[Global 1940] Low-Quality Infantry Expansion Rules/Set


  • Hello all, long time lurker, first time poster. Wanted to get some feedback on an expansion I have been thinking about for some time.

    This is a composite of several versions of the “low quality infantry” that has been proposed from time to time.

    Basically, the concept is to add a new unit, and new form of production center, to G1940 to expand the set a bit while maintaining reasonable balance and historical accuracy.

    So, here is the proposal.

    Units

    Conscripts-Attack 0, Defend 1, Move 1, Cost 1.
    Cannot participate in an attack. Cannot move in the Combat Move phase.
    Can be produced in an IC or in a Recruiting Center.

    Recruiting Centers-Attack -, Defend -, Move -, Cost 6
    Can produce only conscripts. Must be located on originally controlled territory with IPC value of 1 or more. Cannot be moved, cannot be captured, if territory is captured, RC is destroyed. Can co-locate with an IC. Limit of 1 per territory.

    National Specifics

    USSR
    Unwilling Comrades
    [TBD]

    UK
    Home Guard/Colonial Troops
    Place 3 free conscripts in United Kingdom if Paris is captured by the Axis. (conscripts must be placed in territory that remains under British control). Units are placed at the start of the UK Purchase and Repair Units Phase.

    Germany
    Volkssturm (People’s Storm)
    Place 3 free conscripts in Germany, Western Germany, or Greater Southern Germany if the Allies capture any territory originally controlled by Germany (conscripts must be placed in territory that remains under German control). Units are placed at the start of the German Purchase and Repair Units Phase.

    USA
    State Militia/The Second Amendment
    Place 10 free conscripts in Western United States, Central United States, or Eastern United States if Axis forces capture Western United States, Central United States, or Eastern United States (conscripts must be placed in territory that remains under American control). Units are placed at the start of the American Purchase and Repair Units Phase.
    In any turn where Axis forces control Western United States, Central United States, or Eastern United States at the Purchase and Repair Units Phase, all American controlled recruiting centers in Western United States, Central United States, or Eastern United States may produce 10 conscripts that turn.

    ANZAC
    Volunteer Defense Corps
    Place 2 free conscripts on any originally controlled ANZAC territory with an IPC value of at least 1 if Axis forces capture any originally controlled ANZAC territory with an IPC value of at least 1 (conscripts must be placed in territory that remains under ANZAC control). Units are placed at the start of the Italian Purchase and Repair Units Phase.

    Italy
    Black Brigades
    Place 2 free conscripts in either Northern Italy or Southern Italy if Northern Italy or Southern Italy is captured by Axis forces (conscripts must be placed in territory that remains under Italian control). Units are placed at the start of the Italian Purchase and Repair Units Phase.

    Japan
    Kokumin Giyū Sentōtai (Volunteer Fighting Corps)/Colonial Troops
    If Allied forces conduct an amphibious assault on Japan, Japan may choose to place 10 conscripts in Japan prior to resolving the amphibious assault phase, however the ability can only be used once per game.

    France
    La Résistance (The Resistance)/Colonial Troops
    If France, Normandy Bordeaux, or Southern France is captured by Axis forces, place 2 conscripts in France, Normandy Bordeaux, or Southern France. (conscripts must be placed in territory that remains under French control). Units are placed at the start of the French Purchase and Repair Units Phase.

    Setup

    USA
    Western United States: 1 Recruiting Center
    Central United States: 1 Recruiting Center
    Eastern United States: 1 Recruiting Center
    Philippines: 1 Recruiting Center
    Alaska: 1 Recruiting Center
    UK
    Rhodesia: 1 Recruiting Center
    Egypt: 1 Recruiting Center
    West India: 1 Recruiting Center
    Scotland: 1 Recruiting Center
    France
    French Equatorial Africa: 1 Recruiting Center
    French Indochina: 1 Recruiting Center
    USSR
    Amur: 1 Recruiting Center
    Novosibirsk: 1 Recruiting Center
    ANZAC
    New Zealand: 1 Recruiting Center
    Japan
    Korea: 1 Recruiting Center
    Siam: 1 Recruiting Center
    Okinawa: 1 Recruiting Center
    Formosa: 1 Recruiting Center
    Italy
    Ethiopia: 1 Recruiting Center
    Germany
    Greater Southern Germany: 1 Recruiting Center
    Slovakia Hungry: 1 Recruiting Center
    Romania: 1 Recruiting Center

    For physical units I eventually want to come up with some 3d prints or the like.
    Thinking a tent for a recruiting center.
    For the various conscript units, in order to make them more easily distinguished from the regular infantry, thinking rifles should either be omitted or slung on sculpts…

    I have not included any pre-set units in the setup as I fear that would make balancing a far more difficult job.

    Thoughts?


