How and when do you use mechs?

No, subs cannot pass through straits if their side doesn’t own it.

except:
Subs can always pass through Gibraltar
Allied ships can pass through Denmark, if permission granted by axis (which never happens)
Nothing goes through the Turkish straits if Turkey is neutral

@JDOW:

I am very much convinced that USA focussing on reinforcing Russia is a bad idea because it is totally ineffient.

All what Japan has do it is to more or less ignore the threat. Either just block Amur/Korea which it will easily be capable of or even concede korea/Manchuria temporarily.

In the meantime Japan will just easily bash India because it has not to worry about DEI or losing transports. USA has way more important jobs to do than focussing on sending units to eastern Russia.

I agree. I think the UK should help Russia via the Middle East, and the US should focus on the DEI…

@weddingsinger All I was trying to say is that parking your US fleet in SZ 6 is a recipe for disaster, when it can be in every space around SZ 6 and be much safer. You can however, park as many subs there as you want because 1) once you control that area, you can screen out destroyers who could come 2) he cant build ships in SZ 6 unless you threaten that build, so any destroyers that are built can be blown up before Japan’s next turn 3) the subs can’t be hit by either kamis or planes, whereas your surface fleet can usually be mopped up by Japan’s abundant air force returning home plus some kamis on the carriers to defeat the air support

Thank you Teslas for your annalysis.  I had not done the math either.  Our group has used the house rule for a couple of games and it has not deminished the need for tanks nor have we found it to be an overwhelming advantage to the axis.  The UK player has made good use of the rule as has the US players.  I have no mathmatival data to counter your information and numbers do not lie but our rolling sucks…excuse me; inhales vigorously.  I can’t hit a one or a two to save my life some games.  Mechs by themselves do not eliminate the need for Germany to build infintry and I do not feel (I recognize it is just a feeling and an opinion) that they will not eliminate the need for tanks.  Time will tell I guess as we try this rule out.

From pg 28 of the 2nd edition Europe rules;

Blitz: A mechanized infantry unit must normally stop
when it enters an enemy controlled territory. However,
when paired one-for-one with a tank, it can make a blitz
movement (see “Tanks,” page 29) along with that tank.
The movement of both units must start and end in the
same territories.

@Young:

Can T-Bombers scramble into an adjacent sea zone from an airbase, or is that just for fighters as well?

T bombers can scramble.

I just made a quick guide as we are new and learning the new rule set with these same questions.

Scramble
A quick reaction team of no more than 3 defending fighters and/or tactical bombers  located on each island or coastal territory that has an operative air base can be scrambled to defend against attacks in the sea zones adjacent to those territories.

Scrambling is a special movement that the defender can make at the end of this phase.
It must be done after all of the attacker�s combat movements have been completed and all attacks have been declared.
The attacker may not change any combat movements or attacks after the defender has scrambled.

These air units can be scrambled to help friendly units in adjacent sea zones that have come under attack. They can also be scrambled to resist amphibious assaults from adjacent sea zones, whether or not the
territory being assaulted is the territory containing the air base.
They may defend against the enemy ships conducting the amphibious assault even if friendly ships are not present.

A quick reaction team on 3 defending fighters and/or tactical  located on each island or coastal territory that has an operative air base can be scrambled to defend against attacks in the sea zones adjacent to those territories.

In situations where a sea zone is adjacent to more than one territory containing an air base (sea zone 109 and
Scotland and United Kingdom, for example), each of the territories can scramble up to 3 fighters and/or tactical
bombers.
In situations where a territory containing an air base is adjacent to more than one sea zone (United
Kingdom and sea zones 109 and 110, for example), the territory may still only scramble up to 3 fighters and/or
tactical bombers, but they may be split between the sea zones in any combination.

Scrambled fighters and tactical bombers are defending, so refer to their defense values.
Fighters                   Tactical Bombers
Defense: 4                       Defense: 3

They are treated as normal defending units in their sea zones. As defenders, they may not retreat. They
can�t participate in any other battles during that turn, including a battle in the territory from which they were
scrambled.

After all combat is completed, each surviving scrambled air unit must return to the territory from which it was
scrambled. If the enemy has captured that territory, the unit can move 1 space to land in a friendly territory or
on a friendly aircraft carrier. If no such landing space is available, the unit is lost. Surviving scrambled air units
land during that turn�s Noncombat Move phase, before the attacker makes any movements.

