Axis and Allies 1916

@barnee
Convoy rule:
Exception 2:
An Escort can protect 1 or 2 friendly Transports. When an Escort is in the same SZ as a friendly Transport the owner of the Escort can choose to create a Convoy. A Convoy consists of 1 Escort unit and 1 or 2 Transport units.

Note 1:
When multiple Escorts and Transports are in the same SZ, the owner(s) must define which Escorts are protecting which Transports (if any). Each Escort must protect 2 Transports before any other Escort in the same SZ can protect 1 or 2 Transports, etc.

Until recently, it was only bided for the Axis. But now, in more and more games the Allies get a bid. Let`s see what the best bid option/s for them would be…

I) UK & UK Pacific

Definitely the best Allied nation to give bid to. The ideas are planty, but let`s focus on the best:

1) A sub to Atlantic and/or the Mediterranean

A submarine in the Mediterranean can help strike Italy in sz 97 stronger than usual, but a submarine in the Atlantic can help strike both Italy (sz 95 and sz 96) and Germany.

2) Land unit/s to Alexandria and Egypt

An infantry or artillery to Alexandria and mechanised infantry or tank to Egypt can help strike Tobruk more heavily.
An aa gun in Alexandria or Egypt could be of use too.

3) A fighter or tactical bomber

The ideas are Scotland or Malta. One more fighter at Scotland helps in the defense of sz 109 and sz 111 on G1, and helps in the defense of UK against bombing on later German turns. Also it gives it`s share to the defense against Sea Lion.
The Mediterranean fighter gives UK more options either attacking sea or land Axis units, either defending from them.

4) A transport to Union of South Africa

It helps to move to action the two infantry from Union of South Africa on UK1.

5) An infantry to France

If France bids an infantry there, together with it, it can mean a lot in the defense of Paris.

6) A transport to India

To take Sumatra and/or Celebes, then Iraq, Ethiopia or Italian Somaliland more heavily.

7) A marine to India

The same as in the bid above, just lighter.

II) China

1) An infantry for defense

Best to put to Yunnan, then Hunan, then Chahar, and the least to Anhwe.

2) An infantry and/or artillery for offense

Best to put to Kweichow, Szechwan, Hopei and the least to Suiyuyan.

3) A fighter
Good to have one more for striking Japan more easily. Best to put is to Kweichow.

III) France

1) An infantry to France and/or Normandy Bordeaux

It can help to aid in the defense against eminent G1 attack.

2) A fighter to UK

It can help UK early on on defense, and puts more options for some French attack against lonely Axis land or sea units.

3) A sub to Madagascar

A good escort to the destroyer, can soon be moved to the Shores of Indochina/Indonesia or Mediterranean.

IV) Russia

1) Land units to Eastern Europe border territories

An infantry (or AA gun) to Baltic States/Eastern Poland/Bessarabia to prevent (or back off) an early G1 attack on the Eastern Front.

2) Land units to Eastern Europe offside terittories

An artillery to Novgorod/Belarus/Western Ukraine/Ukraine to counter an early G1 attack.
An option is also a tank to Novgorod/Belarus/Western Ukraine/Ukraine/Archangel to aid in the counter attack.

3) Land units for striking Japan

A mechanised infantry and/or tank to Caucasus and Volgograd.
An artillery or tank to Amur.

IV) ANZAC

1) A marine

If put to Queensland or New Zealand it helps ANZAC to take both Java and Dutch New Guinea on rd 1, and to take both Sumatra and Celebes on rd 2.

2) A transport

The same as in the bid above, just taking those territories more heavily.

3) A land unit to Egypt

An ANZAC artillery or AA gun would be good to have there.

VI) USA

U do not bid with USA. It goes to war late, and does not need anything. If U must, bid a small IC to Alaska  8-)

I have created an Axis & Allies variant inspired by the simultaneity mechanics of Diplomacy.  It is an online game with all the game state stored in the server, so the players use a simple web browser to play.  The manner of play I envision is each player or possibly each team uses a physical board to track the game, and the online game provides the interface to create orders for the units, shows the outcome of conflicts, and provides an interface to execute and settle multi-unit battles.  Having a physical board and pieces isn’t necessary, as the game is tracked on the server, but I expect it is more fun to play along with physical units.  The current user interface is crude, but I think it’s sophisticated enough to be effective.  I’m looking for someone to help me play-test the game and provide feedback.  I will likely create a new user interface to overlay the existing system, but I need to actually play it a bit with a real opponent to know what direction to go with that.  If you are interested, you can read the docs here:

coyotebones.org/concurrent_AA/docs

if you are further interested in seeing the interface and play-testing with me, send an email to concurrent-aa-play-request@coyotebones.org.  Please send from a real email address, as I will register the address for your login to use the system.  Include in the message a nickname you would like to have on the system so that your email address is not exposed to other players.

The Field artillery represents short ranged artillery that armies tried to use at the beginning of the war because they thought the war would be fought in fields at relatively short range like the Napoleonic wars. The Germans hid these behind the lines at the end of the war so when the tanks would break through they had a way of stopping them before they got through to there long ranged artillery.

Another idea is if you could make up a small set of cards, each one with a different country on it. You wouldn’t have to give each player the first set of cards, just deal out the one set that each player keeps face down.
Then it’s like you said, if you get your own card, you can attack anyone you want. If you get another country, then you are at war with just that country and which ever other country got your card.
This has interesting possibilities.

Sounds like a good idea. I wonder what would happen to try the same on AA42, something like
Russia
Germany
Allies Europe
Japan
Allies Pacific

hmmmm… interesting and worth exploring. thanks for sharing!

@Gargantua:

Imagine if, even just a handful of territories, were wormholes to other zones on the board,  Say, Sz112 connected to Sz64.  For example.

Wormholes … Quark could appear and start doing trades with ferengi’s capitalist brothers at USA. But some ferengii with crappy translating could also appear and create various diplomatic mess (we suffered a lot from them here in Spain with Spanish-American  :? versions of DS9)  :lol:

And put an eye on those brave bajoran freedom-fighters … they could help french or polish resistance :wink:

I really like the Pro-Axis Argentinian rule.  It would be almost impossible to activate it. But still…

South America is such a large portion of the board with so many Military and Historical “what ifs”.  Sad to leave it without this interesting possibility.