Global War 1936/39 Expansions

Only tried the railways expansion so far…

We play GW39 with:

• Flaktowers
• DAK (from next game)

Many of the others don’t make it due to:

1: They make the game more complex without adding more balance
2: They make the game into something else (Atlantis, WTF?)

Question for those playing GW36: Do the Spanish Civil War and Manchuoku Expansions improve gameplay?
(unfortunately Manchuoku is no longer available…)

I’ve purchased all the expansions, as well as practically every marker, token, roundel and figure from HBG.
Im not saying this to show off, because it’s become a mark of shame for me; so much money for things I don’t use.

But my group plays with:
Spanish Civil War. Excellent and immersive.
Manchukuo Expansion. Puts teeth into the Japanese mainland, but the Partisan rule is hard to remember.
Facist Croatia. It’s pretty good, changes the map nicely. Partisan rule again.
Nuclear. Pretty good, tweaked it for our tech system.
Fighting

Those are generally the ones we always play with.
Excited to try Netherlands and Turkey.

We’ve tried Secret Sub Bases, it didn’t add much to the game.
And although I have the weird history stuff like Atlantis, New Schwabenland, and New Berlin, I highly doubt it will be played.
I like what Munck said

@Munck:

Many of the others don’t make it due to:

1: They make the game more complex without adding more balance
2: They make the game into something else (Atlantis, WTF?)

@Munck:

Question for those playing GW36: Do the Spanish Civil War and Manchuoku Expansions improve gameplay?

Yes, I would say so.

The Spanish Civil War is interesting because nothing much else is happening at the time except maneuvering and manufacturing.
The SCW Expansion allows all factions to participate in a proxy war and understand workings of the game (Terrain, Amphibious Landing, Militia, City, Lend Lease).
The Expansion adds depth and complexity, it brings it from a greyscale to a colour image. I like it.

The Manchukuo Expansion is pretty good. Not as dramatic as the SCW. But it fleshes out Japanese Mainland armies and territories, and makes Manchukuo into something more important. I think it adds color to the game and improves it. The biggest downside is that often the Partisan rule is forgotten and if that is the case; Japan benefits greatly, and the Soviet do not.

Jinx1527, do you have the all the 3D units that HBG sells, and if so how are they in the game?

Thanks,

John

@John:

Jinx1527, do you have the all the 3D units that HBG sells, and if so how are they in the game?

Thanks,

John

I got most of them John, perhaps 95-98% of all HBG models
The problem is that often times they don’t find a significant niche. Especially ships, with so many models with barely any difference between them; we ended simplifying and thinning down what we played with. I think regardless of how many navy models are made; we will probably stick with what we have now.

Super Heavy Battleship
Battleship
Pocket Battleship
Carrier
Escort Carrier
Heavy Cruiser
Light Cruiser
Destroyer
Submarine Tender/ Merchant Raider
Advanced Submarine
Submarine

That’s it. But it’s still plenty, and a little crowded in a mixed fleet (luckily a few types are specialized that they don’t mix into a fleet anyway).

@Jinx1527:

@John:

Jinx1527, do you have the all the 3D units that HBG sells, and if so how are they in the game?

Thanks,

John

I got most of them John, perhaps 95-98% of all HBG models
The problem is that often times they don’t find a significant niche. Especially ships, with so many models with barely any difference between them; we ended simplifying and thinning down what we played with. I think regardless of how many navy models are made; we will probably stick with what we have now.

Super Heavy Battleship
Battleship
Pocket Battleship
Carrier
Escort Carrier
Heavy Cruiser
Light Cruiser
Destroyer
Submarine Tender/ Merchant Raider
Advanced Submarine
Submarine

That’s it. But it’s still plenty, and a little crowded in a mixed fleet (luckily a few types are specialized that they don’t mix into a fleet anyway).

That is a shame, because some of them are pretty cool looking, but if there is not much difference in them, then I can see your point.

I guess that is where house rules for units, comes in to play, to make up the difference. :-)

HBG strikes again.

@John:

@Jinx1527:

@John:

Jinx1527, do you have the all the 3D units that HBG sells, and if so how are they in the game?

Thanks,

John

I got most of them John, perhaps 95-98% of all HBG models
The problem is that often times they don’t find a significant niche. Especially ships, with so many models with barely any difference between them; we ended simplifying and thinning down what we played with. I think regardless of how many navy models are made; we will probably stick with what we have now.

Super Heavy Battleship
Battleship
Pocket Battleship
Carrier
Escort Carrier
Heavy Cruiser
Light Cruiser
Destroyer
Submarine Tender/ Merchant Raider
Advanced Submarine
Submarine

That’s it. But it’s still plenty, and a little crowded in a mixed fleet (luckily a few types are specialized that they don’t mix into a fleet anyway).