Amphibious Assault Sequence
1. Sea combat
2. Battleship and cruiser bombardment
3. Land combat

Step 1. Sea Combat
If there are defending surface warships and/or scrambledair units, sea combat occurs.
If there are only defending submarines and/or transports, the attacker can choose to
ignore those units or conduct sea combat.

If sea combat occurs, all attacking and defending sea units present must participate in the battle. (Even if the
attacker chose to ignore defending submarines and/or transports, they will still be involved in the battle if the
defender scrambles air units and forces a sea battle.)

Conduct the sea combat using the rules for General Combat (below), then go to step 3 (land combat).
No bombardment occurs.

Strategic and Tactical Bombing Raids
Fighter Escorts and Interceptors
Defenders uses interceptors-Any number of defending fighters (not tactical bombers) may intercept.

� The attacking bombers and fighter escorts and the defending fighter interceptors will be the only units
participating in this special combat.
� The combat lasts for only one round.
� All of the air units have attack and defense values of 1.
After the air battle is complete, or if there were no defending fighter interceptors, surviving fighter escorts
are considered to have retreated. They don�t participate in the actual bombing raid, are not subject to antiaircraft fire, and will remain in the territory until the Noncombat Move phase. Any surviving attacking bombers carry out the bombing raid. If the territory offers more than one target, the bombers may be divided into groups, and each assigned a specific target (tactical bombers may not attack industrial complexes).

Each complex and base rolls one die against each bomber directly attacking it.
For each �1� rolled, a bomber of the attacker�s choice is immediately removed.

An industrial complex can�t receive more than 20 total damage for major industrial complexes and minor ones can�t receive more than 6 total damage for. Air bases and naval bases can�t receive more than 6 total damage. Damage exceeding these limits is not applied.

After resolving the antiaircraft fire, surviving bombers each roll one die.
Add 2 to each die rolled for a strategic bomber (but not for tactical bombers), then total the results.

Strategic Bombers 1-6+2 against an enemy industrial complex, air base, or naval base.
Tactical Bombers   1-6     against an enemy air or naval base.

What Japan does in the north really depends on what Russia does.
If they pile up all 18 infantry on Amur, then do like Wittmann said, pound them good and quick. Except for the 6 guys in Mongolia, that basically opens up all the Russian far east territories for Japan to walk into over the next few rounds. Almost like free IPCs for Japan.
If Russia withdraws all troops to head for Moscow, which I have seen happen, that leaves you free to use most of those troops in Manchuria and Korea in China or other places you might need extra troops. Just leave a few there on the border. Then after 3 rounds or so, when the Russians are too far west to hinder you, walk some troops up and start taking Soviet territories. Of course, you will have to deal with the 6 Mongolian/Russian troops but that shouldn’t be too difficult.
If Russia only withdraws some of the far eastern troops, like say he leaves 6-9 infantry in Amur and heads the rest toward Moscow, that usually means he wants to guard his eastern territories but isn’t looking to be aggressive toward Japan unless a blatant opportunity comes up (like Japan withdrawing all troops from Korea or Manchuria and leaving them totally open). In that case, as Japan, I would simply leave the troops there on Manchuria and Korea and consider that area a “non-combat zone”, meaning there is simply no fighting going on there. You could possibly take a couple of the troops to use elsewhere, but you don’t want to weaken youself too much or Russia might take advantage. Yeah, it sucks leaving so many guys just sitting there, but you have to keep Russia honest. Plus, at least you start with those guys and any new stuff can go to your campaigns elsewhere.

@munchie19:

Another thing I noticed about the setup is that some of the starting incomes aren’t correct. For example, Japan starts out with 31 (which is correct according to the setup), but they are not at war with any of the Allies, except for China, so they should receive that NO.

This setup has them already occupying French Indo-China. That $10 NO for being at peace with the Western Allies includes Japan NOT invading FIC. Therefore, that NO is cancelled.

It looks like everyone has a lot more stuff in this setup. UK Europe seems to have roughly the same size navy – they lose a battleship but gain 2 more destroyers. I think I like it because I just LOVE playing with more pieces. Thanks again. Oh, and thank you oztea for putting it together.