Tactical Bombers (Dive & Torpedo Bombers)

It is always good to start by playing triple A, USA8, as a way of learning the basics. That is how many of us started out.

Of course you can now play other members of the forum using triple A. If you ever want to do that and need any pointers at what to do then just ask.

It may be hard to find an opponent who wants to play 1941 however.

True there are no victory conditions at all. Ultimately, one power will become the strongest amongst all. If a victory condition is really needed, it would be survive and defeat all other players.
And also its correct that it will turn out to be an open-ended game will maybe double or triple game time of the original game.

The reason this house rule is developed is that me and my friends often find ourself in the position of becoming dominating powers as Russia, Germany or the USA but still want to continue the game and expand our hard-built empire. At the end of the day, it is just a house rule that me and my friends loved and would like to share with other A&A lovers here.

[Copied from my post in your other thread on this subject, located here: http://www.axisandallies.org/forums/index.php?topic=37073.0]

Depicting a single regiment would be problematic in terms of game scale.  In general terms, a game on the scale of Global 1940 represents (admittedly in very abstract terms) the actions of units that are mostly the size of army groups and fleets – and, furthermore, of army groups and fleets which have no specific identity other than their nationality.  It would be hard to justify saying that one particular regiment-sized unit, with a specific name, ought to be added to the game; by that rationale, there are hundreds of other regiments that could be added too.

The obvious exception to the above principle is the single fighter which represents the Flying Tiger squadron in China…so it’s not an ironclad rule that units smaller than army groups and fleets are never represented in the game.  It can be argued, however, that the Flying Tigers are a special case because of their high profile, and because in the game China lacks aviation forces of its own.  China doesn’t lack infantry, however, so adding a USMC unit doesn’t bring anything distinctive to China’s forces.

Additionally, Global 1940 has no rules that govern riverine operations – which is understandable, because the game map doesn’t depict any rivers.  Even the Saint Lawrence, which is huge in real life, isn’t depicted: on the map, it looks like a strip of land.  There are a few lakes depicted, plus a few canals and narrow straights, but no rivers.  So a river patrol unit in China would literally have nowhere to go.

From my previosu thread:

Start date May 1917

The first Russian Revolution has occurred, but really makes little difference to the military situation. So continue using RR rules as normal.

America is at war, so we’ll assume that Germany has already declared USW.

Territorial changes are surprisingly few; I’d say they were:

Assume all aligned neutrals have been activated.

The only non-aligned neutrals violated are:

Persia: contested Turkey & Russia/Britain

Greece: contested Britain/France & Germany(Greeks)

Other tts not under original control:

Picardy & Lorraine: contested France & Germany (BEF in Picardy)

Belgium: German occupied

Poland: German occupied

Livonia & Belarus: contested Russia & Germany

Romania: contested Russia & Austria

Serbia: Austrian occupied

Albania: contested Italy & Austria

Togoland & Kamerun: French occupied

SW Africa: British occupied

Galicia: contested Austria & Russia

Mesopotamia & Trans-Jordan: contested Turkey & Britain (poss Russians in Armenia?)

America gets its draft of X infantry, but only the regular 20 IPCs to spend.

Tanks are available, probably only B & F have any just yet.

Fighters should be up to 3-3 by this stage.

Bombers should just be coming on line for both sides.

Edit: Or possibly consider July 1st 1917 as the start date: in something of an A&A tradition the game begins with a Russian great summer offensive:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kerensky_Offensive

@Yavid:

not revisiting the list nearly as much as I haven’t added in HBG’s UK set and will have to double check because I believe the French got some units since my last update. But yes I find it useful.

I had not entered the 2nd Japan set or the UK set HBG released, those have been added. and the going nuclear set HBG just released.

I found a post which say that SBR AAA kill ratio was 10% max:

What Larry says have flaws, and contradict to to base mechanic.

