Hey all,
Been trying to think of a easy way to add partisans to the game that would have some kind of an effect on Germany/the Axis.
One thing this game doesn’t show (and really couldn’t from a playability/marketability standpoint, I get that) is how big of a role partisans played behind enemy lines. German logistics were incredibly hampered on the Eastern Front in part because of this, and the French Resistance is largely known in the western world.
I thought a way to show partisans would be to have it affect the Germany economy.
Each occupied country would get a D12 dice role after Germany’s (or whichever Axis player occupies the country) non-combat movement phase. I thought a D6 would be too powerful with this, as will seem obvious below. Each country would role the dice and compare it to how many IPC’s the country is worth. If the number showing is less than or equal to the total, you place one partisan unit/marker on the country (or in the case of France, in the France/Paris territory). It would shake out like this:
France: 9 IPC’s = 75% chance of a partisan appearing.
Holland Belgium: 3 IPC’s (including this despite Germany owing at the beginning of the game = 25% chance of a partisan appearing.
Denmark: 2 IPC’s = 16-17% chance of a partisan appearing.
Norway: 3 IPC’s = 25% chance of a partisan appearing.
Yugoslavia: 2 IPC’s = 16-17% chance of a partisan appearing.
Greece: 2 IPC’s = 16-17% chance of a partisan appearing.
Poland: 3 IPC’s (counting both Poland and Eastern Poland here, despite Germany owning Poland at the beginning of the game = 25% chance of a partisan appearing.
USSR: Same sequence, but you just keep adding as more territory gets taken.
The same would apply to any neutrals that were taken, and to the UK of course. African colonies, and non-home country territories generally, were left out intentionally.
The Axis can help prevent this by keeping units in the territories. So for each Axis unit present, add one to the total of the dice role.
Once you place your partisans, they would act in the same way as convoy disruptions. Role one dice per partisan during the occupying powers’ Collect Income Phase, if the total is 3 or less, take that much income from Germany.
I realize at some point, assuming Germany gets rolling, they will have more than 12 IPC’s worth of territory in the USSR. Well, then you just automatically place a partisan in one territory of your choosing each time.
The Axis can eliminate partisans by attacking in the same way as is normally done. Partisans cannot move, have no attack value, and defend on a 1.
This could weaken German/Axis advances by either taking IPC’s away from them, or forcing them to garrison areas they may not have otherwise.
Any thoughts are welcome.