Hi! I’ve been brainstorming alternate setups for Axis & Allies 1942 2nd Edition that could help (a) balance the game without the need for a further bid, and (b) promote counter-attacks and push-back across a larger portion of the globe, so that the game doesn’t quickly settle down into a stalemate with all the action in only two or three small regions. In particular, I wanted to give Russia the ability to counter-punch in Siberia, give Germany the ability to land a nuisance attack somewhere in the Atlantic, give Britain the ability to fight for Africa even after losing Egypt, give Japan the option to pull troops out of China to use on other fronts, and guarantee that America starts with at least some fleet in the Atlantic.
Let me know if you think this setup would help achieve any/all of these goals, and how you would do it better!
Russian – add 1 art to Yakutsk
German – add 1 inf to Morocco, 1 transport off the western coast of Morocco
British – add 1 inf to Italian East Africa, add 1 art to South Africa, add 1 art to Eastern Australia
Japanese – add 1 transport and 1 destroyer to Chinese coast (using OOB rules, I think both Japanese transports are adjacent to Tokyo, and none are adjacent to China)
American – add 1 destroyer and 1 transport to Caribbean Sea
Allied bid – one Industrial Complex, to be placed in any Allied-controlled territory before the start of R1.
Your goals are interesting.
Additional units are not OP.
It promises more actions.
I like it.
IDK if it disturbes opening battles.
An alternate setup idea I had involved adding 6 Allied AA guns.
Two for each faction.
One for the US in China and in Hawaii.
One for the UK in Egypt and Australia
One for the USSR in Siberia and Lenningrad
Because I felt the Allies are the underdog in 1942, so this way they get added units that don’t offer offensive value but do cause the axis to hesitate a bit in certain areas.
Hi! I’ve been brainstorming alternate setups for Axis & Allies 1942 2nd Edition that could help (a) balance the game without the need for a further bid, and (b) promote counter-attacks and push-back across a larger portion of the globe, so that the game doesn’t quickly settle down into a stalemate with all the action in only two or three small regions. In particular, I wanted to give Russia the ability to counter-punch in Siberia, give Germany the ability to land a nuisance attack somewhere in the Atlantic, give Britain the ability to fight for Africa even after losing Egypt, give Japan the option to pull troops out of China to use on other fronts, and guarantee that America starts with at least some fleet in the Atlantic.
Let me know if you think this setup would help achieve any/all of these goals, and how you would do it better!
Russian – add 1 art to Yakutsk
German – add 1 inf to Morocco, 1 transport off the western coast of Morocco
British – add 1 inf to Italian East Africa, add 1 art to South Africa, add 1 art to Eastern Australia
Japanese – add 1 transport and 1 destroyer to Chinese coast (using OOB rules, I think both Japanese transports are adjacent to Tokyo, and none are adjacent to China)
American – add 1 destroyer and 1 transport to Caribbean SeaAllied bid – one Industrial Complex, to be placed in any Allied-controlled territory before the start of R1.
This sounds interesting. Have you played a game (or more) out using this OOB? How did it go?
Not yet! Taking a second look at this setup, the Morocco transport gives Germany a 62% chance of taking London on G1, so I have to either find some way of stopping that transport from hitting London, or making London better defended. Adding 2 more inf to London drops Germany’s chances to 25%, which is still a little high for an unblockable turn-1 capitol-take. Adding destroyer(s) to the English Channel doesn’t necessarily help, because Germany can bring in the eastern half of its air force to hit the channel, and use the western air force to attack London.
Anyone know how I can save the Morocco transport without dooming London? I really want Germany to have the option to play a little bit in the Atlantic, but not at the price of forcing a turn 1 Sea Lion.
Anyone know how I can save the Morocco transport without dooming London? I really want Germany to have the option to play a little bit in the Atlantic, but not at the price of forcing a turn 1 Sea Lion.
Perhaps you can simply make it a HR that this particular transport cannot participate in an attack on GB during G1, but could on any subsequent round. This preserves the flavor that you’re looking for while avoiding the OP aspect you’ve described. If GB fails to do some reinforcement on GB1…well, bad day to be the Brits :-D
Sorry, but I think a third TT for Germany is just too much.
I believe the Allies need a bid, so would only give them extra units anyway.
Can a unit in the SZ, you are suggesting for the TT, reach Brazil?
wittman, I agree that the Allies need a bid – but I’m giving the Allies a lot more IPC worth of new troops than I am the Axis. Allies get 1 inf, 3 art, 1 DD, 1 trans, 1 IC (45 IPC total), and Axis get 1 inf, 1 DD, 2 trans (25 IPC total). That ought to swing things back toward the Allies. And, yes, the Moroccan German transport would be able to reach Brazil. That’s one of the options I want to set up. The Americans will have, at minimum, a transport and DD in the Caribbean, and if they want to, they can retake Brazil on A1.
SEP, thanks, that’s a good idea for a house rule. I will probably use it.
The alternative is to give Britain a DD in both the Channel and the North Sea, as well as a third inf in London. That way Germany’s cruiser wouldn’t get to bombard on a G1 Sea Lion, and the Moroccan transport would be unable to pick up a Vichy French tank, so the Sea Lion battle would be at most 3 inf, 1 tnk, 3 ftr, 1 bmbr vs. 3 inf, 1 art, 1 tnk, 2 ftr, 1 bmbr, 1 AAA – Germany only has something like a 30% chance of winning that battle, even assuming both of the transports make it through the destroyer patrol. Also, Germany would probably be unable to sink the Scottish BB or the Canadian transport on the same turn as a G1 sea lion, so Britain has a chance to retake London on B1 with 1 tnk, 1 BB. Still seems annoying/disruptive, though – it’s not fun for Britain if they lose their capital on turn 1, and it’s not fun for Germany if they try to take the capital and instead just lose their fleet and air force.
SEP, thanks, that’s a good idea for a house rule. I will probably use it.
NP, I think that is the simplest solution. And I like an idea of some German/American confrontation in South America. Makes it a tad more interesting for both players and provides for some play in areas that normally aren’t that active.
Interesting, but not at all realistic.
I agree that it isn’t, but sometimes a bit of realism needs to be suspended in order to create a game mechanic. In Star Fleet Battles we call this envoking Handwaveium. :-D How else can you explain a Lyran Expanding Sphere Generator not having an effect on plasma torpedoes? Which btw, they do in our HR FTF games on a 2:1 basis. :wink:
Just to be sure your japanese set up is to double their chinese coast fleet.
For Germany, I rather have extra DD with my BB than a extra TT, so my BB doesn’t die so easily.
Otherwise good ideas. :-D
I was wrong about the Japanese fleet placement – they do start with a transport and destroyer off the coast of China already, so I don’t feel the need to add more boats there. Instead I would say put the extra DD and transport in the Caroline Islands, where they will be nicely placed to help facilitate earlier attacks on Hawaii, Australia, or Alaska.
