Re: Field Marshal Games Pieces Project Discussion thread

I played my first game of Amerika last night. It was pretty easy to learn once I was finally able to remember which sculpts were the self propelled anti-aircraft units and and which ones were the self propelled artillery units. It took awhile to play because I was carefully going through every step and double checking to make sure I didn’t develop any bad habits as far as the rules go. I can see being able to play a game in under 2 hours including setup if you had 2 or 3 players who already knew how to play. That would be perfect for the lake in the summer when you go into the cabin to wait out a rainstorm. A&A on the other hand would be more of a whole day this is never going to clear up type of game.

It’s a good game and very well made. I picked up the Strategic Markers expansion set with the game but didn’t use any of the extra rules that come with the pieces so I could learn the game first and decide which rules and extra pieces would be appropriate to make it a better game. I did find the map a little small so I am going to get a bigger one for use at home on the big table. I like lots of elbow room and space to line up my tanks without using chips. In the game the Japanese got bogged down in the northwest with the allies holding the line at Hanford Nuclear Research Facility. They had better luck in the south moving inland and taking out Los Alamos NRF. The Germans made it as far as Detroit in the north and Nashville in the south but couldn’t capture Oak Ridge NRF. On the fifth turn the allies were lucky enough to roll big and go first, which meant that they had 2 turns in a row and were able to take back Los Alamos and 3 cities and accumulating enough points to win the game. If the axis would’ve went first on the fifth turn it would have been a different outcome and they might have won on the fifth or sixth turn. It all came down to that one roll…

Had a few questions regarding this game.

It says AA guns, supplies and trains are destroyed if targeted by SBR and hit. Was curious if 1 hit destroys all supplies/AA guns/or trains in a targeted zone or just 1 of them? The way it describes them in plural terms throws me off.

What happens when multiple generals meet in battle? For example 2 Russian generals meet 2 German generals in a battle, do you add their skill levels and roll ? Or do u only use the highest skill level and roll? And how is it decided which attribute is used or is the winner of roll able to use multiple attributes?

What are considered vehicles? For times when vehicles get a modifier to their roll. I was thinking vehicles would be all armor, mechs, SP artillery, and maybe tank destroyers but wasn’t sure. I figured SS grenadiers would be considered infantry since their counterparts for Russia are Guard Rifles.

I understand that all units being used for combat are moved in the combat move phase and then all units can be moved in the non combat phase, even those used in combat. However it specifically mentions aircraft are able to move up to their move limit during combat move and then must land in a tt that has been friendly since beginning of the turn. My question is : Are aircraft able to move in the combat move phase even if they aren’t going into combat and then land in the non-combat phase and if so do they need a supply to be used each time like other units?

I wasn’t sure about this since it seemed strange that aircraft could move their limit in combat move and then again in non combat move, but only if they are going into combat.

Any help or info would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Hello? I put some pics up! replies? :?

DFWSupertrooper,

Obviously with my Color mapboard being 4’ x 9’ and in two pieces I had planned for my “Gaming Table” to also be in TWO PIECES that could be combined,…or FOLDABLE for transport purposes.

@Tall:

My “A&A Gang” currently are using our 48" x 108" Black & White map mounted on gator-board and laid onto the tops of two tables.

On my version I planned on having a solid 1/2" A/C plywood base that has 1" x 2" lateral and longitudinal wood braces underneath w/furniture grade wood framing around everything and a glass top over the map.  On the bottom I planned to include mounts for detatchable legs to make it versatile.  These are my interests and I’d be interested in your opinions or options for building this for me.  Thanks for your time.

I just wanted to let you know I’d possibly be interested in a two-piece board that could be folded up for transport purposes.  Obviously the glass on top of each mapboard would also be in two pieces.  Let me know of any ideas/opinions you may have on this subject.

“Tall Paul”

Here is a tactical level WWI game I have been working on.  I play it on the original maps from the A&A Miniatures game (2" hexes) and use the roads as trench lines or mark my laminated maps with a dry erase marker to indicate trench lines.  I have only been playing offense/defense type games where the ratio of offense army points to defense army points is 3:2 and the offense has to capture an objective behind the defense’s trench line or has to open a 3 adjacent hex gap in the defense’s trench line after 10-15 turns.  A 100-120 points for the offense makes for a reasonable sized army.
I bought soft plastic English, French and German HO scale WWI soldiers from the Toy Soldier Company and use cannons from Risk and Micro Machines biplanes.  I also bought machine gun/artillery hard plastic sets from the Toy Soldier Co for the heavy artillery & machine guns that were so devastating in the trench warfare.  I suppose you could use pieces from the A&A Miniatures for the infantry, machine guns, artillery, etc., if you want to try this before investing in the WWI pieces which are about $8/set.
I have play-tested this game several times and revised the rules at least 6 times.  If you give it a try I would appreciate your feeback so that I can continue to improve the game.
Let me know if you can’t open the MS Word rules file.
World War I.doc

Fortress America was broken. Did they fix it?

