G40 France first (restricted to non com)

There is a discussion going on about France right now…
http://www.axisandallies.org/forums/index.php?topic=36403.0

Thought I’d keep it going here in the HR section, so we can explore more options.
:-D

The idea is pretty simple:

France goes first in the turn order!

Their opening is “restricted” though (the same way Russia was restricted in older versions of Classic) meaning that the French can purchase, make non combat moves, place units and collect income, but cannot engage in combat on their first turn.

From there the game progresses as normal, G1, full phases with combat.

Any thoughts?
Perhaps Barney can be persuaded to make us an xml, so we can test the concept hehe.

It seems like this tweak would be of comparable value to a large bid for Allies, since the likely result is that half the Royal Navy survives the first round, as G has to send more of their Luftwaffe to take Paris. This rule prevents the French from messing with Italy (since France can’t make combat moves), but it allows them a better Paris defense vs G. And it gives France one round to make a purchase!

What would you buy?

OK I voted “Ground” because I think France can accomplish a lot for UK, just by drawing down some German aircraft into the Paris attack. With 5 ground units purchased, (plus the units from S. France and Normandy on non com) Paris can be pretty damn formidable! If G wants to take it in the first round, they have to pull Stukas off one of the sea battles in the Channel.

Alternatively, the French might buy some warships to defend sz 110. With the extra ground from S. France and Normandy, they can still make Paris scary for Germany, and the extra warship could be major. With 19 ipcs France could afford a destroyer, or a cruiser, or even a carrier! Allowing 1 more fighter into that sea zone from Paris.

Or another idea I’ve been toying with. Purchase a naval base in French West Africa!
From here USA could land some transports with mechs and tanks, then shoot back to USA to pick up more on the base to base shuck. The transported Infantry could remain in W. Africa for staging against Gibraltar, North Africa or Western Europe, while the Mech and Tanks race across the Sub Saharan route to the defense of Cairo or the center. This sort of play makes Brazil a bit more viable as a production location, since you could launch repeating from 110 to 87, shuck 87 out of Brazil, and potentially launch from 87 up to 3 spaces out. It’s an investment of 15 ipcs from the cash strapped French, but gives USA some cool mobility they wouldn’t otherwise be able to achieve.

Any other F1 purchases you can think of?

Here is a savegame edit, showing how this sort of France first (restricted) opening might look.

On G1, Germany might face a situation that looks like this… instead of OOB.

This just showed one idea for a French opening non com movement.

Stack Paris, with the Scotland scramble. French North Africa troops converge in Algeria. The West Africa and Syrian infantry begin their march to Cairo a round earlier. The French Med fleet escapes to Gibraltar. And the Madagascar DD heads towards the Egyptian naval base.

So here is a situation after French Non-Com (with the units edited into position). I think a French purchase would be fun too, since part of the charm of this whole idea in the first place is allowing them to make a buy.

If you wish to do the a full restricted opening with purchase (ala Russia in Classic, where you just skip the first turn combat phase), that would also leave France with 19 ipcs to spend!

To see how this might look you can just use the edit mode to position your units where you want them, and then edit in your purchased units. This tweak will present a much more challenging game for Axis. Probably cool, since the board already favors them. Germany just has more work to do!
:-D

France 1, example.tsvg