• '16 '15 '10

    As far as a I know. the rulebook is clear on the questions you’ve brought up.  The rulebook is organized according to the combat steps (eg 1) purchase 2) combat movements 3) combat 4) noncombat move 5) placement.  So if you have a game mechanics question, then look it up in the rulebook according to which step you are on.

    There are also clear explanations of the units and what they can do somewhere in the rulebook, and these should answer your unit-specific queries.

    It may be necessary to read through the rulebook a few times.  You could also play around with online computer game versions like the one at Game Table Online or TripleA for practice, since these programs execute much of the game mechanics for you.

    @Motorman:

    n. The continued combat question was about the other units. Example you have a tank and an inf fighting. They both “miss” the first roll. Do you keep going until one is gone or the player decides to retreat?

    The attacker may withdraw after a round of combat (where both the attacker and defender fire).  Ground units can retreat to any space where ground units attacked from.

    I do have multiple bomber pieces but the question was about the number of planes represented by that one piece. I am familiar with the old Avalon hills games like Blitzkrieg where they piece was representative of a unit comprised of several smaller sub pieces. In other words in the real world a single bomber never went on a mission solo for strategic bombing. There were 100 to 1000 buffs going. In this game one plastic bomber means one buff?

    1 bomber is 1 bomber.  If the infantry pieces represent armies of men, then a bomber represents squadrons of bombers.

    If a fighter is used to attack a ground target with no AA gun placed does the targeted ground unit (inf, tank, ship arty) fire back and have a chance to kill the fighter using their normal defense number or is it a “free” attack for the fighter?

    The ground unit gets to fire defensively.  If the ground unit hits and you have no cheaper unit (preferably infantry) to select as casualties, then you might lose the fighter as a casualty.

    On the IPC vs placement question. The territory can accept up to the number of units the circled number indicates, without an industrial complex on that particular spot?

    There has to be an industrial complex on the spot to place units there.  If there isn’t one and you want to place units there, you can build one there for 15 ipc, but you don’t get to use it till the next turn.  The most common industrial complex buys are Japan building on 3-ipc coastal Asian territories (very common), or UK building in South Africa, Norway, Aussie or India (rare), or USA building in Norway or Sinkiang (rare).  Germany, Russia, and the USA already start the game with plenty of production.

    What is the limitation on what you can buy vs what you can place determined by?

    You can place as many units as the territory is worth.  For example Germany is 10 so you can place 10 units there.  India is 3 so you can place 3 units there.

    What is the penalty of losing an industrial complex? Do you lose “X” number of IPC points for the complex or just the territory circled number?

    There is no penalty.  If you lose a territory with an IC, the enemy can build there on its next turn.  If you lose a territory with an aa, the aa falls into possession of your opponent.

    Also if you lose a territory that has a circled number of 3 on it, do you deduct that number from the IPC total the next turn? Example, the Japanese have an IPC of 30, if they lose a single territory that had a circle 3 do they then have an IPC total of 27 the next turn?

    No.  The only time you will lose money in this game is if a power captures a capital and thus seizes that power’s treasury.  Each power collects money at the end of its turn, by adding up the total amount of ipcs it controls.  So if India is changing hands every turn, both UK and Japan will be collecting the ipcs for it.

  • Official Q&A

    Welcome, Motorman!

    From some of your questions, it seems like you may not be entirely clear on how finances work in the game.  Perhaps I can help shed some light on it.  A vital concept is the difference between a power’s “income level” and its “treasury”.

    Each power starts the game controlling certain territories, each worth a certain number of IPCs (the number printed on the territory).  The total of these IPCs currently under that power’s control is the power’s starting “income level”, which is tracked by placing its control marker on the IPC chart on the board.  Each power also starts the game with that same number of IPCs in its “treasury”.  In the case of the USSR, you would place a USSR control marker on the number 24 on the chart and give the USSR 24 IPCs in its treasury.

    While powers’ income levels are tracked on the IPC chart on the board, it’s up to you how to track the number of IPCs in each power’s treasury.  Some people use a pencil and paper, some people use poker chips, and some people use play money.  If you use pencil and paper, it’s best to have one player act as the “banker” to keep track of it.

    During the Purchase Units phase of its turn, a power spends some or all of its IPCs that are in its treasury.  As a power gains territories during its turn, its income level is adjusted by moving its control marker up on the IPC chart on the board by the IPC value of the territories.  Then, during the Collect Income phase, that power receives the number of IPCs indicated on the chart into its treasury to spend on future turns.  During other powers’ turns, that power’s income level may move up and down as enemies capture its territories and allies liberate them.  However, the number of IPCs that power has in its treasury will not change until it spends them (unless its capital is captured, in which case it must hand over its entire treasury to the capturing power).

