G40 Strategic Advantages - Delta

[Imperious Leader]

Commonwealth Aid
All units produced from factories in Canada and South Africa are now $1 cheaper.

Oh hell no.

Instead allow UK free placement ( you still have to pay for it) of 1 infantry that are paid for in India, Canada, et al without need for factory.

[knp7765]

@Imperious:

Commonwealth Aid
All units produced from factories in Canada and South Africa are now $1 cheaper.

Oh hell no.

Instead allow UK free placement ( you still have to pay for it) of 1 infantry that are paid for in India, Canada, et al without need for factory.

But these are for Global 1940. Canada and India already have factories.

[Young Grasshopper]

Changes made to the super carrier decks advantage (now named Essex Class Carriers), and propaganda. Gonna refine this rule by surveying our group players tomorrow one round at a time, when each round begins, I will ask each player which advantage they would choose… more of a research game than a play test, but we should get a good idea of which advantage choices are unbalanced.

[knp7765]

@Young:

R7 - Germany

Jet Fighters
Both the attack value and movement of all German fighters has now increased by 1 (including escort and interceptor missions).

or

Propaganda
Germany may take control of any strict neutral or pro-axis territory they wish, and immediately control it’s standing army without the need to occupy it, and without provoking the remaining strict neutral territories if any exist.
ASDIC

Young Grasshopper,
I was wondering about the Propaganda advantage. This is a one-time advantage, right? Germany can’t do this every round, can they?

[toblerone77]

These are really nice YG. I like the fact that they are timed, and they seem to pay homage in respect to other previous editions to A&A.

[Young Grasshopper]

@knp7765:

@Young:

R7 - Germany

Jet Fighters
Both the attack value and movement of all German fighters has now increased by 1 (including escort and interceptor missions).

or

Propaganda
Germany may take control of any strict neutral or pro-axis territory they wish, and immediately control it’s standing army without the need to occupy it, and without provoking the remaining strict neutral territories if any exist.
ASDIC

Young Grasshopper,
I was wondering about the Propaganda advantage. This is a one-time advantage, right? Germany can’t do this every round, can they?

It was meant to be a one time thing, but I have since eliminated propaganda, and modified some of the other advantages based on a play test we had this weekend. Check out the changes and let me know what you think… thanks.

[Young Grasshopper]

@toblerone77:

These are really nice YG. I like the fact that they are timed, and they seem to pay homage in respect to other previous editions to A&A.

Thanks Tob, my goal is to enter specific advantages, for specific nations, at specific game rounds for historical accuracy, but to also give players the choice to effect their own campaign based on the direction of their strategy. Some are research and development techs from 1940 global, some are national advantages from A&A revised, but some are completely my own. Also as you can see, most have been modified in order to balance the pairs and make the choices as difficult as possible. I’m glad you like them… cheers.

[toblerone77]

I was wondering about the Around the Clock Bombing YG. Does this advantage essentially allow bombers to be used twice in one round of turns? Also, since you invited us to comment, Do you think your players might object to having the US with superfortresses and round the clock bombing?

I like both advantages and hope I’m understanding them correctly, but I could see some players being confused or upset that say the UK uses it’s bombers and the uses the US’s superfortresses on Germany whilst the US does the same thing on it’s turn. I like the advantages but I could see someone not liking that.

[knp7765]

YG,
Interesting changes. It looks like most countries will have very strong choices to make.
So you decided against any for Russia?

I see that you changed ULTRA for UK. I think this is better, only costing the Germans 1 submarine per round. The 1 submarine per UK destroyer seemed really harsh.

The BLITZKRIEG advantage for Germany looks really good, but not necessarily overpowering I think. It looks like you basically combined Advanced Artillery and Improved Mechanized Infantry, plus allowing the Mechs to tow artillery. It might be a little hard on Russia. Perhaps you should reconsider giving Russia an advantage to try and even it out a bit.

