Condensed 'Bring-me-up-to-speed' information?

I’d rather have cheaper, defenseless transport planes myself.

I think that’s totally reasonable, Midnight_Reaper. You could introduce cheaper air transports into this roster without breaking anything important. My preference is for more expensive air transports because the extra price thematically represents (a) the up-front cost of developing the technology and tactics (nobody has to spend money on researching paratroopers for this roster), and (b) the relatively limited supply of air transport available during World War II. There’s a fun little article below about how most of the American Air Force’s transports were either hastily converted civilian planes, or wooden gliders manufactured in piano factories. If the Americans had to make do with makeshift equipment, you can only imagine what the Italians were using.

https://amcmuseum.org/history/world-war-ii-transport-and-troop-carrier/

Strategically, air transports provide a much deeper threat into enemy territory that requires a much larger garrison. E.g. if you put an assault boat in the English Channel, it threatens Normandy, Holland, Norway, Hanover, and Denmark. If you put an air transport in London, it threatens all of those plus Paris, Marseilles, Gibraltar, Morocco, Milan, Berlin, Poland, Finland, Austria, and Czechoslovakia. It’s not that I expect anyone to fly many air transports into a battle to use as fodder; it’s just that spending 12 bucks on one air transport can force your opponent to spend more than 12 bucks on extra defending infantry.

In terms of rules simplicity, I have tried to eliminate the concept of the “defenseless unit” from my unit roster. I find automatic combat losses to be something of a downer, and I’d rather use that spot in the rulebook for a more interesting rule.

All of that said, again, this is mostly personal preference – if you want a $9 defenseless air transport with 4 movement, that’s almost certainly fine.

@CWO:

@Erocco:

@Argothair:

Some early thoughts on your mix of units:

Many of your units are quite similar to each other mechanically, especially on land. E.g., a tank destroyer is C5 A4 D4 M2, whereas a light tank is C5 A5 D4 M2 – do you really need two different units whose statistics are within one point of each other? Another example is Mech. Inf. (C4 A2 D4 M2) vs. Armored Cars (C4 A3 D3 M2). With d12 dice, these small differences will only matter once every 12 rolls. Consider whether your players will want to buy extra minis, carefully squint at the setup, etc., so that they can enjoy the result of these small differences.

I though of this long and hard. I love to have a choice of many different types of units for every situation. I own most of the HBG sculpts so I figured why not.

Just a comment on a possible middle ground between two valid points: your valid point that having special extra units is fun and interesting, and Argothair’s point that having too many special units – some of them having only minor differences between them – complicates things excessively.  A possible way to split the difference is to have a rule saying that, out of the full range of available special extra units, each power is only allowed to buy X types per game (say, for example, 2 types).  This helps to keep things manageable, because each player only needs to remember the specifications for a very limited number of extra types, not for dozens of them.  It doesn’t restrict game-to-game variety because, from game to game, the various players won’t necessarily buy the same special units.

An additional concept to consider would be to have certain types of special units only be available to certain powers, rather than to everyone.  This could result in interesting situations in which the opposing forces can never be precisely matched in composition…and it would also have a historical basis, because in WWII not all powers fielded every type of weapon.

I should start posting some of the work completed to date because that’s exactly what I’ve done. Every Nation has 2 specific units with the exception of Italy which they have one (ideas for a second unit are welcome) and depending on the unit you can only build 1 or 2 per turn. So anything you suggesting CWO Marc has been implemented.

GRASSHOPPER’S INVITATIONAL - HOUSE RULES

Victory Objectives & Tokens: New Victory Condition Rule

Once a victory objective is achieved, a victory token will be awarded, the side with the most victory tokens at the end of the day wins the game. Victory tokens are awarded immediately upon completion regardless of when, or how the objective was achieved. Also, a token can never be taken away once earned, and they may never be awarded twice for the same objective. It doesn’t matter which round the game ends, however, a win or a tie can only be declared at the end of a full game round.

Tournament Rule: On top of any victory tokens earned during each game, teams that win their game outright will receive a bonus victory token, and teams that finish a game without allowing their opponent to claim a victory token will receive a bonus victory token. Tie breakers for declaring teams that advance to the medal round games will be total game victory tokens first, followed by any bonus victory tokens next.
Here is a list of all victory objectives for each side…

Axis Powers

London -The Axis control London
(R&D) *The nation that takes control
Moscow -The Axis control Moscow
(R&D) *The nation that takes control
Calcutta
-The Axis control Calcutta
(R&D) *The nation that takes control
Sydney
-The Axis control Sydney
(R&D) *The nation that takes control
Africa
-The Axis control Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Tobruk, Alexandria, and Egypt.
(R&D) *The nation that controls the most
Pacific -The Axis control 6 victory cities on the Pacific map
(R&D) *The nation that controls the most Europe
-The Axis control 7 victory cities on the Europe map
(R&D) *The nation that controls the most

Economy
-All 3 Axis powers have a combined total of 136 IPCs on the income tracker
(R&D) *The nation that is earning the most
Allied Powers

Berlin
-The Allies control Berlin
(R&D) *The nation that takes control
Rome
-The Allies control Rome
(R&D) *The nation that takes control

Tokyo
-The Allies control Tokyo
(R&D) *The nation that takes control
Africa -The Allied powers control all non-neutral territories on the continent of Africa
(R&D) *The nation that controls the most
Liberation
-The Allies have liberated London, Paris, Calcutta, or Sydney
(R&D) *The United States
Philippines
-The Allies have liberated the Philippines
(R&D) *The United States