  • @general-spengler I can’t read this all ATM but I will make sure to bookmark it… Thank you!!! I just got these recruitment centers 3D printed freely and soon I realized that I couldn’t think of any meaningful way of utilizing them. Thank you so much!!! Will be reading the post now and sending your rules to my group if I think it’s okay!


  • @general-spengler Okay that was easy to read. I think the conscripts idea is ok.

    I say that when buying conscripts you can only buy as much as the province IPC number per turn. The US is limited to 3 conscripts per turn when they are not at war.

    Transports can carry 3 conscripts (if there’s no other units present)

    Honestly the balancing might be off unless you’ve playtested it before. You said you wanted 3D printed buildings well I can send you the link to the one I got printed here: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3264525

    My original idea was to make it soley produce like 2 types of infantry but that is about as far as I got (IC’s produce tanks, aircraft. RD’s produce infantry. Naval Bases produce naval units)
    It sounds good but I went crazy and came up with all these complicated things and spent more than a “few dollars” on potential house rule stuffs… heh.

    Anyways have a good day

    Edit: Ah yes, 1 def + 1 att is practically useless BUT it is perfect for soaking up damage. Possible balancing potential… but it is the same as just infantry in Moscow-- only slowing down the game instead of picking it up and routing it in more interesting directions (see The Captain’s 1940 Balanced-Extended House Rules and other stuff ) on the forum) :)


  • @general-spengler Nice ! What is the production of the Recruitment Centers ? I found with the Global 40 game that conscripts ( I called them Militia ) 2 bucks was the cost . A 0 D1 M1 must stay in original Country C2.

    I also limited them to 8 per player. Otherwise Sea Lion is no longer viable. UK can just spam hit points. Having them not being able to attack and hit soak is a good idea. I have them able to, obviously needs to be empty.

    Anyway, Good Stuff ! Not trying to sound negative, just what I found when testing it out.

    Welcome to the site or well, to posting anyway :)

    Also u have Italians instead of ANZAC in above post


  • Use monopoly houses while u play test until your ready to buy 3D stuff.


  • @general-5-stars How have I not thought about that?!


  • @general-5-stars said in [Global 1940] Low-Quality Infantry Expansion Rules/Set:

    Use monopoly houses while u play test until your ready to buy 3D stuff.

    yea Hotels for the brothels lol

    ok I’ll go away now : )


  • Various Errata

    Place 2 free conscripts on any originally controlled ANZAC territory with an IPC value of at least 1 if Axis forces capture any originally controlled ANZAC territory with an IPC value of at least 1 (conscripts must be placed in territory that remains under ANZAC control). Units are placed at the start of the Italian ANZAC Purchase and Repair Units Phase.

    Recruiting centers produce 2 units per turn.

    IC can produce conscripts, but they count in the usual limits. So a Major IC can produce up to 10 conscripts, a minor one 3.

    The pre-war US can produce 3 conscripts in it’s minor industrial complexes, and 2 in the recruiting centers for a maximum of 5.

    Transports are limited to 2 conscripts as if they were infantry


  • @barnee Just like in real life, sea lion would be impossible unless the US, Soviet Union, and Germany hit the UK for like half a decade (AT LEAST) with most of their capabilities. Soon, all there is is stored-up ammunition in the valleys and a Home Guard becoming looser every week (propaganda warfare plays here) Britain will be set back a few decades the most years pass by. Hidden in isolation, constant struggle for survival in every city. These conditions are perfect for guerilla warfare but you know how potent the Socialist model is in developing countries.

    First: Invasion of Scottish Highlands after northern islands captured. Northern Ireland starved and invaded (possibly supported by the Irish if the British didn’t force them on their side yet)

    So in Axis and Allies, sea lion almost never works as the Soviets spam so much militia and infantry (even in OOB) that Romania, Poland, and soon Berlin is taken with ease.

    I never posted this before but since the Soviets relied so much on Allied shipment through Vladivostok and Arkhangelsk, I think having a seperate tiny board with some sort of tracker of the convoys would be cool. I am working on a custom Europe 1940 map and I might implement it. If Larry Harris and their team working on G40 felt like it was necessary, a more-complicated convoy system would be a great addition to the game instead of the weird boxes on the coasts of every province.

    Making this simple; have “convoy boxes” in sea zones near these places:

    • Top of the map above the North Sea
      Soviet Union 4 IPC’s
    • Near the coast of the Eastern US
      USA 3 IPCs
    • 1 box near South America
      USA 2 IPC’s
    • 1 box near Newfoundland
      Canada 2 IPC’s
    • 2 boxes west of Britain
      UK 3 IPC’s (each)

    (Have not playtested and haven’t made one for Pacific but just the rough idea)

    At the end of every Combat Phase, an “Convoy Disruption” is started. Every sub you have as the Axis in these boxes will be placed on a special map called the “Racing Chart”

    There are 4 markers in 4 charts (can be expanded) There are about 12 boxes going from 1 to 12 IPC’s in each chart. Convoys can be protected by surface warships and aircraft. If a airbase is close enough, a scramble can happen in this phase by any allied player. This can happen only with the “Anti-Sub Warfare Research” or after 1941-1942 it’s up to you.

