1914 "contested territory" modified for WWII

[Tekore]

I feel like there should have been a topic on this, but my computer is not wanting to cooperate with the search function.  So I like the way that the one attack round works in AA 1914, and would like to make a similar effect in the Global 1940 (or any other WWII game really) with the consideration that the fronts were generally. I had been thinking to allow, for example, 2 combat rounds without armor/mechanized and 4 rounds with.  Though if there is a better done, or already don rule for this, please do point me in the right direction.

[Narvik]

Me too have been thinking on this.

To make it simple, and in the spirit of A&A, it should be the Attackers choice. After each round of combat, the Attacker can press attack, contest or retreat. If he press contest, then combat ends and all units stay in that nomans territory, it has no owner and nobody can collect income from it or mobilize units there, since it is contested. This is slightly different from the OOB 1914 rules, because WWII was in fact more mobile than the trench warfare in WWI. Of course WWII too had some trenches where they sat down for years, but they also had Blitzkrieg where panzers and mechanized units would blitz through large spaces in no time, and this can not be modelled if all combat is limited to one round only, like in the 1914 game.

Another nice suggestion, is what you mentioned, limit feet moving units like infantry to one or two rounds of combat, and let motorized units like Tanks fight for many rounds.

Or add a supply rule. Units out of supply fight one round only, and the more supply the more rounds you fight.

Or add a terrain rule. Units that attack into mountain, forest or swamp terrain or in snow, only fight one round, all other fight for several rounds.

Or limit Amphibious Assaults to one round only, to model the difficulties about this type of operations, while general combat goes on for several rounds. In the real WWII, after the D day landing, Normandy was contested for almost a year, so this suggestion do have merit. Come to think about it, most landings did result in contested territories, like the landings on Gallippoli, Marocco, Sicily, South Italy, Norway and most of the Pacific islands. I never heard of a landing where the Ducks would blitz trough the beach and into the next country in no time, that just never happened.

So, lots of possibilies

[Flashman]

WWII was more mobile because the dominance of air power made static defences untenable. Perhaps bring in the 1914 air superiority mechanic and let the winner decide if the region becomes contested or combat continues.

I like the suggestion that amphibious assaults have only 1 round of combat to establish a contested zone, perhaps air superioirty should be required for a landing to take place at all.

[Narvik]

Agree with what Flashman said

[A Former User]

Here is a rule we have been trying…

Engaged Land Combat:

The attacker has 3 options after each round of combat;

1. continue the battle, 2) retreat, 3) partial retreat, or 4 ) stand.  Options 3 and 4 end further combat by the attacker, and allow the defender a one-time only play of any of these 3 actions; retreat, stand, and/or counterattack.  Defending unit retreats follow the same retreat rules as attacker except the destination territory is any that is under friendly control.  Counterattacking units get one round free combat using attack dice.  Defending air units must retreat and cannot counterattack.  After the counterattack, the counterattacking units are considered engaged and cannot be moved on their turn and must become the attacker.  Attacking or defending units that stand and are still in a territory that contains unfriendly units on their turn, must either attack and/or move to territories that were in friendly control or had friendly units at the start of the their turn.