The rehabilitation of cruisers and the 4-4-7

Re: Global 1942 Scenario by Larry Harris

We’ve played this version four times now, and it definitely is tilted towards the Allies. The US is simply too powerful, and Japan has no chance with the US getting 65-70+ income every turn. Our thoughts:

I agree with the assessment that the USSR can knock out 1-2 territories right off the bat. This is similar to the traditional A&A, but Germany doesn’t have the forces to respond in any forceful way to retake anything. USSR is starting with 21+ infantry across the 3-territory front, and can’t get its forces there fast enough. The USSR creates strongholds in Kaliningrad and Ukraine and churns out 10-12 infantry or 6 tanks that immediately come into play. The possible solution for this is for Germany to put a minor IC closer to the front for balance.

Germany has no chance to get transports out of the North Sea due to Britain’s fighter advantage. With France’s help, you would need to get 4+ destroyers/cruisers to protect the transports if you’re trying to go to Iceland and then to Canada/US. The key is to have sub packs hunting any transports that cross, and quick. Once the US takes Gibraltar (which it should do in R1), it becomes a fighter landing factory where they can spawn across the Atlantic and then pound Italy.

The US is just too powerful. The winning path we’ve seen is for the US to make 5-6 fighters per turn and fly them to the Hawaiian islands, then eventually take Wake and Midway. From there, it’s only a matter of time. Japan simply can’t put enough forces to fight through the fighters to get Hawaii, Midway and the islands to the south. The 15 bonus just for having the US each turn is too much. If Germany/Italy can put pressure on the US (which we have seen and done), it can help, but it’s really hard. Italy needs to get income fast, which means going hard and fast after Egypt and the consolidated forces there.

Our Allied player did a very interesting thing by putting a factory in Egypt along with an air base, which made it almost impregnable. Getting Africa quickly is perhaps the least understood key to the war - it allows Italy to prevent ships from coming through the canal and lets them pressure the US. I can’t emphasize enough how important a role plays in helping take pressure off of the UK, which can…

Build up an infantry fortress in India which is impossible to take - UNLESS you build a minor IC on R1 in Malaya. Why Malaya (which is much harder to defend)? Because, under the rules, it can be upgraded to a MAJOR IC - producing 10 units per turn - so India can be overwhelmed. Japan can then turn its attention to…

ANZAC - becomes an income suck very quickly for Japan by grabbing the East Indies. Getting Japan to take out India is probably the most important thing the Axis can do. It frees Japan to focus on island defense and ANZAC. If ANZAC starts getting fighters, they become a transport-hunting force which simply can’t be countered.

Germany - Has to focus on numbers to overwhelm Russia while hoping that the UK doesn’t undertake strategic bombing raids, which Germany should do anyway to minimize the UK’s strength.

All in all, a very solid game, but it needs some tweaks so the Axis have a chance.

@cyanheath

Welcome. All depends on what you want in your game. Play ability or more historic.

Yes there is a lack of room on a d6 dice. No room to adjust pieces better. Mostly the Cruiser and Destroyer.

Also you probably should remove your Ad for buoys.

@-Savage-:

This would not be realistic. By the start of the game, the Soviets had recently concluded a disastrous war with Finland already. They “won” the war but suffered hugely. The territory called “Vyborg” on the map represents the territory the Soviets won from Finland in that war. The Soviets knew at the start of this game that it’s military was a disaster due to Stalin’s purges, and would NOT risk another war, especially to provoke the Germans.

But the game starts with 'Vyborg" in Russia’s hands…so this was their prize for already fighting the Finnish…and the entire world knows about their humiliating status of their armed forces.

Ya my bad too. Nov. 39 - March 40 war.  40 OOB starts in spring of 40. Too bad.

Hey Wild Bill we must play a lot of 39 games !!! :-D

@Caesar:

But doesn’t that also mean that because you share a sea zone with your enemy, you are required to engage them unless you leave it?

Sort of true. Just that you are able to load units before leaving it. So the exception is of no use if you want to land on a territory which you already own.

Interesting analysis to share.
I will certainly add this opening post to one or another HR thread on Cruiser and BB.

@iceage36:

Also i would say i lose about 6-8 original russian infantry who cant retreat back fast enough from the tanks…

I am sorry for being harsh. If he does not attack until G2, this number should always be 0. The only reason for it not to be is if you use a few inf to screen.

All you really have to do is to make your infstacks so big that his tanks are not strong enough to attack them. This is actually not that difficult to do against the force germany can have in russia on g3-g4.

I don’t know exactly what you are doing wrong, but I am pretty sure you are not conducting an effective retreat and not having enough art to present a real danger for a counterattack (which should stop the german for at least 1 turn.

so it cant move through an unoccupied enemy territory. perfect. that’s just like i thought it should have been. and now i know the purpose of blitzing.

thank you sir.

Our games normally see the Germans build some fleet (including a couple tpts). Agreed Gibr gives many options (no AB makes it somewhat riskier), but if US comes to Norway via Gib (they can see it coming), then the Germans can delay it by simply building (or moving) a dd off coast of Normandy (sz 110) to block them for a turn. So the US (if is still going north) will normally kill the dd (move to sz 110), and have the UK build a carrier (add/planes) to try to keep the Germans from hitting them (provided the UK is still in the game). Then the US can probably take Norway (UK can land air to def), but the Germans again can be ready to counter it from the Baltic. Again our games usually see some navy builds for the Germans, and the western allies will need a good sized fleet to get close to shore.