    I hope this helps.


  • Kreighund,

    Thanks. From some of the replies I see here I am not the only one confused about IPC’s and territories. Your explanation tracks with what I had been thinking about. If you lose a territory, you also lost the resources of the territory so your IPC number drops or increases as territories change hands. That follows normal ops in the real world. Example: You get 30 IPC’s in turn 2. You spend 27 and have 3 left. You lose a territory in turn 2 that had a circle 3. Next turn, the “bank” still has the left over 3 and now gets only 27 IPC’s income because you lost 3 resources when the territory was taken for a total balance of 30 as opposed to what would have been 33 had you retained the territory.

    I am still hoping for a specific explanation regarding the industrial complex and IPC’s in a couple regards.

    I copy that it produces units equal to the number circled in the territory it is in. That being 10 in Germany 8 each in Tokyo and London. The questions I have still unanswered are these.

    The units the industrial complex produces, do they get placed ONLY in the same territory as the complex, or do you spot them whatever territory you own? For example: Berlin produces 10 units. Do they then stay in the Berlin territory until the next turn when they have to use their movement points to go where you want them, as in real world logistics or do you just drop them someplace like France where you need reinforcements without having to move them overland? The same for sea borne units. In order to put a Japanese infantry unit on an island I would expect them to be “created” in Japan then have to be placed on a transport next turn to be shipped where needed.

    The second issue is also logistics based. If you have an industrial complex in territories that the circled numbers total say 15, do you only get 15 units to place on the board that turn even if you could “afford” 20 according to IPC total on the sliding chart? In plain language do the complexes limit the number of units produced vs what you could afford from the treasury? If you could have 35 IPC points in the “bank” at the beginning of the turn and got all inf @ 3 IPC’s each that would be a total of 11 inf units afforded. Your complex total is only 9 so you only get to place 9 units on the board at the end of that turn.

    Sorry about the logistics based questions. I am retired Army and have a background in combat op planning. The rule book is not real clear on the actual purpose and limitations of the industrial complex. They also left out something I would consider important, the number of hit points per unit. Hence that’s why I asked that particular question.

    This is the only game I have purchased in the last 35+ years related to this kind of play. I used to be real active in college with Avalon Hill and SSI games back in the 70’s. I wanted something like those games for the grandson since we are both kind of bored with Risk.

  • 2024 2023 '22 '21 '20 '19 '18 '17

    So, I’ll help out a bit in this joint effort on rules clarification!

    @Motorman:

    The units the industrial complex produces, do they get placed ONLY in the same territory as the complex, or do you spot them whatever territory you own? For example: Berlin produces 10 units. Do they then stay in the Berlin territory until the next turn when they have to use their movement points to go where you want them, as in real world logistics or do you just drop them someplace like France where you need reinforcements without having to move them overland? The same for sea borne units.

    It depends on the type of unit you’re buying:
    1. All land and air units must be placed in the same territory as the industrial complex. So that includes infantry, artillery, tanks, fighters, bombers, and also: antiaircraft guns.
    2. All sea units must be placed in a sea zone directly adjacent to the land zone where the industrial complex is. If multiple zones are available, you may choose one at the time of placement.
    3. There is one interesting complication about aircraft carriers and fighters. During the non-combat move, you may move fighters into a sea zone, then build a new carrier in that zone (if the zone is adjacent to an industrial complex, of course), and land the fighters on it. Conversely, you may also place newly built planes on a carrier that is already in a sea zone adjacent to your industrial complex. And you may also build the fighters and the carriers together, and place all of them in the adjacent sea zone.
    4. You can also buy a new industrial complex, and place it in any territory that you own at the start of your turn.

    @Motorman:

    In order to put a Japanese infantry unit on an island I would expect them to be “created” in Japan then have to be placed on a transport next turn to be shipped where needed.

    Yes, that’s correct. On the next turn, you can move them onto the transport, then move the transport, and unload them (or keep them aboard if the journey is too long).

    @Motorman:

    The second issue is also logistics based. If you have an industrial complex in territories that the circled numbers total say 15, do you only get 15 units to place on the board that turn even if you could “afford” 20 according to IPC total on the sliding chart? In plain language do the complexes limit the number of units produced vs what you could afford from the treasury? If you could have 35 IPC points in the “bank” at the beginning of the turn and got all inf @ 3 IPC’s each that would be a total of 11 inf units afforded. Your complex total is only 9 so you only get to place 9 units on the board at the end of that turn.

