I’m a big fan of bids for China. They get hosed every time.
In AA50 and Global my solution for the China stomp, is to rework the turn order so that China goes First in the sequence instead of Last. But this doesn’t work in 1942.2 since China is USA controlled.
In general I favor USA control of China in A&A games, over having them as a separate nation with specific rules, but there is the dilemma that any USA troops you add to China will almost certainly just withdraw towards the Center, rather than going forward against Japan.
I think a starting IC in Szech is a cool concept, and it’s something I’ve suggested a number of times in various threads for many different A&A boards. I think 1942.2 could support it, as an Anchor for the fighter in China, but it would require additional defensive units, or it is just used by Japan against Russia immediately.
I’ve also supported the idea of Chunking as a VC to represent the Wartime capital. I believe this needs to be offset though. AA50 had the best set up for a VC expansion in my view, since it had 18 total. 1942.2 has only 13. Hong Kong, Sydney, Stalingrad, Warsaw and Ottawa were removed for some reason when this latest edition of A&A came out.
This is an HR digression, but I’ve suggested that we add these VC’s back in, perhaps with others included as well! Further candidates I’ve played with in the past are places like…
Chungking, Singapore, Cairo, Amsterdam, Minsk, Vladivostok, Cape Town.
That’d be 25 total VCs
Axis 11:
Berlin
Tokyo
Rome
Paris
Shanghai
Manila
Warsaw
Hong Kong
Singapore
Amsterdam
Minsk
Allies 14:
Moscow
London
Washington D.C
Leningrad
Calcutta
San Francisco
Hawaii
Stalingrad
Sydney
Ottawa
Vladivostok
Cairo
Cape Town
Chungking.
I think that would produce an optimal spread to support the VC system.
To achieve it you need some kind of physical marker to represent these new VCs on the game map, my suggestion would be use something removable at first to see if you like it, then perhaps a small sticker (the sort you can peel off easily, with only the mildest sort of adhesive) if you’re really committed haha. I usually buy 2 boards and combine the sculpts, so I have one of my 1942.2 copies as a “workboard” with HR stuff and heavy use, then a more pristine vanilla map on standby. But like most, people I would never draw on the actual board, I think that’s just asking too much, so anyway, yeah, you can try it with physical plastic pieces or coins at first if you prefer.
Expanding the VC game this way, I think it is also advisable to allow players some reason to track control of these territories.
Like a +1 ipc bonus for control of a VC, or perhaps allowing players to purchase/place +1 infantry in VC territories that they control. Things like that.
This is basically to lend the territories more significance in the course of gameplay (not just as a metric, but as something with a real in-game value), drawing more attention to them, so that it’s easier to keep these VC territories in the forefront of the player’s mind. I’ve felt this way since Revised introduced the concept of the VC initially, that VCs were too much “outside” of the gameplah. There should be some in-game effect beyond just the victory mechanic, to reinforce and support the VC win idea. Also it’d be nice if the numbers by side for thr VC win were the same. Say 16 or 18, or maybe highter, or whatever makes sense for a Minor or Major win.
As for a China unit redesign, I think this would probably be fun to explore.
I like for example the idea of including an AAgun in China, and a Factory.
Szech is the clear candidate, both for historical reasons, and for gameplay ones. If planning to give the USA a starting factory here, with the aim to make it a defensive choke point, then you’d definitely want some more units on the ground at the beginning of play. A boost to Yunnan or Anwhei seem sensible enough, if you want to make Japan’s mainland opening harder. Singkiang is gamey, but also doable.
AAguns are fun, but a bit rough on account of not being able to move in combat. These units usually have to flee the front line, but it might be fun to have a pair in China. Maybe one in Yunnan for some combat variety, and then one in Szech to help secure the territory through J1. With back-up from the Russians and the UK, it might be possible for Allies to hold the line here.
The lone flying tiger does seem a bit sad. I think if you start adding in heavier attack units beyond just the AAguns, you really need to do it spread it out, more hitpoints in Anwhei can really hamstring Japan at the outset for example, so I wouldn’t want to overdo it in any one territory. After a casual glance of the board, maybe something like…
Szech +1 factory +artillery +1 AAgun
Yunnan +1 infantry
Anwhei +1 infantry
That would actually make for a pretty potent Chinese wall. Then just let USA buy them some more flying tigers out of the 1 production slot. It would actually pretty helpful as Allies to have a single USA production slot at the center. It would be gamey sure, but it would probably really improve the game pace, and feeling of involvement by the US player.
It would give the Allies a much stronger incentive to duke it out with Japan at any rate, instead of just folding immediately and then running away :-D
Ps. I dig Argothair’s suggestions too, especially of an extra Russian unit in the East. Just call it the Zhukov boost! Or the Mao boost! Depending on where you put it Hehe. An artillery piece seems reasonable, since it’s more valuable on attack than defense. Gives the Russians an incentive to use it for forward offensive stuff instead of just pulling it back. I dig the concept
edit. forgot Hong Kong up there! in AA50 this was in Kwang, so in 1942.2 it’d be Japan’s. That’d make it an Axis 11 vs Allies 14 situation, with 25 VCs in total. What do you guys think?
Pps. I’ve played with a Bucharest VC to encompass Romanian oil in the past, but I think Minsk might be more fun. First because Minsk is arguably the reason that the Germans didn’t make it Moscow in time. The decision to consolidate there rather than pressing on to the Russian Capital. It’s easier for the Allies to contest than Bulgaria-Romania, so you get some more “back and forth” out of it. And anyway, we know the Western Allies didn’t make Romania. Who knows why, maybe to prolong with war in the east until they could prepare for Overlord. Minsk seems a bit more dynamic for both sides I think.
