L17 G40 BM3 Play Off 1/2 Final Me1945 (Axis) vs. JDOW (Allies +10)

[Me1945]

@JDOW:

Just to let you know: I can still take Denmark with the US. I can make the landing from Norway and bringing my own subs in 112 next to planes. I cannot ignore the subs in case you decide to scramble but your defending sub will then fight against my attacking subs. If I win the fight, which I most likely will, my US boys can land in Denmark and empty Berlin is up for grabs for UK.

What you are missing is, if you declare the combat in sz 112 with your subs (or whatever units with) the attacking side transports are not allowed to load units from any territory (Norway in this case) adjacent to that zone. It is legal to bring already loaded TTs to a SZ with declared combat and offload from there. It is why I put CC in 111. Am I missing anything? And I appreciate your notice and willingness to allow me adits. Please let me know, if I am missing anything.

[Me1945]

Again, this is my understanding an attacker 's TT is not allowed to load land units in a combat SZ. Your TT in sz110 has two paths to take infantries from Norway and offload them in Den. The paths are 110-111-125-112 (blocked by CC) and 110-112-125-back to 112. The second path goes through the sz 112 where you have to declare a combat. What I remember is, if an attacker declares a combat in a SZ, all of the ships must stop in the SZ. So, from my view this path doesn’t work for the attacker to take Den too.
Honestly, I think the game is over. But, still Berlin does’t fall with this deployment. What do you think?

[simon33]

FWIW, I think JDOW is right. It doesn’t matter if there is a scramble in SZ112, the SZ is not hostile during combat movement so the US transports can indeed load and then there would be a sea battle followed by an amphibious assault.

Perhaps you should request a ruling.

[JDOW]

I got your point Alex, however I still think the German sub in 112 does neither prevent loading units in 112 and not at all passing 112, load units and then return to 112 and offload. Imo this lies simply in the nature of the order the action is going. Actually it is not me attacking 112, but you decide to initiate a fight by scrambling and letting your sub fight instead of submerge.
But let’s see what the ruling ist.

However, please proceed in any case with the given map. Regardless of the ruling I won’t take Denmark with US this turn. I believe you made the deployment in genuinely believing a landing isn’t possible with the US and I do not want to create a hassle now. In case a landing would be allowed, you only need to keep this into consideration for the next German turn.

You can proceed with Japan.

Best,
Tobias

[Me1945]

I thought in the case your subs don’t declear the combat before my turn to make a scramble decision (which will be made against  at least TT), your subs are out of the fight in 112. Is that wrong?
Yes, I hear you about proceeding with Japan.

[gamerman01]

@simon33:

FWIW, I think JDOW is right. It doesn’t matter if there is a scramble in SZ112, the SZ is not hostile during combat movement so the US transports can indeed load and then there would be a sea battle followed by an amphibious assault.

Perhaps you should request a ruling.

I heard there was a question here…

Simon’s right - subs don’t restrict movement in any way, except for the rule that you can’t conduct an amphibious assault over an enemy sub with transports that have no escorting warships.

Whether there will be combat in Z112 in the combat phase is irrelevant.  Only surface warships prevent loading of transports

[Me1945]

@Gamerman01:

@simon33:

FWIW, I think JDOW is right. It doesn’t matter if there is a scramble in SZ112, the SZ is not hostile during combat movement so the US transports can indeed load and then there would be a sea battle followed by an amphibious assault.

Perhaps you should request a ruling.

I heard there was a question here…

Simon’s right - subs don’t restrict movement in any way, except for the rule that you can’t conduct an amphibious assault over an enemy sub with transports that have no escorting warships.

Whether there will be combat in Z112 in the combat phase is irrelevant.  Only surface warships prevent loading of transports

Thanks Gamerman.

[Me1945]

Regardless of the ruling I won’t take Denmark with US this turn.

Thank you, but I cannot take it especially in the play off. I have to protect the capital. Please see attached R17 map with the edited G17 NCM. Hope it doesn’t change your R17 intent.
Working with Japan.

Rus 17 Ger NCM edit.tsvg

[Me1945]

To be clear, you are free from any restrictions (other than those in rules  :-)) for your coming turns.

[JDOW]

Ok, got it, thanks a lot. I could not check the new map yet but as long as there are no changes at the Russian front there is no way this could have influenced Russia.

[Me1945]

There are two changes in the Rus front: landed 2nd bomber in Bessarabia and moved AA gun from WUkr to Bes. Please take a look.

[JDOW]

I did, all good, you can go ahead. Guess you have to reduce Russian income by 4 as the archangel NO is now blocked.

[Me1945]

You definitely win this game. Congratulations and good luck in the final.

[JDOW]

Thanks man. This game was some kind of a roller coaster for me.

First turn was really Axis friendly. Very good G1/J1 dice followed by the UK disaster in 96 that quickly snowballed.
After 3 turns you forced me to make a stretch, either defend Egypt or India. I decided for Egypt and left you 75ish?% on India.
Here, MARTI was fair in a way that she took many Japanese planes off so that Japan was left with a crippled airforce after the India rush.
Although USA could take unusual advantage of that (I guess one does not see a US fleet at Kwangtung often in turn 4) Allies weren’t able to get Japan down.

So Axis stayed in the game and the Germans grew very strong.

Then there was this wipe of the ITA/German fleet in 92.
Can I assume you overlooked that the WUS bombers could reach 92? I did not expect you to allow me to take down the fleet and the German planes like that on purpose, right?

From there, the Allies had a nice position but the pressure on Moscow became unbearable. Although I saw it coming, I could not avoid that you had 60+ish% odds on that battle.
The battle had 3 possible outcomes:

• Germans don’t win = Allies should win
• Germans win closely = battle goes on
• Germans win big = Axis should win

After my great defense dice turn 1 I guess the game was over. Japan has made too big sacrifices to allow that attack. You sacced a loaded TT, carrier+2 planes just to take out the one bomber at midway that could have reached Moscow. After the attack failed, Germany was crippled and Japan did not have the power to try to go for a VC win. Because of this potential risk I played very carefully in the Pacific.

I think after the failed Moscow attempt the game was already over for a couple of turns. But you are a fierce fighter and tricky player. So I was always alerted you might find a crafty play to sneak for a Japanese VC victory. This option was off the table after the Chinese reached the coast again and it was clear Japan could not hold the VCs on the Chinese mainland.