Baron Munchhausen's 1941 alternate setup for 1942.2 based on AA50 1941

  • 2023 '22 '21 '20 '19 '18 '17 '16

    I’ve got mixed feelings.

    On the “pro” side, I do support the addition of extra starting factories in 1-IPC and 2-IPC territories. They wind up filling the niche of “minor factories” from G40, and they help spread out the conflict over a wider area of the map, which I find more interesting.

    On the minus side, I usually try to avoid “scripted” game events, like French colonies going Vichy or factories popping up for free when you conquer a territory. Scripted events are one more rule that players have to remember that isn’t shown anywhere on the map. They also limit Japan’s flexibility. Suppose Japan didn’t want to capture New Guinea, or didn’t want to build a naval base at Rabaul? Suppose they wanted to build a base in Perth, or Auckland, or Okinawa, or Midway?

    You could add a starting factory in New Guinea, but your setup already has starting factories for India, Western Australia, Eastern Australia, Hawaii, and New Zealand. That is already seven production slots per turn in the southeast corner of the map, which is a lot for 1942.2. There’s also a certain amount of “factory fatigue.” If you add factories all over the same region, then no one factory is particularly important.

    If you really want a starting factory in New Guinea, you might consider moving the factory over from Western Australia, so you have factories in E. Australia, New Guinea, New Zealand, Hawaii, and India.

    Another option is to play with “minor factories.” They would cost 8 IPCs, can be placed anywhere (even on otherwise worthless islands), and can produce up to 2 units per turn. They can be strategically bombed just like a major factory on a 2-IPC territory. That way, if and when Japan wants a base at Rabaul, they can afford to build one. You could have a minor factory in Sydney and no factory in W. Australia. It is easy enough to get the graphics for these guys on tripleA, and for face-to-face play you could just knock the factory on its side or put a special color chip under it.

  • '17 '16

    Thanks Argothair for this fast response.

    I’m not actually willing to introduce a different unit. Any Military Base might be of use somehow, if eventually be added into Triple v5 Map.
    For now, it was just a kind of let’s pretend to see what it generates.

    Of course, it is probably unecessary considering that M3 units allows to hit directly from Japan Australia.

    Maybe it might be more useful for M2 only game.

    On my last post, I added something on Pearl and Midway attack if you want to try it.

    Also, with M3 TP you may also try to invade Hawaii from Japan as an alternate historical event.
    Anyway, it is deadzoned by all planes in USA because of US Carrier position.

    While sinking Pearl Harbor Battleship, you may also planed a less risky Midway invasion as a staging ground for later attacks on Hawaii. East coast planes cannot reach Midway SZ57.

    That way, this J1 assault might includes both Hawaii and Midway battle.
    IJN Carrier will be at risk.

    Then, maybe IJN Sub and Destroyer in Japan SZ60 should not be part of this invasion force to give a chance to US to make massive damage on BB, 2 Carriers and 4 planes of Midway SZ57.

    With only a Battleship added to initial task force, it gives 92% for defender and 5 units remaining (BB, 2 planes, 1 Carrier or 2 Carrier). But if attacker wins, it is left with 2 units.

    And the US Carrier is safe on West Coast, receiving reinforcement.

    So both Sub and DD in Japan SZ60 maybe put in Coastal China SZ61.
    So they still reach Borneo or New Guinea.
    And opens up a small window (7%) for a surprising US victory in Midway.

  • 2023 '22 '21 '20 '19 '18 '17 '16

    I don’t like the Tirpitz setup as much as the one immediately before Tirpitz. I tried one full round on your latest setup, and maybe I just played poorly as the Axis, but I think the Allies simply start with too many boats on the map for a balanced 1941 setup. In the south Pacific, British have 35% chance to win with 1 CA vs. 2 DD, 2 transport in Caroline Islands – this is very swingy if the British win, because in addition to killing 2 transports, it prevents the Japanese from deploying the 4 infantry from the Carolines to Borneo, East Indies, or ANZAC. Even if British lose that battle, they can put the Australian DD in New Guinea, the Indian BB in Singapore, and the Indian DD in Philippines. No matter how well Japan does in combat, this means they cannot capture Borneo or East Indies on J1, plus India is quite safe. Even the Philippines are not easy to take vs. 4 Allied infantry and 3 Allied boats.

    Japan needs to build boats (or maybe planes) to deal with all of the Allies ships in the Pacific, but with only 15 IPCs at start, this does not leave enough income for purchasing reinforcements. It is too easy/risky for Japan to stall out in the land war in Asia simply by running out of infantry and income. The M3 transport bringing troops from Jordan and India to Thailand on UK1 together with the “blockade line” of British ships in Singapore / Philippines / New Guinea is very powerful and can shut down the Japanese economy before it gets started. Africa can be safely abandoned to Germany because UK is guaranteed to collect Indonesian income three times: at start, at end of UK1, and again at end of UK2. By the time Britain starts to run low on income, Japan will be crippled and USA will be closing in for the kill on Tokyo.