The V ROCKETS are interesting. I like that Germany doesn’t have to roll for damage, but causes an automatic 6 points. Do you want to allow rocket attacks from different air bases to hit the same facility? I ask that because if both German airbases (W Germany, Paris) targeted the London Major IC, they could cause 12 points damage right away. If they combined that with an SBR of 2 bombers, they could max out London’s IC every round.

On the ROUND THE CLOCK BOMBING. I agree with toblerone77, it might be a bit much allowing US and UK to hit the German factories twice per round. Then again, it is later in the game and I would actually like to try it out. While I think it may be a bit overkill against Germany, in most of our games if we have an Axis win, it usually happens by round 8 or 9. In that case, the US and UK will probably not be able to pound Germany like that. Otherwise, it might be on the way to an Allied victory and this will just make the game not so long.

I have got to print these out and try them in my next game. With players getting these advantages in certain rounds, I think it may change the strategies we use and will definitely affect our purchases.

[Young Grasshopper]

@knp7765:

YG,
Interesting changes. It looks like most countries will have very strong choices to make.
So you decided against any for Russia?

I was going to house rule a Russian winter idea that is separate from strategic advantages, other than that… I considered the mobile industry advantage, but IMO it’s too powerful for Global where Russia has 3 minor factories they can move around. The Russian winter would disallow any movement from any units on original Russian territories for the entire duration of round 6 (building units is allowed). other than that, I havent ruled out giving them an advantage choice for turn 10. However, if I do, I would only offer them advantages that aid them if they were on the offensive.
 
I see that you changed ULTRA for UK. I think this is better, only costing the Germans 1 submarine per round. The 1 submarine per UK destroyer seemed really harsh.

I think so to, Britain could be forced into taking it if the Germans run wild with their enigma advantage.

The BLITZKRIEG advantage for Germany looks really good, but not necessarily overpowering I think. It looks like you basically combined Advanced Artillery and Improved Mechanized Infantry, plus allowing the Mechs to tow artillery. It might be a little hard on Russia. Perhaps you should reconsider giving Russia an advantage to try and even it out a bit.

When I conducted my survey this weekend among my fellow players, all of them unanimously took Enigma over V-Rockets, two of our resident historians also pointed out that V-Rockets didn’t enter the war until 1944, so I did some shuffling. Blitzkrieg made sense for an early round advantage and although it looks hard on Russia, the Enigma advantage needed some competition. The blitz alone and towing an artillery are pretty minimal abilities, however, adding the double support for artillery is the extra punch that will make it enigma’s equal, or make the game unbalanced against the Soviet Union.

The V ROCKETS are interesting. I like that Germany doesn’t have to roll for damage, but causes an automatic 6 points. Do you want to allow rocket attacks from different air bases to hit the same facility? I ask that because if both German airbases (W Germany, Paris) targeted the London Major IC, they could cause 12 points damage right away. If they combined that with an SBR of 2 bombers, they could max out London’s IC every round.

This is a tough one because V-Rockets are up against Jet fighters and I really want both the movement and attack value for them at +1, so V-Rockets need to be a good alternative to make for a harder choice. With a possible 3 airbases under control at that point of the game, maybe limiting them to 1 attack per facility wouldn’t be such a crippling thing to the advantage.

On the ROUND THE CLOCK BOMBING. I agree with toblerone77, it might be a bit much allowing US and UK to hit the German factories twice per round. Then again, it is later in the game and I would actually like to try it out. While I think it may be a bit overkill against Germany, in most of our games if we have an Axis win, it usually happens by round 8 or 9. In that case, the US and UK will probably not be able to pound Germany like that. Otherwise, it might be on the way to an Allied victory and this will just make the game not so long.

I’ve had this around the clock bombing house rule idea for some time now, but it may be to devastating and disrupt the balance of the game if (like Toberone said) the American’s have super fortresses. I could pair the two up and force America to choose between fortresses or ATCB, but than I would lose Essex Class Carriers which I also like a lot. I agree that America can’t have super fortresses attacking German industry twice per round, so I’ll have to do something there. Another problem is giving the ATCB advantage to United States, even though both UK and USA will benifiet from it… it was 100% the Brits idea during the war (bomber Harris).

