Politically correct strict neutral blocs

On Tanks.

Some players will for sure claim that if the opponent choose your casualties, nobody will buy Tanks any more, never again. The land battles will look like they did in the MB Classic games, with huge infantry stacks only. So how do we fix this, and I for sure don’t want to mess with the units cost or combat values. A Tanks should always cost 6 IPC, move 2 spaces, attack on 3 or less,  defend on 3 or less, and of course be able to Blitz. The only way to make rational players keep buying Tanks is to give them one more ability, and again from the A&A 1914 game with established and playtested rules.

An attacking Tank can absorb one extra hit. So it takes 2 hits to kill a tank.

This would be very strong if Tanks was chosen last as casualties, but perfect when chosen first. Tanks are actually the fodder that break through the enemy line, and make a hole in the line that the follow up infantry can exploit. Tanks that survived a real battle got so worn down that they would need months of repair before they could be used again. A Tank should be a hard hitting one round only unit. A Tank need a lot of fuel, supply and maintenance to work, and is really expensive to keep running. But in combined operations with aircrafts, like Tactical Bombers, they really put a lot of harm to the enemy. Tanks win battles. But they get used doing so. Infantry on the other hand live of the land and is cheap, and they can go on and go on forever, but they don’t have a strong punch.

So if you want to win a battle, you need air superiority, this is true for both attacker and defender.
If you want to successfully attack a territory, you also need Tanks and Tacs in Combined operation that gives a heavy punch to the defending stack. Since attacking Tanks will also absorb one extra hit, this first round will be devastating. We must assume that Tanks are taken first as casualties, so the next rounds are likely to be infantry fighting. And in that case, attacking infantry need matching artillery if they want to be hard hitting. And as always, artillery will be targeted in artillery duels, so in the latest rounds only infantry and aircrafts will survive. Just like in the real world.

Another idea is have a certain amount of units able to enter Switzerland like 4(or something else) or have only infantry(maybe artillery) able to enter.(since of the mountains)

Another problem for me is that Serbia’s army is 4 units and thats annoying because for how much Serbia did for the allies. But Albania also has 4 units and Albania didn’t do very much so my house rule is…

Serbia is worth 3 and every round it survives it gains a free infantry.(this makes sure that AH doesn’t only send a few units)

Albania is worth 1 and is strict neutral.

I’m also wondering if Bulgaria should gain a free infantry every round when it is activated.

Deck of cards, one for each neutral.

Start of each player turn, top card is drawn and disposition of country is determined.

Each neutral will have a scaled historical bias based on likelihood of joining each side, expressed as a number in favour of either side.

Each side places a secret bid in IPCs from their banks to influence the result, winner gets control. Money bid by both sides is considered spent. Ties are replaced in bottom of the deck.

Result could also be influenced by other factors, for example presence of units in a bordering tt.

Cards can be placed in “historical” order by number based on when they were first engaged, or shuffled for random events.

Card drawn for neutral already attacked is ignored.

OR

Cards are dealt randomly to the players (half for each side for balance or same for each power?). Maybe 5 cards per side with a draw deck. Start of every player turn, that player can play a card from hand for each side to bid upon.

we have a house rule that captured majors turn into fully damaged minors and captured minors are destroyed.
i have also seen rules that when you capture IC you role a D20 for major and D6 for minor to determine how much damage it received during the battle.

IDK, maybe you treat all true neutrals as independent nations (no blocks, or alliances w/other powers or neutrals). Mongolian tt aren’t included, they remain part of the NAP.

Pay 5 IPCs to roll a diplo dice. You can buy as many as you want (or maybe limit it to 1-2 per turn), but each one is dedicated to only one true neutral tt per turn, and you must be able to invade. State what true neutral nation you are trying to sway/invade (must have units dedicated to the invasion, and can’t make changes after dice is rolled). Once you start the process there is no turning back, you must follow through that turn.

Roll your diplo dice.

Roll 1 tt becomes pro your side (don’t have to fight), and the standing army joins you (immediately becomes your color) because you negotiated them to join your cause (you get to include any tt IPCs in your income).

Roll 2 tt becomes pro your side (don’t have to fight), but the standing army doesn’t join you (it is dissolved) because you negotiated a peaceful occupation, and they laid down their arms (you get to include any tt IPCs in your income).

Roll 3-4 tt becomes pro your enemy. You have to fight the standing army at least one round of battle and if you retreat any surviving units immediately become the color of your enemy (enemies choice of controlling power). Whom ever controls the tt will get the IPC value in their collect income phase.

Roll 5 and the standing army is doubled, you must again fight at least one round of battle, but then can retreat. You under estimated the resolve of the country and their will to fight. Any survivors from the standing army would immediately become the color of your enemy (enemies choice).

Roll 6 failed attempt. You lost your investment, and it was deemed not in the best interest to continue negotiations or attempt an invasion. This was a diplomatic process, so nothing changes, and the standing army stays intact.

As note #1 I also think that any neutral tt w/o standing army, or IPC value should be awarded 1 inf (maybe 2) so the US can’t just waltz down through say Columbia w/o resistance to get to the more valuable S American nations.  All the above would apply.

*As note#2 you could beef up the 3 major true neutrals to include better units in the standing army.

@JimmyHat:

No post 7 includes my reasoning for some things and answers to YG’s ideas.  Its post 2 in entirety perhaps minus the ‘update makers’ in red.

Updated in the Delta 1 thread - I just pasted it over the old one, and added some “color”.  Your fixes are in green, and I think I got all the headers in red.

How did you get from 8 infantry to 48 IPCs?

AA42 neutral rules:

Procedure: roll ONE D6 for each IPC= consult chart below. Until you conquer the nation it is an ally of your enemy but they don’t collect IPC. Only direct occupation and conquest awards IPC to the player. Each turn these activated nations can build new units according to its own capacity ( so if its a 1 IPC area, it takes 3 turns to build one infantry) and place one unit of any type per turn.

1= 1 infantry
2= 1 infantry,1 artillery
3= 2 infantry,1 artillery
4= 2 infantry,1 artillery, 1 mech
5= 3 infantry,1 artillery, 1 mech, 1 tank
6= 3 infantry,1 artillery, 1 tank, 1 fighter, 1 destroyer

Note: Sahara, Afghanistan, Mongolia, and Himalayan Territory cannot be entered by any units.