Interesting read!
The Flashman Report
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BLACKADDER THE FOURTH (EPISODE TWO)
BRITAIN
A whole range of attacks brings mixed success. An AA on Trieste is slaughtered on the beaches. Belgian Congo is taken, now only one German remains in Africa guarding Togo.
A major offensive against Turkey captures Smyrna and Mesopotamia, but the Ottomen hold on in Ankara and Sevastopol.
The last German rearguard is removed from Belgium, and the last of the Canadians board a French pleasure steamer.
For fear of the German BB in the Baltic, the UK transport fleet steams for Archangel, taking an expeditionary force of 4 & 4 to prop up the collapsing Russian Northern Front.
Three tanks are purchased, with an AA/land drive on Kiel in mind; a new BB to secure the home fleet is laid down.
TURKEY
An attempt to retake Smyrna results in the games first wipe-out, as the tt is left empty by mutual destruction. The running sore of Montalbania is finally healed.
A disastrous invasion of Ukraine wastes the best part of a Turksih army for only 2 enemy casualties despite air superiority; the Austrian follow-up needs to be more professional.
ITALY
Can only sit tight and wait for the American tidal wave to wash away the Austro-Germans in Tuscany. With apologies to the French, the Italian force in Marseilles is brought back to Rome, one infantry moves down to garrison Naples.
Italy buys the obligatory tank.
U.S.A.
The American ambassadors in Berlin and Vienna deliver the President’s Declaration of War. One second later a force of 6 & 4 Americans land in the beaches of Tuscany. Without air support (which the DD neglected to provide) they are slaughtered like sheep by the Austrian’s fine artillery. The 4 casualties they inflict are mainly taken by the German contingent, but might just have weakened the Teutons enough to save Rome, but at a heavy cost.
The 3rd American contingent off Portugal politely ask their commanders if they can turn for home.
“Liberty” tanks, transports and planes begin production in Washington.
Tanks will see some action next turn, but only for Italy and Turkey (since their capitals are under threat from adjacent tts), and possibly the UK who can use them in an AA. This last is probably the best use of armour, but it remains to be seen if this is enough to justify the purchase.
I’d like some more UK & American transports. I don’t need them, but I dislike using chips for naval units when the SZs are so big.
America being allowed to have a fully laden fleet off Italy before declaring war is, of course, completely bonkers. so it serves them right.
Very unlikely we’ll ever see American subs, as the CP fleet is unlikely to survive to U4.
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TURKEY
An attempt to retake Smyrna results in the games first wipe-out, as the tt is left empty by mutual destruction. The running sore of Montalbania is finally healed.
So in this scenario, if the territory was contested instead of just occupied, after a mutual destruction would the territory revert back to Ottoman control and it would get the IPCs?
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TURKEY
An attempt to retake Smyrna results in the games first wipe-out, as the tt is left empty by mutual destruction. The running sore of Montalbania is finally healed.
So in this scenario, if the territory was contested instead of just occupied, after a mutual destruction would the territory revert back to Ottoman control and it would get the IPCs?
I imagine so.
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Why on earth would it revert back? There is still a UK flag flying proudly amidsts the ruined trenches filled with dead people. There is no Turk to take the flag down.
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If it was contested, then it would go back to Ottoman control, if UK had complete control, it would stay UK.
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I’m pretty sure it won’t ‘revert’ to anything, whoever controlled it before it became contested will control it after it is vacant of all units. In this case, that’s Britain.
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If it’s Smyrna, then wouldn’t it just go back to being an uncontested Turkish territory?
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who controlled it at the beginning of the turn of the annihilation?
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The british controlled it. The turks killed the units but still failed to take the territory as they were all dead. Hence it remains British
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Doesn’t it go back to the Turks?
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No, because the British still own it.
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Question posed here: http://www.axisandallies.org/forums/index.php?topic=30272.165 for Krieghund to clarify, but I’m pretty sure since there were no Turk units left, control stays with Britain.
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Question posed here: http://www.axisandallies.org/forums/index.php?topic=30272.165 for Krieghund to clarify, but I’m pretty sure since there were no Turk units left, control stays with Britain.
Why would this be any different than in any other A&A game?
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The question is about what happens if a battle in a contested tt results in all units destroying each other;
You cannot keep track of who last had control of every tt, so it must either revert to control of the original owner or (as I guess) nobody controls it until a unit enters to take control.
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OK, so I guessed wrongly.
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Well, because of the new concept of ‘contested’ tt’s. Krieg actually said that control reverts to the original power, which surprised me.
Once territories are contested (which happens as soon as an enemy force moves in), they have no “memory” of any previous controller other than the original one. The original controller is the power whose sole emblem is on the territory (neutral territories, aligned or otherwise, have no original controller).
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Well, because of the new concept of ‘contested’ tt’s. Krieg actually said that control reverts to the original power, which surprised me.
My reading of the rulebook last night says any territory not occupied by infantry reverts to its original owner. Right there on page 15:
“If you move all of your units out of a contested territory and leave only units from the other side there, the other side will immediately claim the territory. If the territory was originally controlled by a power on the other side, that power will take control (even if it has no units present).”
So, in Africa the Entente needs to “nail down” colonies with infantry or they’ll revert to German. That should make that place more interesting.
On page 20, though, it says “If your power takes control of a territory, whether by capturing it in combat or through all enemy units moving out and leaving your units in possession of it, you place your power’s control marker on it….”
It’s funny that it says “leaving your units in possession of it” on page 20. Contradictory. Glad Krieghund put down a verdict.
Yrs.,
R. -
I think you’re mistaken - if you place a control marker, you control that tt until an enemy unit removes it, even if you leave the tt with no units.
Its when leaving a contested tt that control reverts to the original owner, because there is no control marker to remove.
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The situation facing Austria on turn 5 nicely summarizes what I always thought would be the major issue with this game - supply lines.
Having recovered from a disastrous start, Austria now stands at the gates of Rome, but with somewhat depleted army. It still has a stack of artillery and air support, but few infantry to soak up hits. Ther planned move on Rome must be postponed. They’ve also recovered in the east, with an army in Galicia facing the Russians.
Problem is, I can’t see ever breaking through to their objectives because it just takes too long to bring up reinforcements.
The Americans have taken resposibility for defending Rome, and they can ship units there in two turns. It takes new Austrian units FOUR turns to reach Rome. Austria has no navy, and the UK/Italian fleets in the Med will soon dispose of any they try to build. The Allies can also reinforce Rome from Marseilles or Trans-Jordan in a single turn if they need to.
Germany had a large army in Burgundy at one point, but the slowness of new units to get to the front doomed it to destruction.
The lack of trains absolutely cripples the Central Powers. Even if they’re doing well, the lack of mobility means that the Allies will always be able to reinforce where they need to before the CPs can bring fresh units to bear.
I’m prepared to reconsider this conclusion if and when I read reports of games where the CPs actually capture western Allied capitals, until then I’ll believe that the Allies will always be able to hold out long enough to force a stalemate.
I think that perhaps the Victory City idea may be more practical, with VCs corresponding with the 12 centres of production viz:
Washington
London
Halifax NS
Bombay
Paris
Rome
Petrograd
Moscow
Berlin
Strasbourg/Munich?
Vienna
Constantinople -
Keep in mind that it cripples the Allies as well if they’re succeeding, although to a somewhat lesser degree due to their naval abilities.
In the end, I agree that not having rail in this game stunts whichever powers are doing well, and more so for the CP’s.
And, unlike trench warfare, air superiority, and all the other ‘difficulties’ in the game that are actually historical, not being able to move units up fast enough to support the front is not.