[EUROPE] [PACIFIC] [GUADALCANAL]

Hello,
First post, and sorry it’s a long one! These are the three A&A games I have. I am putting together some tweaks that combine some units/features of newer A&A games, as well as changing some things to mix it up. The games kind of follow the same pattern, as a result of each player maximizing the rules to give themselves an advantage. I absolutely love these games, but I’m tired of the same old predictable outcomes.

I have some ideas I want to run by the community here. They are not fully my ideas, but a combination of some ideas I’ve had, and combining other ideas I’ve come across from other A&A games or others house rules. I would like some honest criticism to see if these ideas are solid, or if they are too complex, too cumbersome, or will overpower or unbalance the game too much. I am interested to see if anyone here has feedback on, “I tried that, and it went like this.” My overall goal is to balance the game a little more, and give options to change the same predictable outcomes, and also not have stacks of red chips for tanks, fighters and destroyers like there is every game. After spending quite a bit of time thinking and researching, I am looking at all these ideas combined as a whole.

So here are my complaints and things I want to address with my tweaks. First, I think aircraft in general are too powerful. In A&A Europe I am tired of losing my English Battleship the first turn every game. A German Bomber, a couple fighters and subs wipe me out every time. Also, the same turn I break my German battleship into the Atlantic it is sunk by American bombers, every single time. It is frustrating that heavy bombers dominate every battle, and are the deciding factor always, both land and sea.

Second, I also thought destroyers were too powerful, or subs were too weak. It almost becomes pointless to have a game that Germany focuses on England, and impossible for a game to be won by defeating one of the Allies other than Russia. My U-Boats are almost always wiped out within a couple turns. But even if I am buying subs to keep up with losses, they still can’t seem to overcome the Allies and it is just a matter of time no matter what I do. Also, nobody buys battleships or carriers. They only buy destroyers because they are the best bang for the buck, hence stacks of red chips for DD’s. Same with tanks.

Third, it seems to take too long to build up Transports for invasions. Either the Transports cost too much, or can carry too little. Germany is taking Moscow and I am either still building an invasion force, or 1-2 turns from invading France or Germany

Lastly, it seems like it takes too long for America to get strategic bombing raids going. It takes 3 or 4 full turns to build up enough bombers to start overcoming German AA and fighter defenses, and get effective strategic Bombing raids that actually affect the German paycheck enough to get Russia from the defensive to the offensive. And that is my entire paycheck on just that the whole time to get it going. Like with Transports and invasions, it seems like bombers are too expensive. Germany is taking Moscow, and I maybe get one really good str bomb raid that starts decimating the German paycheck. Seems too little too late, despite I only bought bombers every single turn.

So here are my ideas. Some of these I have tried, but not all of them, and not all of them combined together. I have bought many new pieces from Historic Board Gaming, and I have a new setup I am about to play test. But it is hard for me to convince my regular players to play test and try new things. So I am going to just play test myself, and play a game as all the countries and document what happens. I’m going to start with A&A Europe.

I want to address air power, and also incorporate the new Tactical Bomber Unit added in later A&A games. The trick is finding the right balance between the unit cost and die rolls of each unit to each other, but keeping the overall game balanced.

Germany:
Fighter Bf-109 / Fw-190
Long Range Fighter Bf-110
Dive/Torp Bomber Ju-87
Bomber Ju-88 / He-111
Air Transport Ju-52

Great Britain:
Fighter Hurricane / Spitfire
Long Range Fighter Mosquito
Dive/Torp Bomber Swordfish
Bomber Lancaster
Air Transport C-47

United States:
Fighter P-51
Long Range Fighter P-38
Dive/Torp Bomber SBD / TBF
Bomber B-17
Air Transport C-47

Russia:
Fighter Yak
Long Range Fighter N/A
Dive/Torp Bomber IL-2
Bomber IL-4
Air Transport C-47

Unit Cost Die Movement
Fighter $8 A2/D2 M4
LR Fighter $10 A2/D2 M6
D/T Bomber $12 A3/D1 M4
Bomber $15 A2/D1 M6
Air Tr $12 A0/D1 M6

Reduce fighters to A2/D2 and reduce their cost. Reduce bombers to A2/D1, but roll two dice each on land and str bomb raids. Add long range fighter piece (twin engine M6). Add Dive/Torp bomber with A3/D1. Add Air Transports for paratroopers. I suppose Bomber piece could also do air drops.

Next reduce Destroyers to A2/D2 and reduce their cost. They still negate subs 1st strike. I am undecided to allow them shore bombardment or not, because I am adding the Cruiser piece with A3/D3 which can do random shore bombardments with Battleships without requiring an amphibious assault.

I am adding a Troop Transport unit that can carry double what a Transport Ship can carry. This should help invasions possibly get going sooner. Reduce unit cost of Transport to $6 and add Troop Ship for $8.

I also want to add an escort carrier. My thinking is a cheaper escort carrier with a single Dive/Torp Bomber can be highly effective, but also bought more because the cost.

Unit Cost Die
Transport $6 A0/D1
Troopship $8 A0/D1
Submarine $8 A2/D2
Destroyer $10 A2/D2
Cruiser $12 A3/D3
Battleship $24 A4/D4
Escort Carrier $10 A1/D2
Carrier $15 A1/D2

Lastly, the land units. I am adding a Mobile Infantry piece (truck or half-track) that can carry 2x army units (like a Transport ship only on the land). I am also toying with the idea of a heavy tank. For heavy tanks, I am undecided to have them take two hits to destroy, or attack on a 4.

Unit Cost Die Move
Infantry $3 A1/D2 M1
Artillery $4 A2/D2 M1
Truck $3 A1/D1 M2
Armor $5 A3/D2 M2
Hvy Armor $8 A3/D2 M2

I guess I’ll let you know how it goes …
Thanks for reading

@general-6-stars

These are first edition Europe, and first edition Pacific. Right now I am focusing on Europe, and want to do something similar to Pacific. I am not combining them into one, but I want to add and tweak within each one. My OOB versions do not have cruiser or tactical bombers. My Europe version does not have any French units at all, and starts with Barbarossa. My OOB Pacific has red Japanese pieces and blond Australian/Indian pieces. I want to add the cruiser and tactical bomber unit to these older games. But that requires some tweaking of the unit costs and die rolls of the other OOB units.

My complaints are general frustrations with stock OOB versions, because the games are always almost the same. The German player buys only red chips of tanks because it is the best land unit for the cost. A destroyer + fighter attacking one or two German subs on A3 each are almost guaranteed hits. It is pointless to get your German battleship out into the Atlantic because American bombers sink it immediately. Fighters and bombers dominate every land and sea battle, and the strategy gets locked into buying only tanks, fighters and destroyers, which dominate. Aircraft are used like a hat and whomp anything they attack, with land and sea units simply there for fodder. I am trying to change the same old predictable outcome of stock OOB Europe & Pacific. Hence my tweaks.

In my OOB versions, fighters cost $12 and A3/D4. The D4 made no sense to me, and seemed too powerful. Destroyers cost $12 and A3/D3. Like sea tanks, they were the best power unit for the cost. There was no point in buying anything else, because buying battleships or carriers wasted your time/money. The bomber A4 just dominated any battle it was in. Like an air battleship it was a guaranteed hit every round and ended up being the deciding factor in any battle it is in. My stock OOB transports are $8 and stock OOB carriers are $18. I enjoy the game, and even love these versions, I am just looking to spice it up to change the same predictable outcomes. I am trying to break up stacks of red chips of tanks, fighters and destroyers. I am compiling my notes and will share my results. I play tested these new rules with A&A Europe. The results were interesting and promising.