That is a shame, because some of them are pretty cool looking, but if there is not much difference in them, then I can see your point.

I guess that is where house rules for units, comes in to play, to make up the difference. :-)

True, and usually house rules can make Units unique fill a niche.
But there is a lot less features in the ocean then on land. No fortress or mountains or anything.

What HBG really needs is a model Anti-Tank Gun unit for each nation. That would fill a good niche.

Also the “Cavalry” unit….stupid name. Mobile Infantry or Semi-Motorized or something but not cavalry. Luckily that’s coming eventually. 😊
I

@SS:

HBG strikes again.

Something bothering you SS?

All the time

@Jinx1527:

@John:

@Jinx1527:

@John:

Jinx1527, do you have the all the 3D units that HBG sells, and if so how are they in the game?

Thanks,

John

I got most of them John, perhaps 95-98% of all HBG models
The problem is that often times they don’t find a significant niche. Especially ships, with so many models with barely any difference between them; we ended simplifying and thinning down what we played with. I think regardless of how many navy models are made; we will probably stick with what we have now.

Super Heavy Battleship
Battleship
Pocket Battleship
Carrier
Escort Carrier
Heavy Cruiser
Light Cruiser
Destroyer
Submarine Tender/ Merchant Raider
Advanced Submarine
Submarine

That’s it. But it’s still plenty, and a little crowded in a mixed fleet (luckily a few types are specialized that they don’t mix into a fleet anyway).

That is a shame, because some of them are pretty cool looking, but if there is not much difference in them, then I can see your point.

I guess that is where house rules for units, comes in to play, to make up the difference. :-)

True, and usually house rules can make Units unique fill a niche.
But there is a lot less features in the ocean then on land. No fortress or mountains or anything.

What HBG really needs is a model Anti-Tank Gun unit for each nation. That would fill a good niche.

Also the “Cavalry” unit….stupid name. Mobile Infantry or Semi-Motorized or something but not cavalry. Luckily that’s coming eventually. 😊
I

I see, well, I will figure something out, because War Plan Z ships, look to cool, not to use. Can’t wait for these other things you mentioned. Thanks for the info. :-D

As a sidenote,

I have a ‘budget’ for Global War. So when I decide to purchase an Expansion or not, I ask myself:

“what brings more gameplay/fun for X amount of $”?

Example: We play GW39, so instead of buying the Spanish Civil War (SCW) expansion (which mainly benefits GW36), I could buy 48 of the new 3mm plastic naval bases for the same price and ditch the horrible cardboard pieces from A&AG40.

Being in Europe, shipping and import fees are out of this world. So I normally combine a lot into one order. I actually just received my latest order with a lot of 3mm ‘replacements’ - the only expansion was DAK.

If we start playing GW36 again, I will make sure to reconsider SCW - thanks for the input, Jinx!

Edit: SCW is no longer available  :oops:

We play with Croatia, Netherlands, Manchuria, Spanish Civil War, and the Railroad expansions. We plan to add the DAK and the Turkish expansion in our next game. I like the DAK as it provides Germany to some flexibility to effect the Med theater. The Turkish expansion is nice since it involves all 3 factions.

The “Cavalry” unit represents horse mounted troops so Cavalry seems an appropriate name. These forces fought on foot and traveled on horse back like dragoons but they were still Cavalry.

I think one of a problems with so many units is the fact existing units do the same job but better. The DD is just as dangerous as the CA and the CL, based on IPP cost, and you can deploy more of them for the same money. What good does it do to add a Plan Z with 8 new ships types when you can accomplish the same outcome more efficiently with the basic unit types.

@Warwick:

What good does it do to add a Plan Z with 8 new ships types when you can accomplish the same outcome more efficiently with the basic unit types.

I agree with you but I can see how having the real pieces would be cool. My son is a military history expert. If he had unlimited funds, he’d replace every generic piece in the game  :-D

I don’t disagree with you guys as far as the rules. I’m buying them to mainly replace some of the OOB ones. You can still use them as regular units, or make efficient rules costs for each of them to use in a game.

That is all, I meant to say about them. :-)

P.S. I’m also going to paint them. I’m a total piece junkie! :-D

@cb, get a 3D printer, then you/he can go crazy.

You can get free models here for virtually everything:
http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:232248

Man, that is some cool models, lol! :-D

How much did your 3D printer cost? If you don’t mind me asking? :-)

The ones on the pictures are not mine (unfortunately).

But from exp. the cheap printers don’t work  :roll: