AARHE: Phase 3: Revised NA's

Japan National Advantages

1.  Tokyo Express
The Japanese High Command used destroyer convoys to ferry infantry. Allied forces at Guadalcanal dubbed this the “Tokyo Express”.
Each of your destroyers may act as a transport for one infantry. These destroyers follow the same rules for loading and offloading units as transports do. Your destroyers can also conduct shore bombardment (using an attack of 2) in an amphibious assault.

2.  Kamikaze Attacks
A terrifying development was the Japanese suicide tactics as a desperate means of slowing the Allied advance. The Japanese used pilots who only knew how to take off and dive into their target with an aircraft full of explosives.
You may make six Kamikaze attacks during the game for free. Kamikazes are not represented by a unit, hence a Kamikaze can not be taken as a casualty. Use a die to keep track on how many Kamikaze remain to be used. These attacks may be launched if an Allied player move ships within 2 sea zones from Japan, after all combat movement has been completed. Kamikaze may target specific enemy ships, except for submarines. They attack on a roll of 2 or less during the opening fire step of the first cycle of combat only. Before you rolls dice to launch a Kamikaze attack, you must announce the target(s) and how many Kamikazes that are participating. If a Kamikaze is used during an allied combat phase this counts as a naval battle and will prevent all ships in that sea zone from conducting shore bombardment.

3.  Long Lance Torpedoes
The Japanese Navy possessed superior torpedoes in comparison with its Western counterparts, possessing an unequaled combination of speed, range, and hitting power.
Your submarines attack on a 3 (4 if you have the Super Submarines development) in the opening fire step of combat. This increased attack factor is for the first cycle of combat only.

4.  Super Dreadnoughts
Dreadnoughts or leviathans like Yamato and Musashi were the largest and most powerful battleships the world has ever seen.
Your battleships attack (imply shore bombardment) and defend on 5.

5.  Dug-In Defenses
The Japanese introduced the tactic of endurance engagements intended to inflict maximum casualties. This tactic included bunkers and pillboxes connected by tunnels.
All your infantry on islands are immune to shore bombardment and defend on a 3.

6.  Banzai Attacks
A fearsome rallying cry of the Imperial Japanese Army, “Banzai!” meant, “May you live ten thousand years.”
When you begin an attack with only infantry, all those infantry attack on a 2. This also applies to any amphibious assault in which all your attacking units in the land combat (other than those conducting shore bombardment) consist of only infantry.

7. Naval Advantage
The Japanese Imperial Navy ruled supreme at the Pacific before the Battle of Midway. They had supercarriers, super submarines, battlecarriers, and Shinyo suicide boats.
-Your aircraft carriers can carry an additional 1 fighter.
-Your submarines and battleships may carry up to one fighter.
-At the start of a sea attack, you may designate as many of your transports as suicide boats. In the first cycle of combat, suicide boats hit in the Opening Fire step of combat (meaning, their casualties cannot hit back)–each suicide boats specifies one specific enemy sea unit which it tries to hit (two suicide boats could specify the same target unit, and may declare a secondary target, so if they both target the same thing and the first one hits, the 2nd suicide boats may attempt to destroy the secondary target). Suicide boats hit on a 3 in attack and defense (4 in attack with Super Subs). Enemy units cannot hit suicide boats! Instead, they automatically die after the first cycle of combat, whether they have hit or not.

8. Mounted Infantry
A mixture of horses and tanks was common in the Imperial Army.
Your infantry may move 2 spaces. However, they still may not blitz.

9. Guerrilla Tactics
Japanese infantry operated well on forests because they employed guerrilla tactics.
Your attacking infantry and tanks fire on the Conduct Opening Fire Step of combat during the first cycle.

10. Imperial Guard
The Japanese Imperial Guard were elite soldiers that protected the Emperor. They were also used for military operations on a limited basis.
Once per game, if your capital gets attacked by at least one ground unit, you may place 2 infantry there before the Conduct Combat Phase.

note: i didnt make these… they were mostly supplied by Gen. patch and anderson GM.

They do need work.

some of this is from Andersson as well.

It will take time to sort this out and respond to your comments… i am fixing the map right now.

Selection system

• I suggest secretly write down one during the start of turn 1, 2 and 3

yes or perhaps something like this:

Method of Deployment
• Each player on a team obtains a number of NA’s each turn.
• A number of chits are drawn randomly from numbered counters indicating what NA is drawn.
• The Allies will choose a total of 12 NAs and The Axis will have a total of 9 NAs.
• NAs do not come into effect until declared at the start of each nation’s respective turn.
• During the 1st three rounds, every country declares 3 NAs each.
• During the 4th round, Allies declare 3 NAs as a group.

Overall

• small wording adjustments to make it clear whether its your turn or enemy turn

+++ I suspect the selection is done at the start of your turn before any other action is taken.

• some missing historic information

++++ yes its breif to cut down on “fluff” but when you compile this youll add a few things.

USSR

• Tank Industry is served by T-34 Tank already, I like T-34 Tank since its limited hence not unbalancing
  ++++ yes right it will have to go.

• can’t see the advantage of Commissars !!!

++++ again its not my list its just everything in one big pile. I think in this case allocation must be random to speed up the game and provide a realistic war feelings to the thing. You dont even know what may be developed because your not sure what your gonna get. thats why i favor the random NA’s

Germany

• U-Boat Program, again I prefer the one from National Build, since its limited hence not unbalancing
• Wolf Packs, note we a standard Wolf Pack rule already
• Soft underbelly, is that a historic/good name for that rule? just checking

++++ Its a term made by winston Chirchill for the startegy to hit germany in africa and Italy. it was also a term of deception to mislead Hitler into thinking the allied were invading Greece/ Yugoslavia in 43-44

• Fortress Europe, is this all Germany territories?

++++ All Grey territories they start with on continental europe

• Panzer Blitz,  make note whether this is allowed in non-Blitz-able territories

++++ right

• Afrika Corps, mechanized infantry? maybe just infantry for now? once per game or not?

+++ once per game

Italy

• Desert Tracks, note Sahara is not impassible, maybe let Italian tanks blitz through dessert territory?

++++ yes they may pass in limited situations

• Elevated Ground, note units can’t blitz Southern Europe and the Balkans by default
• Mediterranean Express, from where to Libya?

++++from Italy to Lybia

UK

• Radar, notes Radar is a tech now, is it your intention to give another +1 modifier to AA search roll?

++++ no its just stuff that has not been assimulated yet.

• British Commonwealth Troops, AARHE already compromised by giving UK a VC in Egypt for troop raising or cheaper IC

++++Right we done need it in its current form

production…this every turn rule (whether free or not) is too poweful I think…how about once per game place 3 troop for free

++++ some tweeking needs to be done.

spread in any combination among those territories?

• The Royal Navy, probably need limitation to the cheaper unit thru not unbalancing
• Mideast Oil, reword to make it clearer, recall our planes have to land mid-flight already and you get to move 2 more during

non-combat move

• Battlecruisers, CV( cruiser) already move 3…would have to create a new unit…or maybe scratch this NA

++++ we should delete this.

US

• Liberty, again prefer a limit like National Builds…although this  probably needs it the least since its just AP (Transport)
• Super fortresses, how does this work with Heavy Bomber? maybe let Super Fortress take 2 hits?
• 5. Mechanized Infantry, remove, already covered by 1. Mechanized Army…though is it really ok to make artillery move 2?
• Chinese Divisions, if you pick this rule all US troops raised in Chinese VCs must remain in the 4 Chinese territories or

French Indo-China

• Pacific Divisions, every turn is too powerful I think…how about once per game place 3 troops for free spread in any

combination among of those territories?