    Meanwhile, the Russian ships in the Baltic Sea mean that Germany can not make any combat move with amphibious troops, so the infantry in Norway and Finland wind up just sitting around doing nothing on G1. With Gibraltar blocking the exit to the Western Med, Germany cannot afford to attack all of the British boats, so the Canadian navy lives, so Germany really wants to garrison both France (for IPCs) and NW Europe (b/c of the starting factory). This is very expensive in terms of Germany’s starting units, and so Germany cannot reliably take and hold even 2 out of 3 of the Eastern Front territories (Belorussia, Baltic States, Ukraine) even by committing the entire tank corps. This means that the Russian counter-attack will often pump Russia back up to 30 IPCs at end of R1, which is too high for the Germans to make any progress.

    If instead Germany abandons France or NW Europe in order to stack troops further east, much of the G1 build and some of the air force will have to be sent west on G2 to deal with the Allied attacks on France or NW Europe, which gives Russia a chance to stabilize. Germany is only slightly better off on the eastern front, and the Western Allies get extra cash from trading German territories. Because Germany is trading at least one Atlantic Wall territory, Germany cannot land fighters to protect that territory, and Allies can continue to re-invade into that gap throughout the game.

    There are still some fun decisions to make, and I like the way the Pearl Harbor battles played out (I split forces between Hawaii & San Francisco; America was able to sink the main Japanese battle fleet, but only by diverting so many aircraft that the Operation Torch attack failed.) Gibraltar is interesting as a fortified canal, and it does tend to discourage an ahistorical 1941 Sea Lion, because you need at least one transport to take Gibraltar, but any transports you leave in the Western Med on G1 can be trapped in the med by an American destroyer on US1 so that they can’t participate in a G2 Sea Lion.

    In addition to favoring the Allies in this version, I think maybe you have started to err in the direction of too many changes and too many starting units. I’d encourage you to dial things back a little bit, aim for something a bit simpler. You’ve got some good ideas in here; keep working on it! :-)

    1941REDESIGNRussia2 Argo test G2.tsvg

  • '17 '16

    Thanks Argothair,

    it seems Australian M3 Cruiser is too mobile and DOW on Japan before Japan DOW.
    An M2 Cruiser doesn’t have same issue.
    I will fall back on 2 DDs, 1 in each South Australian SZ38 and SZ39.

    Baltic TP was not intended to be unhistorically use as a way to amphibious assault Karelia or Baltic States on G1, however you may use it in NCM: moving either Norway or Finlands Infs as you like.

    I will move 1 Canadian DD with the other lonely DD in Northern Sea.
    The kill on Canadian TP will be easier.

    I will look at your first round. And coming back with something better, I hope.

    Good analysis Argo,

    P.S. You sent me the old saved game with Cruiser in Baltic Sea…

    Here is below an adjusted setup based on your comments.
    Don’t try to use Baltic TP for amphib.  :wink:

    However, I switched 1 Infantry from Norway to Berlin and added 1 AAA instead.

    There is only Australian Destroyers now.
    There is only 1 BB, 1 Sub and 1 TP in Japan SZ.
    But there is now 2 DDs in Chinese Sea.
    Med Sea conflicts is increased: 1 Cruiser near Alexandria and 1 Sub near Gibraltar, but you get 1 Destroyer to protect the lonely TP.
    It means no more shorebombardment on Egypt G1.
    Germany gets it tougher but it gets 11 Tanks in Europe (as OOB 1942.2).
    Panzer divisions certainly can do something on their own against Russia.

    The file name is still the same than previous ones.
    Thanks again for your analysis,
    Baron

    1941REDESIGNGermany1_TirpitzM3.tsvg

  • '17 '16

    I finally started a new thread dedicated to Redesign with M3 Transports and Cruisers.
    http://www.axisandallies.org/forums/index.php?topic=39698.msg1651008#msg1651008

  • 2023 '22 '21 '20 '19 '18 '17 '16

    P.S. You sent me the old saved game with Cruiser in Baltic Sea…

    Sorry! I have attached the correct saved game to this comment.

    it seems Australian M3 Cruiser is too mobile and DOW on Japan before Japan DOW.

    I don’t agree; I think the problem is that the Caroline Islands need to start with slightly more Japanese ships. If instead of 2 DD, 2 transports you give the Carolines 1 CA, 1 DD, 2 transports, then the chance that Britain sinks the transports is only 9% instead of 35%, and so the early British DOW becomes stupid.