Asia
-The Allies control the Burma road as well as Hong Kong and Shanghai
(R&D) *The United Kingdom

Pacific
-There are no Japanese Capital ships on the board
(R&D) *The United States

Fortunes of War: New Research & Development Rule

Research rolls are no longer used to develop breakthroughs, instead, a system called “Fortunes of War” will be used where nations get free development rolls when victory objectives have been achieved. Once a victory token is gained, the nation with the corresponding (*) instructions listed with each objective will choose a breakthrough chart, and make a free “Fortunes of War” roll with the resulting breakthrough taking effect immediately after their turn has ended.Any breakthroughs gained by the UK regardless of which side of the map a token was achieved will effect all UK purchases and all UK units on the board.

Modifications to oob breakthroughs are in red italics, Paratroopers have been replaced with Super Carrier Decks, and breakthroughs among the 2 charts have been re-positioned for balance.

Breakthrough Chart #1

Heavy Artillery
All artillery now support up to 2 attacking infantry and/or mech infantry each

Rockets
Each operational airbase may launch a rocket at an enemy facility up to 4 spaces away, roll 2 dice per rocket and apply the highest result for damage.

Jet Fighters
All fighters now attack at 4 or less, and defend at 2 or less when escorting or intercepting.

Long-Range Aircraft
Maximum movement range for all air units is now increased by 1.

War Bonds
During the collect income phase, roll 2 dice and collect IPCs in the amount shown on the highest roll. (For UK war bonds, Calcutta will gain IPCs from the lowest roll, London will gain IPCs from the highest roll).

Blitz Tactics
Mech infantry now attack at 2 or less if paired with a tank as well as artillery, they may blitz without tanks, and they may tow 1 artillery unit each during the non-combat movement phase.
Breakthrough Chart #2

Super Submarines
All submarines now attack at 3 or less.

Anti-Aircraft Radar
All ainti-aircraft fire from AA artillery, or AA guns built into facilities now defend at 2 or less.

Improved Shipyards
Battleships, Aircraft Carriers, and Cruisers are now 3 IPCs cheaper, and Destroyers, Submarines, and transports are now 1 IPC cheaper.

Mass Production
The mobilization capacity of all production facilities has been increased by 2. Also, you may remove 2 damage markers for the price of 1.

Super Carrier Decks
All aircraft carriers may now carry up to 3 fighters and/or tactical bombers each.

Heavy Bombers
When attacking during a battle or a SBR, roll 2 dice for each strategic bomber and select the best result.

Bonus Income: New & Modified National Objectives

Germany (in addition to all original NOs)
-5 IPCs if an Axis power controls London

Soviet Union (2 NOs which will replace the original National Prestige NO)
-5 IPCs if there are no Axis warships in sea zone #125, and the Allies control Archangel as well as London
-5 IPCs if there are no Allied units on any original Russian territories

Japan (in addition to all original NOs)
-5 IPCs if Japan controls all original Chinese territories

United States (in addition to all original NOs)
-5 IPCs if the United States are at war with the Axis powers

UK Europe (in addition to all original NOs)

5 IPCs if there are no German submarines anywhere on the board other than in the Baltic Sea (sea zones 113-115), the Black Sea (100), and the Caspian Sea (unnumbered)

ANZAC (in addition to all original NOs)
-5 IPCs if the Allies control Cairo (when at war with Germany/Italy)

Payload & Navigation Modifiers: New SBR Rules

The +2 damage bonus for each strategic bomber during strategic bombing raids will now be distributed like such…

+1 Damage - if the strategic bombers rolling for damage have departed from an operational airbase.
+1 Damage - if the strategic bombers rolling for damage did not encounter an enemy interceptor.

Capital Purge: New Rule

When a capital is captured the first time, all cash on hand will to the nation which takes it, however, each time the same capital is captured after the first, all cash on hand will go to the bank.

@seancb Read all of it, very nice :) I always wanted to make “events” for A&A games but it makes the games much more complicated. I will have to reformat everything and print it neatly so everyone can understand the rules and what they roll :grin:

Very old thread but hopefully more people can read it once I comment :)

So if, as germany,after I capture Moscow which had 2 damaged ICs and 2 good ICs.Is the 1 IC that remains after capture a good 1 or a damaged one?
I can imagine Russia leaving a "scorched earth"or Germany being able to find enough infastructure for an operational minor IC remaining.

Thanks for the feedback, guys. I thought the B&W background would keep the chart in line with the WWII era, while also allowing the magnetic color roundels to stand out when placed.

Got a few more
Fritz X bomb (Germany) 5 points
Attack Britain with the rockets tech

United we stand (U.S and U.K) 10 points each
Preform a joint strike
This would only happen if there was a joint strike NA

All fail the commonwealth (Axis) 25 point
Control both British capitals at the end of turn three
25 points for the powers that captured the territories

Resistance what resistance (Germany) 10 points
Capture all three of the French home territories in Europe

@crusaderiv:

For japan, you can add Chemical weapon.

Japanese used gas and chemical weapon against chinese forces during world war II.

Hi crusadriv,

Maybe I wasn’t being clear. What I’m proposing isn’t making new weapons developments, but taking the existing weapons developments that we know about from the upcoming Global '40 game and preemptively retrofitting them into the Pacific '40 game. That probably still sounds confusing… Ah well.

-MIR