I have got to print these out and try them in my next game. With players getting these advantages in certain rounds, I think it may change the strategies we use and will definitely affect our purchases.

I’m all in on this one, and I want to get it right with as much advice and play tests as possible so I can design a deck of cards showing “strategic advantages” and other things like “strategic objectives” (coming soon)… I really appreciate the input from you guys.

[Young Grasshopper]

V-Rockets edited to 1 attack per facility, and deck shuffled to avoid around the clock bombing with super fortresses.

[Ben_D]

I’ve been following this thread since it started.  It interests me alot and I’d like to see these n. advantages used in my G40 games.  I hate how tech is done in G40.  We all know Russians will never use super subs, like people have mentioned before.  Looks like these advantages have evolved quite a bit in a short period of time,  but the concept is intriguing and that’s what really counts.

There are few things I’d like to point out though that have caught my attention in a different way however.

I don’t know why the Russians currently don’t have any advantages.  They clearly did in the war.  You did mention the Russian Winter YG, which would be amazing.  I would implement seasons, and start keeping track of them on the first round.  I would apply this to the entire upper Northern Hemisphere though, like in Canada, Alaska, Scandinavia, Mongolia, some of Northern China and maybe Manchuria.

I like to view each round as a season, or 3 months.  It’s the end of spring (let’s say May-ish) in 1940 at the start, so battle of France is on the go and China’s a mess.  That means things are relatively easy to deal with logistically and physically because it’s warm and there’s not much mud (spring does have mud usually though, but just bare with me).  The Summer and Autumn seasons allow relative freedom of movement, so no significant impediment is there.  Winter, as we all know obviously, doesn’t.  An idea would be like the one you mentioned, units are severely slowed down on the eastern front, and maybe the western one if there is one.  I would impede the Russians less than  everyone else and let them be more adapted to it, like mech move at 2 like usual and Russians do not have any minuses to defense for any unit.  Their tanks would be at a -1 for movement and attack though.  Axis tanks would be at -1 a/d and are immobilized unless paired with infantry, in which case they move 1.  Axis mech move at 1 in Soviet territory in the winter.  Ground units need support in order to attack (which basically means you can’t send a lone unit to attack anything, even empty tts; that also means you can’t use air units to send as extra units to justify having one land unit in the previously empty tt at the end either).  I’ll just randomly say 3 ground units minimum are needed to make an attack anywhere, because it makes more sense logistically (who’s gonna send 3000 men or so in the freezing cold out in the middle of nowhere with limited supplies with a good chance of a counter attack?  No, you send a sh!t load with as many supplies as possible).  Spring would mean all tanks and mech move at 1 and that would be it for things being a pain in the ass.  So, R1 is spring (only round to ignore restrictions, all others after this first one don’t), R2 is summer, R3 is autumn,  R4 is winter and rinse and repeat after that.  This one can just be added at the start and have other advantages kick in later on.

Another one I thought of is the lend-lease program.  Lot’s of ideas floating around for that one under this house rules section.

My last thought for a Russian one would be representing their crazy production toward the end of it.  2000 t-34s a month man…  That’s insane.  That on top of everything else.  Either through lend-lease or crazy production, they need more IPCs man.  If Moscow isn’t taken down by spring of '42, they should be given something.

On another note, there’s a few options you have there that myself and others in my group would almost never take at this point of where you’re at with this awesome project.  Enigma would never be chosen over Blitzkrieg.  Sea units are always bottom priority under everything else for Germany in my group’s games.  Removing German subs for the U.K. would never really be considered either.  Others would also be Uncle Sam and Kamikaze.  I’ve never seen suicide runs in all the games I’ve played, and warbonds let’s you buy anything, instead of just 4 infantry every time…  Maybe it’s just me, who knows…

I like the V rockets, but they weren’t accurate enough to cripple the U.K.'s war machine the way you might make them to right now.  An auto 6 damage is misrepresentative of that.  It might be what you need for balance though, so leaving it might be the better way to go for game play.