Japan

• Kamikaze, actually I don’t understand why it should be 6 per game…maybe unlimited but scarifice 1 inf per attack like frogmen?
• Dug-In Defenses, how about no defense bonus but immune to shore bombardment and even air attacks in first cycle? currently we can still use FTR (fighters) to clean islands and then land…
• Naval Advantage is too big a rule, how about just super carrier  and battle carrier? I think thats pretty good already
• Guerrilla Tactics, I think only infantry and only French-Indo China, Phillippine Islands, Okinawa, Borneo, East Indices, New Guinea

The US and Japan will be addressed latter.

lets do this nation by nation here is the reconfigured USSR list:

Soviet Union National Advantages
1. Rasputista
With heavy rains the landscape changed in a blurry mess of mud where vehicles and men got stuck and were unable to advance. Twice during the game in your collect income phase, you can declare a Rasputista. Until the start of your next turn, movement (both combat and non-combat) for land units is limited to one space in any Soviet territory.

2. Salvage
After the battle of Kursk in 1943, the Germans left the shells of their wrecked tanks behind. The Soviets found interesting uses for them. If you win a battle against the German player and at least one German tank is destroyed, you may place one free Soviet tank in that territory.

3. Guard Tank Regiments
The Soviet Union used heavy tank regiments as guards of Moscow. These were elite tank formations, invulnerable to any standard anti-tank weapons available of that time.
Your tanks in cities (Leningrad, Moscow and Stalingrad) defend on a 4.

4. Conscripts
The Red Army won many battles with their raw manpower, by using untrained infantry and many times unequipped. During your mobilize new units phase, you may place one of your infantry for free in any Soviet territory if you control it. This free unit is in addition to the group of units you just purchased.

5. Katyusha Rockets
The Soviets were able to supplement the artillery with massed batteries of rocket launchers. The sheer volume of fire more than compensated for individual lack of accuracy. Your artillery attacks on a 3, for the first combat cycle only.

6. T-34 Tank
Once per turn, two tanks can be purchased and placed in Russia for 8 IPC.

7. Shock Troops
1 Infantry gets +1 attack modifier in the first cycle of combat. No more than 3 Infantry can get this bonus per turn.

8. Mobile Industry
In response to the threat from the Russian front, the Soviets moved their factories east. They produced 5,000 tanks east of the Urals in 1942. Your industrial complexes each may move 1 territory during your non combat move phase. It may be used in the same turn to place units (up to a maximum of the new territory’s value). They cannot move during the combat move phase. If an opponent captures them, that opponent cannot move them. You may mobilize at a complex if you controlled both the industrial complex and its new territory at the start of your turn.

9. Russian Winter
Russia’s greatest ally was its winter cold. Germany’s invasion stopped dead as the snows came down. Once per the game in your collect income phase, you may declare a severe winter. Until the start of your next turn, your infantry in red territories defend on a 3.

10. Red Guard
After the Russian revolution, the Red Guard—composed of armed workers and politicized soldiers and sailors–had become the Army Reserve and the base for the formation of regular military detachments. Once per game, if your capital gets attacked by at least one ground unit, you may put 1 infantry there for each industrial complex you control before the Conduct Combat Phase.

11. Commissars (NKVD)
Spreading Stalin’s slogan “not one step back,” Russian commissars shot soldiers who flee from battle. If you get attacked during any Axis player’s turn, you may sacrifice (destroy) any number of infantry you own. For each infantry sacrificed, 2 other infantry you own
defend on a 3.

13. Soviet Militia
  If German units attack any of the three major Soviet cities of Leningrad, Moscow or Stalingrad the Soviet player may immediately raise infantry equal to double the value of the city. The money is deducted from the Soviet players next turn of income even though the Infantry is placed in the first round of combat. Each of the three Soviet Cities can be activated only once per game and the infantry raised can be used just as any other unit.

