Alternative Rules for D-day

@andrewaagamer

In my first game, there was some battles around Caen, I abandoned Utah Beach (too far from reinforcements), and then Germany threw as many starting forces at that beach as possible, whilst I concentrated my reinforcements on the British and Omaha, who got their reinforcements faster than the Americans-it was a battle of attrition that the British could not win, especially with British tanks defending at two, and once most British forces have been destroyed, the Americans have finally broken out of Utah Beach, and easily took Cherbourg-no matter, the Americans and British couldn’t take Caen or St.Lo.

As for aircraft, I tried to avoid as many artillery pieces as possible (in hindsight, I was overly cautious regarding this), and I concnetrated as many fighters into a single zone as possible.

Another thing I want you to think about is my policy (I control both sides) for both sides, where I delay reinforcements until the single unit (usually a division, but sometimes Werfer brigades), units made up of one piece (such as the British armoured brigades) are moved immediately after deployment. I just like doing this, because I think that reinforcements not be poured in piecemeal and destroyed piecemeal, as I feel like this is what happened in real life (even if it didn’t, I still would like for divisions to operate together, even if individual units aren’t more powerful when operating within their own division. Is that a good idea? I look forward to hearing your response!

The “latest version” with updated logo that just say “AH Avalon Hill” instead of “AH Avalon Hill Games” has been released and is ready to ship from Amazon.

Played my first D-Day game last Thurday with a work friend.  I usually play Revised/Anniversary/Some new Pacific/Global.  First let me say, it was nice not to have to decide what units to purchase with IPCs.  Well to the battle…

I did a scant bit of research on what the game might involve, glossed over the rules, and printed out the FAQ.  We flipped a coin and I got allies.  I knew that blockhouses were bad because they could pick the unit to remove so I made it a point to try to kick those in the teeth near the Brits so they couldn’t pluck my shermans out of the water.  The ones that did survive to shoot, missed everything.  I had a good UK landing and pushed Caen hard, taking it turn 2.  When placing my airpower I tried putting them in reinforcement zones and cut quick approaches to my stacks.  I’ll say that positioning the strafing helped steer his units, but the ones that walked through the strafing were probably safer, because my planes could not hit the broad side of Caen.

I rushed into Caen so then turned my sights toward St Lo, while trying to clear out units around Cherbourg.  We traded units pretty steadily outside of St Lo and I couldn’t seem to muster my way inside.  I reinforced Caen landing zones once with units to help against reinforcements, but then prioritized capturing St Lo.  An error to almost lose my the game later.  My units near Cherbourg took some heavy losses and I needed to start pushing more US that direction, while focusing on St. Lo.  Reinforcements started massing around Caen and I realized I needed to shift units toward it to either intercept the Germans outside of Caen or to retake it if it was lost.

Turn 8 I took St Lo and flung 3 UK shermans towards Cherbourg that would make it to attack on turn 10 (with other US forces).  I piled aircraft around Caen to protect it to no avail.

Turn 9 my UK forces attack blocks of Germans around Caen and score victories, but Germans still remain.  My attack into Cherbourg is practically obliterated, leaving 5 German units still on the city.  The follow-up US forces combined with the 3 shermans need to clear it turn 10.

Turn 10 two Spitfires decimate 3 Axis units out of a sizeable force that move to attack Caen and UK forces finish off the rest.  The attack on Cherbourg finished the remaining units.

I wish I kept track of my shots taking by fighters and bombers, because their hitrate was horrendous, even by 17% standards.  Bombers are better at needing 3’s, but I am sure their rate fell below 50% in the last few turns.  My UK reinforcement rolls had my last reinforcements hitting the beach on turn 7, while the US finished landing on turn 9.

The game was fun and different, which made it a cool experience.  Next time we’ll try the fortune cards or maybe hit up Guadalcanal.  I think what was a real shocker was having the game only take a few hours, where Anniversary can take much much longer.

@Albert:

The terms D-Day and H-Hour are used for the day and hour on which a combat attack or operation is to be initiated. They designate the day and hour of the operation when the day and hour have not yet been determined, or where secrecy is essential. For a given operation, the same D-Day and H-Hour apply for all units participating in it. When used in combination with numbers, and plus or minus signs, these terms indicate the point of time preceding or following a specific action. Thus, H−3 means 3 hours before H-Hour, and D+3 means 3 days after D-Day. (By extension, H+75 minutes is used for H-Hour plus 1 hour and 15 minutes.) Planning papers for large-scale operations are made up in detail long before specific dates are set. Thus, orders are issued for the various steps to be carried out on the D-Day or H-Hour minus or plus a certain number of days, hours, or minutes. At the appropriate time, a subsequent order is issued that states the actual day and times.

Correct.  Good explanation.  WWII had many “D-Days”, but the one on June 6 1944 became so famous that it has tended to overshadow the rest, and to occupy a category by itself.

www.flames-of-europe.de dicey now supports D-Day! Anyone up for a game? You can get the ABattlemap module at www.axisandallies.us/add

Try TripleA

I would like to first draw your attention here if you haven’t found it already.

http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=ah/faqs/axisdday

The blockhouses can not be destroyed by any succesful roll during execution of this order. You will only be able to kill German tanks, infanty and artillery.

You will likely have noticed the naval bombardment card which allows you to only target blockhouses. Later during the Alles conduct combat card you will be able to destroy anything hit -tanks, infantry, artillery or blockhouses.

According to the FAQ from Avalon Hill you must declare your moves before the units are strafed and the move must be legal assuming no loses to strafing.

We have always played that the city has to be clear of the Axis at the begining and end of the turn. Moving a unit in during the turn doesn’t change control. Control is in step five of combat. The Axis move is after the Allies move. The Axis would move into the Allied controlled city. Combat would occur and if there are no Axis units left control would stay with the Allies. That isn’t in the FAQ.

http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=ah/faqs/axisdday

Hope that helps.