The Commonwealth Aid one wouldn’t really be used either, but that’s only because I’ve incorporated Canada into the game as a separate power (only because I think it’s awesome lol, for good reason though and they’re very good in the winter too (refer Russian Winter above :p)).  I see this option being viable otherwise.

I don’t have any good ideas to add atm, but I can get back here later if I do.

[Young Grasshopper]

Thank you Ben_D for your contribution, and I have made a few changes and/or comments based on your suggestions.

1. Although I understand that many of you have a house rule representing an independent commonwealth war campaign, I can’t take away “Commonwealth Aid” for those that don’t (like our group). However, I have made a couple of changes to that pairing which might make it more interesting.

2. The “War Bonds” Vs “Uncle Sam” pairing is interesting and brings up a tough situation, because you will have the choice of saving a guaranteed $12 in infantry purchases (good if your strategy is to make landings), or risk rolling less (even snake eyes) to spend on anything you like. I would like more input from others before changing this one.

3. I understand that many players have their own house rules for Kamikaze attacks, so I have removed “kamikaze honor” and replaced it with an old revised advantage “Kaiten Torpedos”.

4. Although “Around the clock bombing” is interesting, I feel that it was causing a disturbance in the force and I would much rather keep “Super Fortresses”, therefore, I have reinserted “Essex Class Carriers” in it’s place.

5. I agree about the historical lack of accuracy for “V-Rockets”, but they are up against “Jet Fighters” and will need a bit of punch in order to get chosen.

6. As for “Blitzkrieg” over “Enigma”… I honestly think it’s a strategy preference more than anything, because I’m getting a mixed opinion which means that the pairing is close to balanced. Their logic for enigma is that they can basically buy cruisers that avoid air units, convoy like a mother _______, and cost only $6.

7. Popular demand requests that the Soviet Union have an advantage round to pick in. Therefore, in round 9, Russia may chose the “Tank Production” SA as per the logic provided by Ben_D, and the old revised advantage “Mobile Industry” which should be a competitive choice over “tank production” if the minors are constantly being captured and liberated. I personally feel that lend lease is represented in the national prestige objective (which I will modify in my “Strategic Objectives” house rules). The Russian winter IMO should be as simple as possible, although your suggestion is well thought out and I do see the value in designated seasons for game rounds, my group players may feel that it’s to much invention for the game.

As always… please let me know your thoughts

[CWO Marc]

@Young:

The Russian winter IMO should be as simple as possible, although your suggestion is well thought out and I do see the value in designated seasons for game rounds, my group players may feel that it’s to much invention for the game.

The simplest method would be an off/on alternation between summer and winter.  The round in which Germany invades the USSR would be the starting point of the sequence; it would be considered to take place in the summer, when the Russians have no special advantage.  The next round would be a winter round, to which Russian men are conditioned and to which Russian equipment is adapted, and thus a round in which the Russian winter advantage is operational.  In other words, Russia would have a winter advantage in even-numbered rounds if it gets invaded an an odd-numbered round, or vice-versa.

[Young Grasshopper]

@CWO:

@Young:

The Russian winter IMO should be as simple as possible, although your suggestion is well thought out and I do see the value in designated seasons for game rounds, my group players may feel that it’s to much invention for the game.

The simplest method would be an off/on alternation between summer and winter.  The round in which Germany invades the USSR would be the starting point of the sequence; it would be considered to take place in the summer, when the Russians have no special advantage.  The next round would be a winter round, to which Russian men are conditioned and to which Russian equipment is adapted, and thus a round in which the Russian winter advantage is operational.  In other words, Russia would have a winter advantage in even-numbered rounds if it gets invaded an an odd-numbered round, or vice-versa.

