Cards for Axis and Allies 1940

CWO Marc- If I did doctrines as a separate type of card, countries would only be allowed to have one doctrine in play at a time.

Ghost One- While I see your point there is the issue that it’d be very difficult to come up with multiple doctrines for each country. However we might make that work if we include things like air or naval doctrines and if some doctrines could be used by multiple countries (like Fleet in Being as a naval doctrine available for several countries, for instance).

Okay here are some basic doctrine ideas based on the US
Combined Arms- Basically McNair’s baby. I’d say give some sort of combined arms bonus, for having, artillery, infantry, mechanized infantry, and Armor, and aircraft taking part in a battle. Also allow infantry and artillery to blitz when paired with a tank.

Superior Firepower - Use the overwhelming abundance in material and munitions to bomb the hell out of the enemy. Perhaps preventing units killed by artillery or bombers during the first cycle of combat from retaliating?

Carrier Group- Obviously this one would probably be shared with Japan and give bonuses of some kind to Carriers.

Amphibious Operations- Basically the marine national advantage from the 2004 game.

Air Superiority- Don’t know exactly how to represent this but consider events like the battle of the bulge. Once the weather cleared the American air force made it impossible for German vehicles to operate during the day. Maybe if you have more air units involved in a land combat enemy armor, artillery, and mechanized units couldn’t attack/defend during the first cycle of combat?

Aerial Convoy Defense- Would represent the use of airbases to protect convoys against subs. Basically give planes the ability to attack subs without a destroyer present.

Daytime Strategic Bombing - Something to give additional damage to American bombardments.

The British, by contrast may have a Nighttime bombing doctrine that would reduce the damage done but render the bombers immune from enemy interception.
Germany may have something like a night fighters doctrine that could undermine that advantage, but if they are using that then they aren’t getting the benefits of, say, Blitzkrieg.

These are just a few examples. Since only one Doctrine card would be allowed at a time, each country (besides China) would at least need 1 land, air, and naval doctrine to choose from. the Majors would need more, of course. That way doctrines would be a major choice. Will Germany really try to contest control of the seas and skies or will she focus on Russia. Will America focus on its air force (okay, that was technically part of the army then), its navy, or its army?

Obviously if I go this route and add doctrines as a unique card, I should probably take the suggestion of allowing people to draw one of each card type. Or maybe just let them draw five cards of any type at the start. America, for instance, wouldn’t have as many puppet cards as the Axis.

I’m still not certain if its worth trying to come up with a handful of doctrines for each country or just keep these as national advantages.

That may be a good way of doing it. Will have to consider it.

Taking a break from the Soviets for a moment, I’m going to make some suggestions to flesh out the concept of doctrine cards. I’ll probably go with the suggestion of being able to start with one at the beginning of the game. Only one Doctrine card may be played at a time. However it should cost a significant amount of money to change doctrines (ie 20 ipc range). When you change a doctrine the older one will be moved back into your hand.

While doctrines will be broken up into land, Air, and Naval doctrines, you still only get 1 doctrine card in play at any time.

Proposed German Military Land Doctrines

Elastic Defense Doctrine - In an elastic defense, the front line would be held by a minimal number of troops (to minimize the number of men exposed to artillery fire). During an attack, these troops would retreat. Reserves, who would be stationed nearby but beyond artillery range, would then counterattack and retake the front line.

Effect: Enemy artillery and supported infantry may not attack during the first cycle of a ground combat.

Schwerpunkt- Schwerpunkt refers to a center of gravity or point of maximum effort, where a decisive action could be achieved. The principle of Schwerpunkt enabled the attacker to win numerical superiority at the point of the main effort, which in turn gave the attacker tactical and operational superiority even though the attacker may be numerically and strategically inferior along the entire front.

Effect: If a German army is superior in size to any army it is attacking, then all enemy land forces may not retaliate during the first cycle of combat.

Kesselschlacht- Kesselschlacht (or Cauldron battles) were a concentric attack on encircled forces earlier bypassed by the Schwerpunkt attack(s). It was here that most losses were inflicted upon the enemy, primarily through the capture of prisoners and weapons

Effect: If any enemy land units are encircled (meaning that all surrounding territories are either sea zones or are controlled by enemy or Neutral powers) then they defend at -1 for the duration of combat. This includes units just encircled because of combat operations Germany made previously during its turn.

Blitzkreig- Blitzkrieg, meaning “lightning war”, in its strategic means is associated with a series of quick and decisive short battles to deliver a knockout blow to an enemy state before it could fully mobilize. The tactical meaning of blitzkrieg involves a coordinated military effort by tanks, mobilized infantry, artillery and aircraft, to create an overwhelming local superiority in combat power, to overwhelm an enemy and break through its lines.

Effect: German tanks, Mechanized infantry, and Tactical Bombers attack twice during the first cycle of combat.

Kampfgruppe- The Kampfgruppe was an ad-hoc combined arms formation, usually employing combination of tanks, infantry, and artillery (including anti-tank) elements, generally organised for a particular task or operation. A Kampfgruppe could range in size from a corps to a company , but the most common was an Abteilung (battalion)-sized formation.

Effect: If German tanks, Mechanized infantry, infantry, and artillery are present in a territory then they all attack at +1 for the first cycle of combat.