You start Taliking about 1960’s games, I start thinking about my Favorite Aircraft ever.

The Huey Gunship.  mmmm……
I also love the idea of flying all around werever I please and Pooping out Grunts everywhere.
Air Cav. Is Awesome. I like more then Paratrooper Regiments.  :evil:

Those Jolly Green Giant Choppers were cool also, But F’ing Ugly

So a Chopper Unit is a Must!. or at least available as a tech.

This game was played May 5th of last year. Again this is an account by Stuart.

Players:

Germany - Kevin
United Kingdom - Carl
Free French - Joseph
Japan - Jon
USSR - Stuart
United States - Red
China - Joseph

War erupts

It was a helluva battle, but in the end, it came down to great team work and the Allies prevailed.

Kevin started things off by using his German double impulse, beautifully. By the end of turn 1, his Kriegsmarine had nearly destroyed Carl’s Royal Navy and the Wehrmacht had taken half of Africa. In addition, Joseph’s French Navy decided to join the German High Seas Fleet, rather than scuttle enabling Kevin to pump troops and panzers into Africa at an alarming rate which he did.
Carl’s Limeys had a bloody time of it staving off the German onslaught, but to his credit, the Brits even managed to make continuous raids into Mozambique and Egypt interrupting German efficiency. For 15 months, her majesty’s armed forces held back the Nazi’s with little aid. (Most of Red’s American Lend Lease money was either lost at sea at the hands of the wolf packs or plundered by the High Seas Fleet.
As Usual, Jon played a very aggressive Japan using his double impulse during the first turn to ALMOST completely overrun all of China save for one territory. (Cant remember name of particular territory–the one above Tibet) This brings me to my shining moment. I decided that in order to keep Japan from overrunning all of China with a clear road into Tibet that my Russians would have to conquer said last Chinese territory. The attack was a success. (Sorry Joseph. It had to be done) Japan was now unable to advance any further into Asia for the time being and it was I with the clear road into Tibet. This blocking maneuver also kept Japan from creating an even longer border with Mother Russia. During this time, the Ruskies also took hold of Arabian territories eliminating the German threat of influence over Turkey while increasing Russian production which would be needed later.
With Japan stalled in Asia and unable to enter the war, until turn 6, Jon was itching for a fight. On turn 5, I gave it to him. The Russians waltzed unopposed into Mongolia claiming it for herself. Jon began a major Japanese buildup on my Southern border and Kevin began perching panzergrenadiers and SS panzers on the “Eastern Front.” Russia was caught between Axis pinschers.
The Allies needed to buy time for the Soviets. We created a diversion by talking out loud that we had a major objective in Thailand. Jon’s Imperial Navy soon was on the go down the SouthEast Asian coast to stop Dutch landings into Thailand in support of an already flanked British Army. What a break for the Allies. We were sure an invasion was coming into the Soviet Far east to support an invasion by a huge Japanese armored force that by now was in Khazak getting ready to go into Russia herself. The attack into the Motherland failed, however, at a huge price. She was in no shape to fight off the SS Panzers now in Russian territories pursed for an attack. Russia needed more time.
Ahh, I almost forgot. Whilst the Imperial Navy was down south, a solitary American transport with green US infantry managed to take a Japan that was defended by a single Japanese paratroop division. Even though the odds were in favor of the defending Nips., Red secured a beachhead. It was short lived, however. Yamamoto came steaming back and decimated the American infantry division before all Japanese forces could be wiped off the map, literally. The Americans hardly had a chance.
Red’s American fleet was on its way to invade Italy, when Hitler had influenced Spain to join the Axis and also was able to capture fortress Gibraltar with ease thus preventing an American passage through the Gibraltar straits. Kevin also planted a transport in the Mediterranean further delaying American passage and thus delaying an American invasion fortress Europe. It was a superb blocking tactic by Kevin. I don’t think any of us saw it coming. While Red’s Atlantic fleet was stalled, Jon used this advantage to kamikaze American carriers. The very economically stable Red, just kept right on buying American carriers.
At this point, it wasn’t looking good for Ivan. Operation Barbarossa was about to succeed when Red pulled another rabbit out of his hat. He suggested that Stalin use all of his armor to counter attack the Germans where they were weakest in Orel. This attack succeeded and now most of the German SS panzers and panzergrenadiers were unable to blitz into Moscow. Just what she needed. Shortly thereafter, a combined British/American invasion on the beaches of Normandy created the 2nd front that Stalin desperately needed. From there, the rest is in the history books.
I wish I could say more about Joseph, however, with China out for the count and the Free French with nary a Franc, it was difficult for him to shine. I am sure that he will amaze us in games to come.
Para
AIRBORNE