Organized Retreat

I totally agree with you on terrain. Played a huge role obviously, and just can’t be shown on this map. Weather as well at times, but again, only so much you can do.

You make a fair point on limiting rounds of combat because of how far and fast some fronts moved compared to others. Again, not 100% how to quantify that in a game though. Unless I’m misunderstanding you, you’re talking about a similar idea without limiting the number of rounds of combat to three. But what’s stopping the defender from retreating after one round of battle each time then? I guess I feel it still doesn’t fix the problem of fast moving fronts, but I don’t know.

You’re right, naval combat is another thing all together as well. I’ve thought on that one too, and my initial thought process is that combat shouldn’t necessarily happen every turn. If we assume ships can share a territory in the same manner that land units can finish a turn contesting a territory, we could role a die before each naval combat, a role of 1-4 battle commences, but at a 5-6 nothing happens during combat, as the two navies couldn’t locate each other. Having planes out scouting could add one to your dice role though, to better help search for the enemy fleet.

I haven’t come up with any decent idea about air combat either, but again, I agree, it would be nice to have some sort of aerial combat that would dictate local air superiority in each battle.

So there will be retreat conditions and withdrawal conditions which are not exactly the same.

yes but what kind of condition?

I agree with you Flashman.
The ‘‘sea zone control rules’’ appears in the first A&A game and apparently no one try to introduce a new rule.

I believe that attacking ships should have the option of retreating even if they destoy all the defending fleet.
Yes but not if the ships used all their limit of movement.

@Pelanderfunk:

This may have been addressed before, but my opponent and I are thinking about adding defensive retreats as an option.

Basically as a defender, you would have the option to retreat your army to an adjacent controlled territory at the beginning of each combat roll. If you choose to retreat, the attacker would still get an extra roll to inflict some damage on the routing forces.

Obviously this means some heavy adjustments to strategy. You don’t need to be as careful with your advancing armies as long as there’s enough  cannon fodder to cover the attacker’s first roll. It becomes a lot harder to destroy large stacks, unless you have them surrounded.

My question to you guys: do you think this rule adjustment favors one side more than the other?

In our house rules games we allow the defenders to retreat if they have a commander unit only after one full round of combat. FMG will have commander units with their new sculpts. I do not think they will favor one side over the other. Of course that depends a lot on what powers the commander has. Without commander units I would say no it will make the game longer.

“defender fight to death” makes better sense in hex level variants
where turns represent a shorter period

in this case only one cycle of combat occurs
neither side retreats

simply one move phase, one fight phase per turn

if you want to be able to move through enemy submarines in non-combat move, I am ok with it

yes they can pass thru. no special dispensations.

if you want to be able to retreat into a sea zone occupied by enemy submarines, I am not sure about that (as mentioned)
if so I rather we let defender retreat into ANY adjacent sea zone

They can retreat to ANY sea zone not occupied by enemy surface warships ( so they can enter SZ with subs or transports)

From now on subs and transports don’t do anything unless its their active turn.

Of course you can send ASW units and try and kill them by hunting them down.

also,have some new ideas for subs which are extremely simple, listed under AA50 house rules.

I want to make a new AARHE version for AA50 once we fix these semantic issues and clarifications.

I have a map that’s the best map you have seen. Id say its at least as good as the new map and done in the same style. Its 98% done. adding artistic items. I will release this and alot of files in a few weeks time.

I agree, defender should be able to retreat, but in this way the retreat option, instead of be a desperate decision to save the army, becomes an opportunity for the defender that can attract the attacker in a trap. This could be a good tactic, in North Africa Rommel was a master of this, but A&A is more strategic than tactic. So, i think, this opportunity could be “limited”.

My idea for this is: defender can declare retreat after at least one cycle of combat. If defender declare retreat, attacker only roll for another cycle of combat and the defender remove all casualties immediately and then the combat is over, defender can’t roll for her/his units (they’re retreting). The attacker wins the combat and the defender have to move all her/his units in the SAME space. No units rest “behind”. This rule also can be applied to naval combats, because ships usually make smoke clouds to hide their retreat.

Defending submarines have still the advantage of fire back and submerge. If an enemy destroyer is there, sub’s can now retreat instead of submerging.

I like this rule!!! ;)

EDIT: i forgot… AntiAircraft and (of course) Industrial Complexes CAN’T retreat.