capitulate, but rather kept fighting the Axis from its colonial empire – which is exactly what Churchill urged France to do when it became clear that its home territory was going to be overrun, and which would certainly have been de Gaulle’s preference too.  So as one way to give France a few extra units of purchased hardware without taking resources away from Britain, perhaps the IPC values of some of France’s unoccupied colonial possessions could be given a small boost, to reflect the concept that they have put themselves on a wartime economic footing and are actively contributing resources to the Allied war effort (which wasn’t the case historically, since most of these territories were under Vichy control).  And later in the game, when the US enters the conflict, France could get an additional hardware increase to reflect the fact that, as an Allied partner, it would have benefited from the Lend-Lease program.

[toblerone77]

Thanks guys. All good posts. Feel free to elaborate.

[Witt]

It is not something I would like Toblerone, sorry!

[toblerone77]

No worries wittmann. Always good to hear from you sir.

[General Veers]

Unless Italy breaks through Cairo, the French player will still have four PUs from French west/central Africa and Madagascar. It’s a shame they can’t go toward producing anything. As long as London is standing they may as well be able to plop an infantry
/artillery there every turn or save up for a transport that will hopefully be protected by the UK/US.

Or French TT after the fall lf Paris should just be treated like Dutch ones and allow UK and US custodial access.

[Yavid]

This is what I’ve been play testing for Vichy France rules. If Germany conquers Normandy and Paris the Vichy France capital becomes Southern France. Vichy France counts as an Axis Power. The French pieces in UK become Free French. France gives Germany all it’s ICPs. Vichy France can’t move it’s units out of Vichy France territories. Germany collects the income from Vichy France each turn. During Vichy France’s collect income phase. If the Allies attack a Vichy France territory one round of combat occurs after the one round all surviving Vichy French units become Free French pieces and switches sides for the remainder of the game. Including switching from the defender to attacker in the combat. Free France becomes it’s own power with it’s own turn but without a capital and without an income to begin with. Anytime a Vichy France territory is captured by the Allies it is instead liberated for Free France, and Free France collects the income from that territory. With there income Free France operates a lot like China buying only inf. but they can only be placed in territories that already have Free French ground troops there and only as many inf. as value of the territory. I’m considering allowing the inf and territory of French West Africa the become Free French just really to get the Free French ball rolling. As far as NO goes the Italian ones change from controlling the French territories to occupying them with at least one Axis land unit. Also the Japanese occupying FEC counts as a DoW on the Western powers.

I believe that is everything. Oh as far as Free French and Vichy French pieces right now I’m using OOB French pieces for Free France and AA14 French pieces for Vichy France the battleship from that game is the cruiser and the cruiser is the destroyer. When HBG releases there French set then I’ll use the plum pieces for Vichy France.

One of the issues I’ve found is the balance of power in the Med. sea. and the South Indian ocean. I’m considering add UK units to replace the French units the allies lost. Oh and the Vichy-Free France split happens after the Collect Income phase of the Power that captured Paris.

[knp7765]

Hey Yavid,
I like your idea for Vichy/Free France. I have been wanting to incorporate that into the game, but most of the house rules for that seem too complicated. Your rules seem fairly simple. I have a few questions:
1 > If the Allies move into a French territory with no units in it (French Madagascar, French Equatorial Africa, French Central Africa, French Indo-China), those territories are simply liberated for Free France, right?
2 > Vichy France is considered an Axis country and their remaining income goes to Germany during the Vichy France collect income phase. So, after Germany finishes their turn and collects their own income, you add whatever Vichy France has left to the German total for spending next round, right? So it is possible that Allied forces could cut that down a bit.
3 > What happens if Axis forces enter Vichy French territories (e.g. Italy moving from Libya to Tunisia)? Since Vichy is considered Axis, I am assuming that Italy doesn’t actually take control of Tunisia, rather it is simply a shared occupation with the existing French infantry there.
4 > Can French units, once they turn Vichy, move from one French territory to another (e.g. French infantry from French West Africa to French Central Africa)?
5 > I am unclear what happens to the naval units. Are they also Vichy?
A = Do they have to just sit in their sea zones?
B = Or can they move and attack Allied ships?
C = If Allied ships attack Vichy French ships, do they have to sink them or can they turn them Allied?

I think that is it. If you could answer these questions, I think I can incorporate this idea into my next game.

[Yavid]

@knp7765:

Hey Yavid,
I like your idea for Vichy/Free France. I have been wanting to incorporate that into the game, but most of the house rules for that seem too complicated. Your rules seem fairly simple. I have a few questions:
1 > If the Allies move into a French territory with no units in it (French Madagascar, French Equatorial Africa, French Central Africa, French Indo-China), those territories are simply liberated for Free France, right?
2 > Vichy France is considered an Axis country and their remaining income goes to Germany during the Vichy France collect income phase. So, after Germany finishes their turn and collects their own income, you add whatever Vichy France has left to the German total for spending next round, right? So it is possible that Allied forces could cut that down a bit.
3 > What happens if Axis forces enter Vichy French territories (e.g. Italy moving from Libya to Tunisia)? Since Vichy is considered Axis, I am assuming that Italy doesn’t actually take control of Tunisia, rather it is simply a shared occupation with the existing French infantry there.
4 > Can French units, once they turn Vichy, move from one French territory to another (e.g. French infantry from French West Africa to French Central Africa)?
5 > I am unclear what happens to the naval units. Are they also Vichy?
A = Do they have to just sit in their sea zones?
B = Or can they move and attack Allied ships?
C = If Allied ships attack Vichy French ships, do they have to sink them or can they turn them Allied?

I think that is it. If you could answer these questions, I think I can incorporate this idea into my next game.

1. Liberate them for Free France, correct
2. The way I play it is Vichy France collects there income and hands it straight to Germany. The Allies can cut into Vichy’s income by attacking Convoy zones. Vichy Frances turn is basically only handing money straight to Germany.
3. If an Axis power moves into Vichy France then it’s just like if Germany moves units into Italian territories. The just occupy it together. With the added risk of Vichy France switching sides when it comes to defending it.
4. No they can’t move there units around. Vichy France tired to pretend to be neutral so they tired to stay out of it without angering Germany.
5. The French navy also becomes Vichy. Remember UK attacked the French fleet in the med. because it refused to surrender to the allies. It’s kind of the effect I’m shooting for. Remember Vichy units only fight for one round and only one round all surviving Vichy units then switch sides and become Free French. Now that I think about it Vichy shouldn’t be able to switch by being attacked by only aircraft. A popular UK move is taking the Mech Inf. from Egypt and attacking Syria with no help. Odds are the mech doesn’t hit and the French inf. has only a 33% chance of a hit thus turning it Free French.