SBR and Overall Game Balance Axis vs Allies

[taamvan]

It seems that one of the simplest ways to achieve a more balanced game would be to reduce the SBR bonus to +1, or 0, at least against the industrial complexes. 
This rule affects all the bombers in the game, but they are primarily used by the Axis, the SBR damage against Russia (then UK Pac, then UK London) is one of the most paralyzing aspects of the economic game.    When you are dealing with a few raids or bombers, the AAA shootdown and fighter cover rules seem to provide a good balance between a harsh raid and the ability to choose to use your fighters as a deterrent.

A good game goal for SBRs would be;

1. want to give the Sbomber the ability to smash all of the productive capability of a MajIC with a modest stack of bombers, (check, that’s well covered by the rules as is,  but as long as bombers live, theyre are more and more of them and they become impossible to stop)
2. luck should matter (it really doesn’t–getting 3-4 bombers is enough to lock out most of Russias production at any given time)
3. there should be a viable defense against it (again, there really isn’t–fighters rolling a 2 like the tech advancement pretty much would shut off SBR completely, AAA don’t fire at bombers that overfly them–that would also make AA worth something again)
4. it should require trade offs or hard choices (not really in G40 because the bombers fly so far and the other planes are the same price, the big bombers can fly wherever they want and then land in a convenient place and are as strong on naval/land offense as they are SBRs)
5. the SBR should work for every team’s benefit (in this game, it totally doesn’t.  you have to own Korea or Iwo to bomb Japan.  Germany has so many complexes you cant shut them all down so its pointless to hit any of them.  Same America).
6. they should not be trumping (with dark skies and SBR they are quite trumping…either better or best but never a bad option)

I know this would be one of those hated house rules, I’m a dirty dirty hypocrite…

[Young Grasshopper]

My group doesn’t place as much emphasis on SBRs as I do, but one of our most widely accepted house rules is…

“Strategic Bombers only receive the +2 damage bonus to facilities if they have departed from an operational air base”

…which doesn’t necessarily help Moscow, but Callcuta is a bit relieved.

[teslas]

This is not a houserule board, but I can’t help it.

“Does not help Moscow.”

Yes it god damn does. The first time you SBR Mosocw you’re taking off from Eastern Poland. Maybe the second time, too.

“Does help Calcutta.”

Not really. Bombers are probably coming from a Kwangsi air base after J2. The only time it’d help them is on J2 itself.

Speaking of which, I usually don’t bomb Calcutta. The potential loss of a strat bomber sucks, and they’re not building more than 2-4 units a turn anyway after UK1, so the first six damage doesn’t matter at all. And then just a couple turns later, their income is so low (2-7/turn) that they’re not building anything that matters much anyway. This is only a very minor influence, but it might matter: if you bomb it, you’re bombing what will be your own factory.

[Young Grasshopper]

@teslas:

This is not a houserule board, but I can’t help it.

“Does not help Moscow.”

Yes it god damn does. The first time you SBR Mosocw you’re taking off from Eastern Poland. Maybe the second time, too.

“Does help Calcutta.”

Not really. Bombers are probably coming from a Kwangsi air base after J2. The only time it’d help them is on J2 itself.

Speaking of which, I usually don’t bomb Calcutta. The potential loss of a strat bomber sucks, and they’re not building more than 2-4 units a turn anyway after UK1, so the first six damage doesn’t matter at all. And then just a couple turns later, their income is so low (2-7/turn) that they’re not building anything that matters much anyway. This is only a very minor influence, but it might matter: if you bomb it, you’re bombing what will be your own factory.

With my house rule…

Once you take Leningrad, the air base there will give German SBRs the damage bonus for the rest of the game.

There is no air base in Kwangsi unless Japan spends 15 IPCs just to get the damage bonus. I bomb Calcutta into the ground maxing it out so they can’t spend for a single unit… thats worth losing a bomber or two in my opinion.

[taamvan]

Thanks for your input guys.  It seems logical to me that instead of increasing the income of America or adding a bid, it would serve the same purpose to incrementally reduce the amount of money lost during SBR to the allies, who are the primary target of SBR and who seem to have the hardest go of it.

Welcome any more discussion or detail.

[Young Grasshopper]

@teslas:

This is not a houserule board, but I can’t help it.

“Does not help Moscow.”

Yes it god damn does. The first time you SBR Mosocw you’re taking off from Eastern Poland. Maybe the second time, too.

“Does help Calcutta.”

Not really. Bombers are probably coming from a Kwangsi air base after J2. The only time it’d help them is on J2 itself.

Speaking of which, I usually don’t bomb Calcutta. The potential loss of a strat bomber sucks, and they’re not building more than 2-4 units a turn anyway after UK1, so the first six damage doesn’t matter at all. And then just a couple turns later, their income is so low (2-7/turn) that they’re not building anything that matters much anyway. This is only a very minor influence, but it might matter: if you bomb it, you’re bombing what will be your own factory.

To comment on this part that you added to your original post… once captured, the Major IC with max damage will immediately downgrade to a Minor IC with max damage, so if I really want to use it… it will only cost me 6 IPCs.