Axis & Allies Global 1940 House Rules Expansion

@barnee

We chose to adapt the IPC cost from Classic & Revised to 5 IPC for an AAA unit.

This is the only change compared to the OOB G40 rules.

AAA was not suitable for Total War, due the OOB game mechanisms (1 AAA can roll maximum 3 dice) which seems to work just fine.

We are working on an Award-Winning Prize System for Axis & Allies players around the World.

This is part of the new foundation of the Northern Europe Axis & Allies Association.

The basic prize system is based on a certain number of Axis & Allies Global 1940 Expansion games the any player has to play.

We’ll open up a seperate thread for this Award-Winning Prize System soon.

@barnee

Japan can attack UK and ANZAC without the US National Guard is activated, since the UK/ANZAC unprovoked attacked Japan first.

This includes that Japan can attack any Dutch islands that were already occupied by UK or ANZAC units.

If Japan unprovoked by USA attacks US units or US areas, the US National Guard is activated.

@barnee

We have made 1 change to the Kamikaze rule:

Carrier Based Fighter units cannot be used for a Kamikaze attack.

Why:
Since the preparation of a Kamikaze attack requires additional explosives and modification of the aircraft, the Carrier Based Fighter unit is not suitable for this purpose.
The requirements mentioned above would simply strain the capacity of an Aircraft Carrier unit.
For game play reasons this also seems more balanced, since the Japanese player would have to use an expensive air unit for the Kamikaze attack, rather than sacrificing a much cheaper Carrier Based Fighter unit.
This might make the Japanese player think twice before launching a Kamikaze attack.

1. Concerning the Japanese Strategy in the Pacific:
   Japan should not count the Kamikaze attacks as part of their strategy - whether or not the Kamikaze rule is OOB or Expansion.

If Japan is forced to use Kamikaze - the War is most likely over anyway.

Japan should only use the Kamikaze rule if an Allied player is careless - and there is an opportunity to inflict heavy casualty to an Allied Aircraft Carrier unit, Heavy Battleship unit etc.

The Expansion Kamikaze rule seems to give the Japanese player a better advantage rather than the OOB Kamikaze rule, since the attack has approximately 80 percentage chance of a hit - the attack is not limited to any specific sea zone - and also Japan has limitless number of Kamikaze attacks available (though only 1 attack in each round).

2. Concerning the US Strategy in the Pacific:
   Whether or not the Japanese Kamikaze rule is from OOB rules or from Expansion rules, the US amphibious assaults that are made in the Pacific are for the most part a “one way ticket”.
   Transport units do not have the time or get the chance to go back to the Western USA to pick up fresh reinforcements.

Since Transport units cannot be attacked by Kamikaze, the US player can launch an amphibious assault with Transport units only - supported by air units and Submarine units (if there is a Naval battle - or if Japan scrambles air units against the Transport units).
This hinder that Japan can attack with Kamikaze.

Then during Non-Combat Movement, the US player can move the Naval Task Force into the sea zone where the Transport units launched the assault - to protect the Transport units from Japanese counter-attacks.

@barnee

If the Type XXI U-Boat unit scores a hit it can withdraw before any surviving units can return fire - including enemy Fighter units.

If the sea zone is cleared from enemy naval units the Type XXI U-boat unit can still withdraw, since it scored a hit.

If the Type XXI U-boat unit stays in that sea zone the enemy Fighter unit that scrambled would be able to return fire since there is (was) a Destroyer unit present at the time of the U-Boat attack.

@barnee

True - the Type XXI U-Boat unit is not only a hard hitting unit. It’s presence on the game board forces the Allies to take counter measures.

When the Type XXI U-Boat rule was gradually developed, we carefully studied the Historical German developement, training and use of the Type XXI U-Boat.

Even though the Type XXI U-Boat unit enters the game at a late stage of the War, it could be one of the weapons in the German arsenal that might bring Final Victory.

We have seen this occur in a few games where the German player simply mass produces Type XXI U-Boat units - and simply eliminates the Allied Atlantic Naval Task Forces.

@barnee

True - since Eastern Poland is controlled by Germany (not occupied, since a Factory is a facility) the Soviet player can place Partisan units in that territory.

The German player can ignore the Partisan unit - even if there are multiple Partisan units in that territory.

Note:
Partisan units prevent Strategic Rail Movement into or through that territory.