    Baltic TP was not intended to be unhistorically use as a way to amphibious assault Karelia or Baltic States on G1

    Fair enough; part of why Germany couldn’t do that was because Russia did have some small boats sitting in Leningrad’s harbors. I still think that the best match up in the Baltic would be Russia’s 1 DD vs. Germany’s 1 CA, 2 SS, 1 DD, 1 transport. A German Baltic BB overrates the German Baltic Fleet, and a Russian Baltic CA overrates the Russian Baltic Fleet.

    I will move 1 Canadian DD with the other lonely DD in Northern Sea.
    The kill on Canadian TP will be easier.

    I would prefer to simply give Germany 1-2 more starting infantry to use as garrisons – I like that at least one British Atlantic fleet ought to survive the G1 attacks! It would have been very strange historically if the entire British Home Fleet and the Canadian Navy were both wiped out in mid-1941, especially with the Home Fleet still parked safely in Scapa Flow, Scotland instead of coming down to the more-vulnerable English Channel.

    The file name is still the same than previous ones.

    I would appreciate it if you would change the file names, even if only by giving them new numbers, so that it’s easier for me to keep track of them.

    Here is below an adjusted setup based on your comments.

    Thanks! I’ll try it tonight. After that I may send you my own suggestion for a 1941 San Francisco setup, if you have any interest in that sort of thing.

    Tirpitz Test Argo G2.tsvg

  • 2024 '22 '21 '19 '15 '14

    I saw that it was based on AA50. Much as I dig that game, I wish that the 41 opener had a more high stakes Barbarossa script, where the Luftwaffe is used there primarily instead of for destroying the British on the water or in Egypt or wherever.

    Just for example, in the OOB set up for AA50, all the round 1 battles on the Eastern front have Germany facing off against Russian infantry. In reality like half the red airforce was destroyed on the ground in the opening hours of the war.

    This could easily be modelled by having some fighters (lightly defended) parked on the front lines, or even a naked fighter or two one tile back from the front lines. Like something that could be airblitzed by German aircraft and destroyed in the opening round. (The game doesn’t really teach players how to airblitz, which is unfortunate since it’s kind of an important move to learn.)

    The German opening could be scripted in such a way that instead of using British warships to “tie down the luftwaffe” you could use Soviet aircraft for this purpose instead. It would create I think a more interesting flavor to the Barbarossa opening, with German fighters squaring off against Russian fighters (and destroying most of them) instead of just pretending that the Red airforce wasn’t the largest on earth at the time, and giving the Russians only a couple “safe” fighters way behind the lines.

    You could even do something similar with armor, where the opening script has German panzers destroying a bunch of red tanks in frontline territories during the first round. These could represent the T 26s that just got smoked. Then leave the second round  (with Russian armor deeper behind the lines) representing the introduction of superior T 34s and KV1s. You don’t need a bunch of different sculpts to depict this stuff, but just using starting position and strength to showcase German superiority in the outset, by allowing them to destroy heavier hitting Russian units in the first round.

    That would be a much more interesting way to draw down German aircraft than using British ships. It needs to happen somewhere for gameplay (for game balance), because the Axis need to start with lots of air units in A&A. They need high value targets to keep them preoccupied on the first turn, I just think why not do this on the eastern front instead vs UK? Put more of the soviet front line hitpoints as tanks and fighters, so G has to really commit to an epic opening invasion. One that befits the largest invasion in human history. Where they have to make deep coordinated attacks across a wide front and even punch behind the lines to pick off exposed red fighters or tanks using the airblitz move.

    It would also give the Soviets a chance to perhaps see an extra fighter or a couple tanks survive the opening, instead of just stack trades that are easy to calculate at overwhelming advantage.

    The airblitz is an inherently more dynamic play than a stack trade or even a strafe. It would be cool if the opener had one scripted in.

    Imagine for example that the Russian starting set up showed like just a single Red fighter parked naked in Belo, and another in E. Ukraine. (In 1942.2 you could do it in Arch/W. Russia). Say Germany has 5-6 aircraft in range. The advantage of destroying Russian air whenever possible is clear, so G calculates that it’s a smart play to airblitz in this first turn. Now you have an interesting decision. Do they split the Luftwaffe and go 3 v 1 or 2 v 1 to attack naked Russian fighters. Or go with just 2v1 in each tile and hold a fighter or two in reserve to support other more conservative attacks. Or do they go all in with their airforce to airblitz a single tile and truly ice it in the first round of combat, make sure to kill at least one of the two red fighters behind the lines.

    Stuff like that would be cooler I think than having them dedicated to sinking a British battleship.

    Thoughts?

  • 2024 '22 '21 '19 '15 '14

    ps. here is a quick drafting of what I mean. Using the OOB AA50 1941 situation as a point of departure.

    You can see from the edit history where I switched out Russian front line infantry for more powerful units. Its basically the same number of hitpoints, but with more TUV at stake, and a more epic feel to the German invasion. Something that looked more like this would be cool.

