@dsumner I’m interested! What sort of changes have you made? I’ve been considering modifying the map in both eastern Europe and the Middle East…
House Rules?
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I know the game has only been out for a few months, but have any of you worked up some house rules?
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I’m tinkering with a few house rules / new units (Cruisers and Bombers) once I get the kinks worked out, I’ll post the results here. Here’s a short list of what I’m working on:
- Allowing Attack Subs to target other subs (as that’s part of their mission), but only after successfully detecting their target.
- Allowing Drones to be attacked/targeted.
- Allowing Strategic Movement to be disrupted.
- Allowing for Directed/Targeted Tech Research/Development.
I’ve also got a list of a few other items I may play around with. Once post this stuff, if any of you guys try it in your games, I’d like to hear how it worked out for you, and any feedback you may have would be appreciated.
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This isn’t just a house rule, so much as taking the game to a different level. Ever since playing 1936, I’ve fallen in love with pre-war scenarios, so I’m working on a January 2022 start date, with Ukraine as a neutral (on the nose, I’m aware) and many other additions to the other neutrals. The basic premise is that Russia is trying to capture as much territory as it can before nations join NATO
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@schmidty1701
How has that been working out for you? -
@dsumner I’ll be doing the first playtest tomorrow. It’s similar to 1936, in that Ukraine-Russian war is the Spanich civil war (except only NATO is pending troops), and Russia has to also (try) to gobble up Scandinavia, the Baltics, and Panama (through Venezuela) before they join NATO
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@schmidty1701 Please let me know how that works out.
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These are just a few ideas I’ve been kicking around, mainly because I want to use some of the new 3D print minis they have and they add a few more options to the game:
INFANTRY CLASS UNITS
Light Infantry - A1, D3, M1, Cost 2 - Move 3 during Strategic Movement
Marines - A2/(3), D4, M1, Cost 4 - Attack on 3 during Amphib Assault, Move 3 during Strategic Movement
Militia - A0, D2, M(1), Cost 1 - Can only be raised in a Faction’s home country, move of “1”, but only in Faction’s home countryVEHICLE CLASS UNITS
Mechanized Infantry - A5, D5, M2, Cost 5 - May Blitz, TS “1” (Land Units)
Stryker - A4, D4, M2, Cost 4 - May BlitzARTILLERY CLASS UNITS
Artillery - A4, D3, M1, Cost 4 - +1 Attack
Advanced Artillery - A5, D3, M1, Cost 5 - TS “1” (Land Units), May Use Advanced Munitions for +1 IPP
Self-Propelled Artillery - A4, D3, M2, Cost 5 -
Advanced Self-Propelled Artillery - A4, D3, M2, Cost 6 - TS “1” (Land Units), May Use Advanced Munitions for +1IPPADVANCED MUNITIONS
Cluster - Double Infantry casualties, First Strike (Infantry Units)
Precision Guided Munitions (PGM) - +1 Attack, First Strike, TS “3” (Land Units)I’m tinkering with Missile Artillery, High-Speed Transports, using drones for ASW, using nukes to disrupt Strategic Movement, Combined Arms Attacks, plus some other stuff like Insurgents as well as targeted tech research, and some additional Tech advances (Next Gen Attack Helicopters, Satellite Recon, a “Dirty Bomb”, Advanced Command and Control, Enhanced Air Defense, Anti-Drone Technology, and Bio-Weapons).
I also want to add Strategic Bombers and Cruisers, but need to figure out costs for them and how bombing would work.
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@dsumner If any of you want to give this stuff a go, please let me know how it worked for you, as I like the feedback. It helps me try to refine this stuff.
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@dsumner I certainly will. I finished the playtest, and it certainly needs more work. I’ve got to adjust the setups somewhat, and figure out how to ramp up economy over time (just like in 1936). The West won in 4 rounds, and with authority too. They would have had 7 or 8 (technically) victory cities. The biggest factor is that since Ukraine is a victory city, and starts as a neutral (a very heavily armed neutral at that) the East start with a -1 VP.
While Russia did take Ukraine in one attack, it left her beat up, too much to where she was able to push into Germany. In fact, the East was forced to try Nukes to even things out, which backfired and gave the West an even larger advantage.
Adding new units goes seamlessly, fortunately, so I’m looking forward to trying out your additions. I’ve also got many of my own (mostly naval). The greater challenge is going to be giving the East the ability to win conventionally. I love the nukes, they add a lot of randomness and moments of WOW! However, winning with your forces is much more satisfying. I’ll post a revised setup hopefully tomorrow (5/30) that will include new units.
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@dsumner I’ve got a rough idea for Cruisers. Following modern day, since the difference between the Cruisers in Russias and the USN are almost negligible compared to the contemporary DDGs, I have CGs a cost of 17, with the same 8 Attack/Defense of the DDG. They still only launch 1 Cruise missile, but they have and AA ability where they can shoot at Aircraft at a 2 (Following regular A&A rules for anti air) and they can attempt to intercept a Cruise missile (assuming a hit is scored) at a 2.