15. Partisans
  Starting with the 2nd turn of any Axis invasion of the Soviet Union the Soviet player rolls one die per turn and notes the results as follows:
1= One German Infantry is destroyed and removed from the eastern front.
2=  The Soviet player can select one territory  that’s original Soviet controlled and force all Axis units that move into this territory to stop or force units moving out to be reduced to a movement of one.
3= The German players loses 2 IPC
4= The German player loses 1 IPC
5= No effect
6= Partisans neutralized (no roll next turn)

16. Scorched Earth
When the German player conquers any Soviet territory, that territory has no value until the next round of play. The German player may not add a control marker on the just captured red territory, hence may not increase the National Production Chart correspondingly. If the territory is liberated during Russians turn, then the territory regains its value.

• I don’t think we need “Tank Industry” anymore, served by T-34 which is not as unbalancing
• “Partisans” is very toy-like, how about reducing the no. of possibilities?

ok what do you think?

what is toy like?

Also i thought of that two D6 idea as well but its better to use a d12 die rather than 2 d6 because 2 is the lowest number

BUT>>>

i dont think its a good idea to artificially limit the NA’s of all nations (or add marginal ideas) to the number of 12 because its the number on a dice…

rather i prefer the use of chits (cardboard counters numbered say 1-15) . these are used to randomly select the NA’s and the number of chits that are in excess are removed from play before that nation draws… so if italy has for example only 9 choices then the chits are displayed numbering 1-9, placed face down and rearranged and drawn.

People could even use a marker and write on the gray chips 1-15.

ahh well i have to cover at least 3 ideas:

germans lose money due to sabatoge

partisans kill/destroy germans control local areas within territory

partisans are liquidated by the SS

railroads are cut slowing down movement into/thru these areas.

I edited out soviet tanks. Are their any other problems with list?

ok fixed anything else? time to begin germany?

Germany National Advantages

2. Panzer Grenadiers
During World War II, the Germans had troops that were designed for fighting alongside tanks. These were fully motorized units, so that they could at all times keep up with the tanks. Each of your tanks gives one matching infantry one additional movement allowance. The tank and the infantry unit must leave from the same territory.

3. Atlantic Wall
The Germans fortified the European beaches with massive defensive concrete blockhouses that formed part of the German defensive "Atlantic Wall”. During any amphibious assault against Axis controlled Western Europe (except for African territories), all your infantry defend on a 3 during the first cycle of combat.

7. Fortress Europe
By protecting the Third Reich on all sides, Germany built fortified defensive lines and established strongpoint on key terrain in Europe. Your artillery in German territories defends on a 3.

8. German 88’s
During the first cycle of combat only, on Attack and Defence, your artillery fire in the Conduct Opening Fire phase (instead of the Attacking Units fire and Defending Units fire phases respectively). Casualties are removed immediately. When declared, place 2 free artillery in any Gray territory you control, during the Mobilize Units phase of this turn only.

9. Panzer blitz
If your attacking forces destroy all defending units in a territory in one cycle of combat, any of your surviving armor may move 1 territory during non-combat movement.

10. Afrika Corps
Once per game place 2 infantry, 1 artillery, and 2 Armor for free in Libya if you control it, during your Mobilize Units phase.

11. Volkstrum infantry
Once per game, the German player may purchase Infantry for 2 IPC each. This cannot be performed unless a territory in Europe, controlled by Germany at the start of the game, is controlled by any Allied player.

13. SS Panzer.
These may be built, 1 per turn. A maximum of 4 can be on the map at any time. They are built as and have the same attributes as Heavy Tanks without requiring the Heavy Tank technology. In combat they may ignore the 1st hit assigned to them as they take two hits to destroy and all their attacks are rolled pre-emptively.

14. Albert Speer & German Industrial rationalisation
On turn 5  the territory of Germany is worth double value (but the original value for any strategic attacks & original value for occupation).

15. Defend the homeland 
The German player may call up to six infantry when any original German territory (grey) is under attack. (money for these units paid for on the following turn even if your getting them this turn).

Sorry i use ideas that are for AA europe and mixed them in somehow. :-(

Anyway they are fixed but now it appears that we need alot more to get to at least 12-15. Lots of choices makes things more fun when the draw comes down.