    It wouldn’t take any longer to set up than the OOB starting units (since it is using pretty much the same number of sculpts), but it would make for a German opener where they really have to hit Russia hard. You know, like its the largest ground invasion in world history.
    :-D

    For the German fighters, you could reorient more of these to be in Poland (instead of the OOB position shown in the image below, where they’re all positioned west), so they’re within striking distance of the Soviets… In other words have the Luftwaffe positioned to airblitz the Russians instead of for air attacks against the Royal Navy, and design a script that encourages this.

    Or at the very least, make it a tough opening decision. Destroy the Red Airforce on the ground? Or destroy the British Atlantic fleet at anchor? With not enough air to do both at the same time. That way there is at least a built in balance for either play.

    AA50 Barbarossa script.png
    AA50 Barbarossa set up.tsvg

  • 2023 '22 '21 '20 '19 '18 '17 '16

    Yup, this is fantastic reasoning! Something has always bothered me about the 1941 openings, and I think you’ve just articulated it perfectly.

    I favor giving Germany the choice to sink the British Atlantic fleet or to take out the Soviet air force on the ground, but not both. It just leads to more interesting strategic variety. I will work on that design tonight for 1942.2.

    For clarity, an “airblitz” is just when you send a bunch of fighters and bombers to attack a territory even when your land units can’t reach, right?

  • '17 '16

    Please, Black Elk, post this with your picture in Redesign 1941 Setup on v5 1942.2 San Francisco Experiment

    http://www.axisandallies.org/forums/index.php?topic=39698.msg1651174#msg1651174

    If eventually, I revised the all M2 AA50 1941 for 1942.2 map, I will do it here.
    Redesign 1941 M3 have its own thread now.

  • '19

    Hey Baron,
    just finished a game with your AA anniversary 1941 set-up on the 1942.2 board.  It was long and enduring but really fun! I thought for sure that the Germans were going to steam roll the Russians, but the Russian D stiffened at Stalingrad and the Germans were never able to push farther east.  Also the western allies were being a pain for the Germans with landings on Norway, north Western Europe, France and eventually Africa.  Time was running out for the Germans and they had to eventually pull back there units from the east and transfer them to the west to battle the western allies.  Meanwhile Japan was very strong on the Asian campaign.  The Americans went all out pacific and both navies were playing a cat and mouse game until the end when Japan knew it was already licked.  Japan did take Moscow, but it didn’t matter because the Americans took Berlin the next turn.  After that the western allies basically used there economic advantage and started taking back Japanesse holdings on the pacific islands and Asian continent .  I tried the turn order you recommended Germany, UK, Japan, USA, and Russia and it played out well.  I really appreciate the work you and Argothair and Black elk put on here for alternative set-ups! I always enjoy trying something new.

  • '17 '16

    Thanks Corpo,
    nice to post your report.
    How many players around table?
    Seems pretty epic, what would have happened if Germany was able to hold just another round? Does Japan would have been able to put a real opposition to Allies?

    Did you play with Western China impassable?
    If there is something to improve, what would you change in this set-up?

    I did not returned to this set-up since a several days.
    Crunching on a special 1941 project for 1942.2 Redesigned.

  • '19

    I played a solo match using the boardgame.  I don’t think things would have changed if Germany held one more round.  The western allies were putting a lot of pressure on them from France, Italy, Western Europe, and Norway.  Germany was on full defense mode and pulling every man and material back to the fatherland lol.  Japan would have moved into western Russia and other territories on the eastern front, but once USA got the German factory operating Japan was in trouble.  I played allowing China to move into Russia.  Two Chinese inf were able to escape to Stalingrad. The rest were wiped out by the Japanese forces during the Chinese campaign.  I guess adding national objectives is always nice.  It gives a little more spice to the game.  I thought the set-up was good and pretty even on both sides. Yes I have been following the SF experiment.  I also live in the SF area lol.  Overall though I thought the game played out really well.  If you ever make a 1942 anniversary set-up for the 1942.2 map I would defiantly be interested.

  • '17 '16

    Since you play solo game, you might be interested to try San Francisco Experiment when we will find the correct set up for a 1941 start.

    There is few special things to play with but, for my part, I rather prefer cheaper DD at 5 IPCs to have more units at Sea and Tactical bomber plays a much more accurate role as a combat bomber than StBs.I will chime you when Argo and I will think it is ready for a real test.

  • '19

    That would be great! Keep me posted.  I’m actually seeing Arogthair next weekend for a big 1940 Global game.

  • '17 '16

    That is awesome that you live next from each other!

  • '19

    Yeah we have about twenty guys in our Bay Area group.  Black Elk is also in our group just haven’t met him yet lol. Hopefully soon though.  A great group of guys who love A&A. :)

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