Volksstrum- Volkssturm (literally people’s storm) drew inspiration from the old Prussian Landsturm of 1813-15, that fought in the liberation wars against Napoleon, mainly as guerrilla forces. Plans to form a Landsturm national militia in Eastern Germany as a last resort to boost fighting strength initially came from General Heinz Guderian in 1944. Because the Wehrmacht was lacking manpower to stop the Soviet advance, men in jobs not deemed necessary or previously deemed unfit for military service were now called under arms.

Effect: German infantry cost 1 ipc less.

Only one doctrine of any type at a time.
So by choosing one of those land doctrines, say, Germany will be giving up opportunities to utilize say a wolfpack doctrine.

I’m going to try to make multiple doctrines for each branch of the armed services for each major. Obviously, China will not be getting any naval doctrines and there isn’t much sense in, say, loading Australia up with multiple different doctrines per each branch of its military.

The big 5 should at least get a few doctrines for each branch, though the USSR will be more focused on land while Japan will have more naval options, for instance.
I think the USA will probably have the most diverse set overall given that it fought essentially two different wars at once.

Ghost one, did you get my pm about reading materials?

@Ghost:

Yes i sent you a reply  :-)

*is Italy truly just a minor in the axis? i know their military was under trained and under equipped and outdated, but to keep the game at more of a balance shouldn’t they be given a little more? after all they do start the war with a relatively large military and navy in the med. i feel Italy should be given almost as much as Germany or Japan because they have the opportunity to become a major within the first 2-3 turns and should they become a major they should have the same tools as the other axis. maybe I’m wrong.

Its true that Italy does have big potential. It can easily get up to around 50ipcs a turn. So it will certainly have more cards than the Anzacs and China. However, it’ll be a little harder to come up with good cards for them versus the big 5. So they probably won’t have as much choices as Germany or Japan. But Il Duce will have choices.

I’m going to have to take a bit of a break. Trying to find some more work right now. :)

Yeah I can see have too many cards right now. I’ll probably ditch the doctrines concept and just have those assigned to a Chief of Staff. Maybe just keep it as a Chief of Staff as opposed to numerous generals that you could have on the board at once (after all, that’d require tokens for Zhukov, Manstein, etc).

There will be progress on this next week. :)

I’ve been working on this concept some more. Every country will get to pick one card before the game begins (some cards may only be played before the first German turn). Additional cards cost 10 ipcs to purchase. The player picks which card they want to purchase. I’m limiting it to 15 cards for each of the big 5 and around 6 cards for each of the minors.

GERMANY
1. Vichy France:  Once Germany captures Paris, the territories and forces in Normandy Bordeaux, Southern France, and French Madagascar immediately convert to German Control. The Territories and Units in Morocco, Algeria, Syria, and Tunisia immediately convert to Italian control. French Indo China immediately converts to Japanese control without triggering a war with the allies. French naval units bordering these areas are unaffected. This card must be played before the first German turn.
2. Plan Z: Place one additional German submarine in every seazone that already has at least one German submarine. Additionally, gain the improved Shipyards tech. This card must be played before the first German turn.
3. Second Molotov Ribbentrop Pact: The Soviet Union may not declare war on Germany until the end of its fifth turn unless London has fallen or Germany has attacked Turkey. This card must be played before the first German turn.
4. Hendaye Pact: Spain and Portugal (including their overseas territories Rio de Oro, Angola, and Mozambique) are pro Axis neutrals. This card must be played before the first German turn.
5. Albert Speer: Immediately gain the Warbonds tech. Roll two dice when determining how many extra ipcs you gain each turn from the Warbonds tech.
6. Karl Donitz: Whenever 3 or More Subs are attacking the same seazone their attack value is increase by +1. This bonus is lost as soon as the number of attacking subs dips below 3.
7. Heinz Guderian: Any unit killed by attacking German tanks during the first cycle of combat may not retaliate.
8. Erich von Manstein: If your attacking forces destroy all defending units in a territory in one cycle of combat; or, if no combat was necessary, any surviving tanks (and escorted mechanized infantry) may make a further move of one space AFTER all other combats have been completed. This move includes moving backwards, or attacking a new territory. The second territory being attacked may not contain a victory city. These units may only make one additional move.
9. Erwin Rommel: German tanks and Mechs have a move of 3. However they follow normal blitzing rules.
10. Krupp Steel: German tanks may not be damaged during the first cycle of combat whether you are attacking or defending. You may not chose tanks as casualties even if the enemy rolled enough successes to force you to lose a tank. You must control West Germany to get this benefit.
11. Wernher von Braun: Immediately gain the Rockets Technology
12. Konrad Zuse: German Tech Rolls cost 4 ipcs.
13. Messerschmidt: Immediately gain the Jet Fighters Tech.
14. Kurt Student: Immediately gain the Paratroopers tech.
15. Atlantic Wall: All of your infantry and artillery defend at a 3 during the first cycle of combat in any amphibious assault against any of the following territories: Western Germany, Denmark, Holland-Belgium, Normandy-Bordeaux, Spain, Portugal, or Norway. Note that the bonus only counts if the territories mentioned are German occupied and the bonus only applies to German units in those territories.