That is definitely more simplified than Ben’s, however, here is what I have been thinking of in terms of simplicity and a regular rule completely separate from the proposed strategic advantages…

Russian Winter

Russia may roll 1 die at the very beginning of rounds 3, 6, 9, and 12. The Axis powers must then remove that many units in the amount shown (their choice) from any original Russian territory / territories (their choice).

[knp7765]

YG,
I have to say I like the changes you made. Sorry to lose Round the Clock bombing, but I understand the reasoning. Too bad for UK since now they only get 1 choice.
I hate that Super fortress and Essex Carriers are on the same round. I want to use BOTH!
Actually, with that in mind, we may have to try out 2 games in the near future. First game we choose the option we might normally prefer, second game we use the other choices. Just to see how they work out.
I do tend to agree a bit with Ben_D. I think there might be a few in there that will at least rarely get picked. Then again, it also depends on the players involved and what their strategies are at the time.
For instance, Ben_D said he would much prefer War Bonds because you can spend that money on anything you want, even if you take the chance of not getting the 12 IPCs. I can understand that logic. However, I would prefer the extra 4 free infantry. You always have to fill transports with infantry so this would allow you to get other stuff with your regular money. That just seems great to me.
That mass tank production for Russia looks really strong. However, it’s late enough in the game that Russia may not benefit as much as you might think. If Germany is pressing them hard, they may have the 3 Soviet Minor ICs so Russia will only get the 2 tanks on it’s capital.

I do have a couple of questions about the Russian advantages:
1 > On the Mass Tank Production, can Russia still place those tanks if the factories are maxed out on bomb damage? For example, say Germany does an SBR on the Stalingrad IC and it has 3-6 damage points on it. Perhaps Russia can’t afford to fix the damage. So can Russia still place that free tank there?
2 > On the Mobile Industry, if a Russian factory moves in the non-combat move phase, can it still produce that round? If a Russian factory has bomb damage from an SBR, can it still move in the NCM?

[mattsk]

Good ideas, I would add a Long Range Aircraft too for UK/US some turn, so their FTRs will be capable of escorting SBR to WG and their bombers will be capable of SBR Berlin.

[Young Grasshopper]

KNP,

I feel that the R3 choice for America will be a lot like “deal or no deal”, you can take the safe money in infantry, or risk it all for a free destroyer or air unit. I personally would take Uncle Sam’s recruits, but I know a few players who would try for box cars each turn.

I’m glad that you find the Bombers Vs Carriers choice so hard, my goal is to make all of the pairings difficult to choose from.

I imagine if Germany takes Enigma R2, it might suggest sealion and I would therefore take Radar for the UK R3 (if not to late). However, if Germany takes Blitzkrieg R2, the UK would be free to take Commonwealth Aid, so the sealion fake also works with the strategic advantages.

I was proud of around the clock bombing, but unfortunately Super fortresses had a greater mystic around them when casual amature historians think about bombing cities during WW2 (even though more knowledgable amature historians understand the devastation ATCB caused).

As for your questions about the Russian strategic advantages (and I will clarify in post #1), the tank production SA only applies to operational factories. Therefore, if the major in Russia has 9 damage markers, it is still operational and can place 2 free tanks. If a minor factory has 3 damage, Russia must first make it operational by spending $1 before placing 1 free tank. Also, tank production does not cout toward maximum units placed per factory, therefore, a fully operational factory can produce 3 units + 1 free tank. For the moble industry SA, new units can be placed during the place new units phase in the same turn that the factory moved during the non-combat movement phase, however, only operational factories may be moved.

Mattsk,

I have been contemplating this idea…

Germany, United Kingdom, Russia, United States, Japan, and Italy will all have the choice of either…

R1 - Paratroopers
Up to 2 infantry from an operational airbase may attack an enemy territory up to 3 spaces away provided that territory is being attacked by land units from adjacent territories or sea zones.

or

R10- Long Range Aircraft
The movement value of all air units has increased by 1 (Jet Fighters would reach 6, or 7 from an airbase).

Does anyone like this idea?

[mattsk]

Seems fine to me.

[Ben_D]

I like the long range aircraft idea at R10