It should be like this:

1. Attacking fighter escorts roll dice, each 1 is hit, and defender move casualties to casualty zone.

2. Defending AA-gun roll dice, each 1 is hit, and then defending fighters roll dice, 2 or less is hit. Attacker choose his casualties.

3. Surviving bombers roll SBR dice against factories.

In real world, the attacking airfleet would first face the intercepting fighters, and then the escort fighters would do dog-fight. Later, the bombers would face AA-fire at the target. This AA-fire killed historically less than 10 % of the aircrafts. Using Larrys rule where AA-guns target bombers, you could be lucky and roll two 1’s and kill both attacking bombers, and get an unhistoric result of thousands bombers killed and no harm to the factories. Since its an abstract game, let the attacker pick a fighter as casualty to represent a % loss, and still have bombers survive to SBR.

http://harrisgamedesign.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=1706&start=8
He is talking about an older version of SBR (AA50 Anniversary).

@Imperious:

The map should be marked for possible landing sites. It is not a fact that major landings could take place “anywhere”.
True but it is too much zoom-in tactical level geography.
Let’s suppose the amphibious assault is made in an appropriate places.
The bad or good luck of the first roll of dices in combat is making for a good or bad landing place.

First, the attacker should only be able to attack with infantry only on the first round ( and air units). This would be rolled after SB is performed.
AAA fire then Shore Bombardment are the first two steps. At a tactical level, artillery and armor have a bad moment to pass through during landing phase. The issue is to figure it all at strategical level and keep balance.
I suggested this penalty can be enough:
instead of saying all A1 for the first round of an Amph. Assault
Just say all attacking ground units get -1A to a minimum of A1, for the first round.
Hence, Artillery get A1.
But, at least Armor can get A2.
And according to this HR, even an Inf getting A2 for being paired with Art is reduced to A1.  
But, at a strategical level, the SB can give a little support to Infantry unit trying to land.
That’s why:

During the first round of an Amph. Ass.
Destroyer, on a 1:1 basis, give +1A boost to 1 Infantry unit.
Cruiser,  on a 1:1 basis, give +1A boost to 1 Infantry unit, in addition to the shore bombardment.
Battleship, on a 1:2 basis, give +1A, to up to 2 Infantry units, in addition to the shore bombardment.

So the warships heavy guns can make a difference (even Destroyer’s one), on landing round.

Second, Defending Infantry and Artillery should fire preemptively ( loses taken first do not fire in subsequent rounds)
This is a tough one, do we give it to Artillery unit only or to both units?
Here I followed Razor and also you, at the strategical level, and for balance (too much Inf vs Art), and for simplicity and also because 1914 give it only to Artillery unit. And it will be a weaker ones however:
All Artillery units get a preemptive strike (like subs) against incoming units.

Third, all remaining attacking units roll, then remaining

The attacker should be able to retreat, however all mech units are converted into infantry ( they leave the beaches with equipment…ala Dunkirk)
That one is new. It is alien to A&A system to convert 1 unit into another.
However, a retreat possibility could be interesting…
But usually the better units will survived last. This means it will probably be armor or artillery…

Instead, it can be something like this:
If amphibious assault units needs to retreat (at the beginning of the round), attacker must loose 1 Armor unit or 1 Art unit before any other 1 casualty.
Basically, attacker must loose 1 additional ground unit (the costlier and valuable one), and this unit cannot fire, then return the surviving units on landing barge (transports).
On most occasion this will mean 1 armor unit, an A3D3, 6 IPCs unit.

Thanks for this idea about amphibious assault retreat.

It can even more create an incentive for the defender, to throw an air/naval assault on transports to get ride of the surviving retreating units. Rarely see, ground troops going into the bottom of the ocean with transports units.

@Navalland said in Balancing Cruiser (CL) and Battleship (BB) units with other A&A units:

I’m interested in playing customized 1942.2 with Italian presence and armours with 5ipc cost.

Better to talk about it on the thread you started, to not derailed this one.
Can you send the link?