    Every country choosing to be involved in the Convoy Disruption will have their planes/ships inside the chart after their combat phase. When every country’s turn is over and it is time for the next round, at the end of the last Combat Phase, if any of the Convoy Boxes had surface warships / submarines, a battle will be carried out.

    German Submarines can attack and defend at 2 if the Allied powers do not have “Anti Submarines Warfare” If the Allies do have it, then German subs only defend and attack at 1.

    If there is still Germany Submarines remaining and that Allied warships have been eliminated, the Germans/Axis roll for their IPC disruption.

    Some boxes say 2 - 3 - 4 IPC’s which means the max amount of IPC’s taken off a country per Round.

    Each submarine rolls for 1 IPC. Using a 6-sided die, if they roll a 3 or lower, they miss. If they roll a 3 or higher, they hit! Whatever roundel in the Convoy Box you are accounting for will increase in IPC numbers on the mini-chart.

    For example, UK has “3 IPC” on the chart. At the end of Each Round, the UK bank of IPC’s must take off 3 IPC’s from the bank. Of course, this can be expanded as the maximum is 6 IPC’s off a turn but can be more like I demonstrated.

    Once that is committed, the UK player (or any Allied Player) will decrease 1 IPC in the chart making the UK’s currency lost to 2 IPC’s next turn if Germany does not do another Convoy Raid.

    Conclusion: The Soviets can have a NO centered around their Arctic Convoy Box as their maximum is 4 IPC’s lost per turn. If there is 4 or more Enemy subs in their box then they loose a 8 IPC NO (including the losses from their convoy disruption) Not only this helps the “infantry spam xddd” issue but adds historical depth to the map. Without this vital supply route, the Soviets will have a harder time supplying their armies with things like trucks (not simulated but you get the point) and spamming infantry in Moscow will be more difficult. I also have a little addition where I remove Leningrad as a victory city as after it was surrounded and cut off, it was more of a stern pushover of the Finnish and German armies than a “victory city”

    So I want to make sure there are at least 4 objectives in Russia for the Germans and I want to give them the resources to take 2-3 especially if I add oil and stuff. Simply adding that will make going for Moscow more difficult. You all haven’t seen my map yet but I am going to try and fix the problems of Europe 1940 / Europe (1999) / Global War / etc. With all the uncommonly-known house rules on the forum (so many cool and fun additions in these threads)

    This is just the beginning and I would love to hear some feedback. Just came up with it on the spot so I want to hear your ideas.


  • @general-spengler Interesting. Also you can read my comment where I go in-depth on a feature I believe can fix the crapper infantry option. It’s just they take up 1 hp and are very cheap. It will just bog down the game more IMO. Thanks for clarifying the rules


  • @all-encompassing-goose

    I 100% agree on bogging the game down, which may or may not be a positive, depending on how much time someone has on their hands (March 2020 would have been a great time for this mod).

    I have some other mods in the works as well that need a bit more time to develop which might help counteract that tendency however so combined it might net out.


  • @general-spengler

    Hi General,

    You might find some inspiration for your rules, in The Captain’s Global 1940 House Collection (sticked under House Rules section).


  • @general-spengler okay well however you’re game works is fine with me. If anyone wants to trade my comment however, it’s a free idea and an easy read


  • @the-captain

    Took a look through.
    Perhaps I will rename the Soviet Conscripts to Partisans rather than unwilling comrades.


  • @general-spengler

    I suggest that you, at first define how you want your various Soviet infantry units to operate.

    Then you name them accaordingly.

    As you’ll see in the Axis & Allies Global 1940 House Rules Expansion the Soviet Union has several types of infantry - each with specialized abilities.


  • @the-captain What’s the win loss ratio of the axis vs the allies in your house rules?


  • @the-captain

    No specialized abilities, every nations conscripts have the same attributes to keep it simple. The name is just for entertainment’s sake.



  • @the-captain

    I expected you’ll say that-however, you’ve played hundreds of games, so how do you keep track? I also presume this is just a close estimate.

  • 2024 2023 '22

    @general-spengler

    You should change the name to “low quality infantry”, or “local militia”, or “old men and boys”. The reason for this change is that all regular soldiers during World War 2 were conscripts, so calling these lower quality infantry conscripts doesn’t make sense. Other than that, your rules looks good. Maybe have some for China as well.

Suggested Topics

  • 27
  • 18
  • 35
  • 1
  • 3
  • 5
  • 38
  • 15
Axis & Allies Boardgaming Custom Painted Miniatures

46

Online

17.0k

Users

39.3k

Topics

1.7m

Posts