For Bombers, I followed the Strat bombers of 1936. They can bomb bases, using 3 d12. They hit on a 4 (follow 2025 rules for Base strikes). They can also perform a Carpet Bomb using the same 3 d12 at 4. The Carpet Bomb functions just like a Surgical Strike (but no halving the dice values)
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@schmidty1701 I’ve adjusted the cost of all of the Artillery class units upwards, but I can’t edit the original post, so I’ll post an update later. I’m also messing around with putting this all into a PDF for download.
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A few more ideas I want to try out.
Close Air Support - When Fighters or Attack Helicopters are paired with Ground Units (Infantry, MBTs, etc.) they provide a +1 Attack bonus to those units.
Combined Arms Attacks - When at least one MBT, Infantry, (and Artillery if you’re using it) and Air Unit (Attack Helicopter or Fighter) are paired, the attacking units receive a +2 Attack bonus.
Attacking Cities - Land Units located in with also has a City located in it receive a +1 Defense Bonus. For an additional 3 IPP, the city can be “Fortified” against a ground attack, granting +2 Defense bonus.
I’m also working out a few more Tech Developments - Next Gen Attack Helicopters, Improved Air Defense (Russia & China), Anti-Drone Tech (US & NATO) - It’d allow you to cancel out the bonus drones grant attacking units, a “Dirty Bomb” for the Caliphate (basically it’s an ADM, but it irradiates the area its detonated in causing IPP damage, Improved Command & Control (Western powers), it’d give them +1 Attack or Defense bonus, and Satellite Recon, (Everyone but the Caliphate), It’d give you a +2 Attack bonus on the first round of combat for the rest of the game, and Electromagnetic Pulse EMP) Weapon (Everyone but the Caliphate), for 3 IPP you could launch a nuclear cruise missile that detonates over an enemy territory. Any units in the territory would be at -2 to attack or defend for the next turn, unless they roll a “2”, and Hardened Defenses (you’re units, facilities, etc. are “hardened” against EMPs, and defend against it on a “5”.
Hows this stuff sound?
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@dsumner I think these are great ideas, but I do think the +2 with combined arms is a bit much when you take into consideration Next Gen MBTs and Next Gen Fighters. They’d be attacking at a 10. I won’t knock it till I try it, because getting the Next Gens isn’t a guarantee each game.
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Hmm…maybe limit it to a +1? As far as all of this goes, I’ve said that all of this stuff still needs to be play tested, so I’m pretty open to changes. I’ve also got ideas for, Strategic Bombers (they’d be able to conduct strategic bombing raids and launch cruise missiles), Stealth Bombers (they’d have a high defense), tankers (They could refuel Fighters, Bombers and Drones extending their range), tanker drones (They’d be cheaper than Tankers and could refuel Fighters and Drones), Electronic Warfare Aircraft (They’d grant a +1 or +2 Defense bonus to an aircraft they were paired with, SIGINT & ELINT aircraft (They’d grant a +1 or +2 bonus, first round only, and TS “2” to fighters when paired with them. They’ll be expensive, and have to taken as the last casualty during combat, and if I can work it AWACS & J-STARS aircraft (not quite sure how to work them in yet). One more idea I’ve had is for Fighters to be allowed to fly Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses (SEAD) missions. They could “suppress” (reduced a zone’s air defense rating) by attacking air defenses at 1/2 strength. Fighters would be allowed to make 1 attack against air defense systems. Each successful attack would reduce that territories air defense score by “1”. It can never be reduced below one no matter how many aircraft are involved in the attack. Enemy air defense would still be able to defend themselves and shoot back. I also want to add Cruisers, but with Destroyers being as powerful as they are, Cruisers would really have to step it up.
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I reworked some of the Advanced Artillery Munitions, along with the various Artillery Units. I also have some draft rules for various types of aircraft (Electronic Warfare, Wild Weasel, Forward Air Controllers, and several types of Drones). I’m playing around with ideas for Specialized Ordnance (Napalm - First Strike and double Infantry Casualties), Cluster Bombs (2 attacks @ “3” vs. Land Units), and Guided Bombs (Smart Munitions, they’d grant a +1 Attack Bonus, and TS “3”). I’ve also got ideas for using Combat Engineers. I’ll post more detail on on of this, along with a revised list of cost and stats for the various Artillery Units this weekend. If any of you guys are using, or have used, any of this stuff in your games, let me know. I’d really like to hear how they’re working out for you.
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I’m still tinkering around with all of this trying to refine a few things before I start playtesting this stuff.
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It’s been a while, but I’ve got a couple of ideas I’d like someone other than me to try out and see how they work for you. 1) Increase the attack for Cruise Missiles to a “5”. 2) Decrease the move on Attack Helicopters to “3”. 3) Increase the range on Drones to a “3”, and a “4” for Improved Drones. 4) Allow Fighters to scramble into adjacent Land Zones from Airbases.
If you guys try this stuff out, please let me know how it works out for you.
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