The Air Gap

Naval battles are definitely lacking in the European theatre of the games I have played.

@Brain:

Naval battles are definitely lacking in the European theatre of the games I have played.

It should not be that way, because both UK, Italy and Germany start with a lot of ships.

I suggest, that when it is your turn, dont use your planes to sink ships, but send in your fleet.
Now that should do it.

Typically that’s what happens, the navies are destroyed in the early rounds and never replaced.

@Brain:

Typically that’s what happens, the navies are destroyed in the early rounds and never replaced.

That is basically because you play it the wrong way, man. Next time, buy a carrier as Germany and the Baltic Fleet will survive a long time. When UK, buy a carrier and lots of destroyers. If Italy, buy some destroyers. If USA, make Germany buy some subs and you must buy a lot of ships just to survive. Also if you are UK/US, just stop buying tons of fighters that you move to Moscow.

Now Razor fixed your game, man

The missing navies is a consequence of the lack of safe harbours.  Most warships spent most of the war in harbour, largely safe from naval attacks (but not from sneak air raids!).

Allow ships to remain in harbour (i.e. in a coastal land area) and the whole dynamic of naval warfare changes.  Subs can raid convoys without becoming sitting ducks for aircraft, and even lumbering battleships can hide out in harbour unless a large air attack is organised to take them out, something which can be fended off by ground forces.

Otherwise ships will simply be wiped out early by cheaper aircraft, the only exception being large fleets protected by carrier based fighters.  It is one of about a dozen fundamental game dynamics that have to change if you want Axis and Allies to play out anything much like the real war.

Oh flashman, Ports you say? Im going to try and find a way to get this into a 1940 House rule packet….i need to play more OOB first to see if its neccesary. This is from my AA 50 house rule packet. It changes the game COMPLETELY

House Rule 6 – Ports
Friendly Territories with a Factory, Victory City, or AA Gun are considered to have a port.
1.To move into port, treat the unit as if it was moving into an imaginary territory between the territory and the sea zone, expending one movement point to do so. These peices remain in the original sea zone, mark them with Natonal Control Markers beneath to denote they are in port.
2.While in port, these vessels are not to be included in normal naval combat. They may only be attacked by air or submarine. These units are protected by an AA gun if present; however while in port their defense value is reduced by 1.
3.When attacking a territory with ships in port, the attacker must enter the sea zone with the units in port, then expend a movement point to enter port OR ALTERNATIVELY reach the land territory containing the port then expend a movement point to enter port to attack.
4.When leaving port, (including after an attack) a movement point does not need to be expended to return to the original adjacent sea zone or territory, units must return there automatically after combat.
If a territory is captured while ships are in port, they are immediately ejected from port, conduct combat as necessary, both fleets fight using their attack values. No fleet may retreat from this combat
Transports may not load or offload to any territory other than the respective port territory while in port.
Amphibious invasions may not be launched against territories by unescorted transports if there are enemy combat ships in port.
Submarines may not submerge when in port. Attacking subs may not stay in an enemy port after combat.

Definitely a broader Atlantic with mid-Atlantic convoys would rock.

Should the IPC reduction always count against the UK?
If France is somehow still in play should the Allies decide who takes one for the team?

Could we possibly (not probably) see in those same seazones Allied subs sinking German convoys bringing loot back from the New World… a conquered Brazil perhaps?

It seems to drag us into the AAE configuration of player-specific convoy boxes / zones, no?

whats this talk of WOTC going bankrupt?

@Emperor_Taiki:

I know what you saying about ports and the overpowerness of air vs naval, but in AAP40 their are a lot of  places for the navies to hide from aircraft, it accauly feals kinda like the real war.

Most of those hiding places include an island AB. There will be islands in the Med, and you have Iceland but Larry already said no Azores. So unless there is an island in the Baltic or a special rule for scrambling near straights hiding places will be limited. Maybe there will be a rule that you can scramble from a capital in the global game.