    Yes, that’s right. The number of units is indeed limited, and if this becomes a problem because your income is large enough to buy more units than you can place, then you probably need to buy another industrial complex. However, in a typical game you would also be spending money on more expensive units than just infantry, so this is not normally a problem unless you’re doing really well. And, of course, the sweetest way to gain another complex, is to conquer one of your opponent’s!
    To make life a little more complicated here: the number of units that can be placed may be limited by strategic bombing raids on the industrial complex. When the complex is damaged by such a raid, it will produce less, or nothing at all, until it is repaired.

    @Motorman:

    The rule book is not real clear on the actual purpose and limitations of the industrial complex.

    I agree with you there - why this rule exists is not particularly clear to me either. But the game has been carefully balanced by its designers over many years, so I’m sure it was done for a reason related to that. It’s main effect is, probably, to hold back the UK and Japan a bit if either of those nations is doing particularly well.

    Have a good time playing the game!

  • '10

    First, there is :
    “I copy that it produces units equal to the number circled in the territory it is in. That being 10 in Germany 8 each in Tokyo and London.”

    Then you ask:
    “If you have an industrial complex in territories that the circled numbers total say 15, do you only get 15 units to place on the board that turn even if you could “afford” 20 according to IPC total on the sliding chart? In plain language do the complexes limit the number of units produced vs what you could afford from the treasury?”

    Doesn’t sound like you copy. As Zhukov44 said earlier, the rulebook is actually pretty clear in all your questions.

    Page 17

    Step 3. Attacking Units Fire (Land and sea battles)
    Role one die for each attacking unit with an attack value that did not fire in step 2 (step 2 involved submarines surprise attack).

    Step 4. Defending units FIre
    Defending units roll one die for each unit with a defense value that did not fire in step 2.

    Page 22

    Mobilize New Units
    Restrictions on placement
    For each IC, you can mobilize only as many units as the IPC value of the territory containing the IC. The limit includes units mobilized in sea zones adjacent to the IC. For example, the German player can mobilize 6 units in the Southern Europe territority.

    Place land units and bombers only in territories containing eligible ICs. Land units can’t start play on transports.

    Place sea units in sea zones adjacent to the territory containing eligible IC. New units can enter play in a hostile sea zone. No combat occurs because the Conduct Combat phase is over.
    Place fighters in territories conatining an IC controlled from the beginning of your turn, or an aircraft carrier owned by your power in a sea zone adjacent to a territory with such an IC. The carrier may be either a new one currently being placed, or an existing one already in place. You cannot place a new fighter on a carrier owned by a friendly power.

    Answers all of your questions and is right out of the rulebook.


  • Well damn there colonel I guess how could I dare to ask for clarifications here to rules that I found incomplete. I’ll just shut the hell up and won’t bother y’all any more.


  • @Col.:

    Doesn’t sound like you copy. As Zhukov44 said earlier, the rulebook is actually pretty clear in all your questions.

    It is clear to us, who probably have been playing the game for years and pretty much knew already all the rules from previous editions. I can completely imagine that for a new player it can be quite a challenge to figure out the exact meaning before each sentence.

  • 2024 2023 '22 '21 '20 '19 '18 '17

    I sure don’t mind explaining it, I’ve struggled with many a complex boardgame myself.

  • '10

    I don’t mind explaining them either, that’s why I wrote the passages out.

    Spring 1942 is my first edition as well so I come here looking for help all of the time, though I usually triy to find the question in another post before asking it myself, so I’m not trying to turn people away or anything.

    I don’t understand how he can explain the rule in one paragraph, then ask the same question about it a few graphs later, and I guess all I was really getting at is it sounds like another reading of the rulebook would do him a lot of good.

    I’m not saying that it expalins everything perfectly, but with how many times he mentioned clarity of the rulebook it sounds more like he jumped into the game without the instructions and is asking for help along the way. It just doesn’t sound like he read it to me.


  • @Col.:

    I’m not saying that it expalins everything perfectly, but with how many times he mentioned clarity of the rulebook it sounds more like he jumped into the game without the instructions and is asking for help along the way. It just doesn’t sound like he read it to me.

    It’s about learning styles… some of us prefer to learn by reading, others by practice :)

Suggested Topics

  • 5
  • 9
  • 3
  • 5
  • 7
  • 4
  • 2
  • 13
Axis & Allies Boardgaming Custom Painted Miniatures

28

Online

17.0k

Users

39.3k

Topics

1.7m

Posts