Can an Improved Mech Infantry be supported by a tank and artillery?

@the_jetset:

In fact, it could even be argued that Germany should collect the IPCs for these Vichy French territories after capturing Paris.  … but that might be going a bridge too far.

While I agree with this in spirit, I do think it could be taken too far. You could have people that say it should be this way for all countries: Once the capital is captured, the capturing power now controls all the territories and units of the vanquished nation.
For one thing, this would eliminate any possibility of liberation and I think this game would end up being a sort of Deluxe Risk rather than Axis & Allies.
Imagine this scenario:  Germany goes after Russia and tries punching straight through to Moscow along the north route, thereby NOT taking Ukraine or Stalingrad.  Suppose Japan didn’t attack Russia at all in the far east.  Now suppose Russia was foolish and bought a battleship for the Caspian Sea instead of infantry so they didn’t have a proper defense in Moscow and Germany wins.  Now Germany controls territory all the way to the Pacific and Japan now has a buddy to their north instead of an enemy. Plus, Germany becomes instantly rich, almost doubling their income with all the Russian 2 point territories plus all the troops that were guarding those territories (not to mention Germany’s shiny new battleship in the Caspian Sea.).

I wonder if a crazy rule like this would make games longer or shorter?  Capital defense would probably be even heavier.

@Young:

Can T-Bombers scramble into an adjacent sea zone from an airbase, or is that just for fighters as well?

T bombers can scramble.

I just made a quick guide as we are new and learning the new rule set with these same questions.

Scramble
A quick reaction team of no more than 3 defending fighters and/or tactical bombers  located on each island or coastal territory that has an operative air base can be scrambled to defend against attacks in the sea zones adjacent to those territories.

Scrambling is a special movement that the defender can make at the end of this phase.
It must be done after all of the attacker�s combat movements have been completed and all attacks have been declared.
The attacker may not change any combat movements or attacks after the defender has scrambled.

These air units can be scrambled to help friendly units in adjacent sea zones that have come under attack. They can also be scrambled to resist amphibious assaults from adjacent sea zones, whether or not the
territory being assaulted is the territory containing the air base.
They may defend against the enemy ships conducting the amphibious assault even if friendly ships are not present.

A quick reaction team on 3 defending fighters and/or tactical  located on each island or coastal territory that has an operative air base can be scrambled to defend against attacks in the sea zones adjacent to those territories.

In situations where a sea zone is adjacent to more than one territory containing an air base (sea zone 109 and
Scotland and United Kingdom, for example), each of the territories can scramble up to 3 fighters and/or tactical
bombers.
In situations where a territory containing an air base is adjacent to more than one sea zone (United
Kingdom and sea zones 109 and 110, for example), the territory may still only scramble up to 3 fighters and/or
tactical bombers, but they may be split between the sea zones in any combination.

Scrambled fighters and tactical bombers are defending, so refer to their defense values.
Fighters                   Tactical Bombers
Defense: 4                       Defense: 3

They are treated as normal defending units in their sea zones. As defenders, they may not retreat. They
can�t participate in any other battles during that turn, including a battle in the territory from which they were
scrambled.

After all combat is completed, each surviving scrambled air unit must return to the territory from which it was
scrambled. If the enemy has captured that territory, the unit can move 1 space to land in a friendly territory or
on a friendly aircraft carrier. If no such landing space is available, the unit is lost. Surviving scrambled air units
land during that turn�s Noncombat Move phase, before the attacker makes any movements.

Amphibious Assault Sequence
1. Sea combat
2. Battleship and cruiser bombardment
3. Land combat

Step 1. Sea Combat
If there are defending surface warships and/or scrambledair units, sea combat occurs.
If there are only defending submarines and/or transports, the attacker can choose to
ignore those units or conduct sea combat.

If sea combat occurs, all attacking and defending sea units present must participate in the battle. (Even if the
attacker chose to ignore defending submarines and/or transports, they will still be involved in the battle if the
defender scrambles air units and forces a sea battle.)

Conduct the sea combat using the rules for General Combat (below), then go to step 3 (land combat).
No bombardment occurs.

Strategic and Tactical Bombing Raids
Fighter Escorts and Interceptors
Defenders uses interceptors-Any number of defending fighters (not tactical bombers) may intercept.

� The attacking bombers and fighter escorts and the defending fighter interceptors will be the only units
participating in this special combat.
� The combat lasts for only one round.
� All of the air units have attack and defense values of 1.
After the air battle is complete, or if there were no defending fighter interceptors, surviving fighter escorts
are considered to have retreated. They don�t participate in the actual bombing raid, are not subject to antiaircraft fire, and will remain in the territory until the Noncombat Move phase. Any surviving attacking bombers carry out the bombing raid. If the territory offers more than one target, the bombers may be divided into groups, and each assigned a specific target (tactical bombers may not attack industrial complexes).

Each complex and base rolls one die against each bomber directly attacking it.
For each �1� rolled, a bomber of the attacker�s choice is immediately removed.

An industrial complex can�t receive more than 20 total damage for major industrial complexes and minor ones can�t receive more than 6 total damage for. Air bases and naval bases can�t receive more than 6 total damage. Damage exceeding these limits is not applied.

After resolving the antiaircraft fire, surviving bombers each roll one die.
Add 2 to each die rolled for a strategic bomber (but not for tactical bombers), then total the results.

Strategic Bombers 1-6+2 against an enemy industrial complex, air base, or naval base.
Tactical Bombers   1-6     against an enemy air or naval base.

@ghr2:

But Germany’s air can help give italy cover.

Instead of hitting both z110 and z111, Germany might choose to go for just z110 and sink the French fleet and Yugoslavia.  Look at the med if Germany hits z106, z91, z93, z110 and puts off sinking the z111 crowd til G2 (with 3 subs, cruiser, carrier, planes).  It almost forces UK to do Taranto.  z92 is no safe spot without the French fleet and not enough blockers to prevent a landing in Transjordan. If they hit Taranto the Germans will scramble to save the Italian planes, then Italy counterattacks and might just get NOs for no allied ships in the med and South France/Greece/Gibraltar on the very first turn.

The key to this approach is a G1 build of 1 carrier, 2 subs, save $2.  Don’t use artillery in yugoslavia.  Earn $68 and you will have $70 in hand to build 10 transports if sealion looks good after taranto.

@Ruanek:

@Xandax:

@MarkHC:

Bottom line, I’ve played multiple games as the Soviet Union where I didn’t let anyone attack my units except an infantry I left as a road block.  Even when Japan invades Russia turn one/two and tries to keep pushing, it still didn’t make much difference because they can only take a territory a turn.  So when Germany finally reaches Moscow, almost every single unit I’ve built as Russia is there defending my capital.  Sure, if time weren’t a factor, it’s a bad strategy, but I know that the Allies are going to be landing in force by turn 5 or so, so the Axis is not able to deal with the Allied pressure and overcome a huge Moscow stack.

If the allies are landing in force in turn 5 Europe is lost regardless of a large stack of inf in Moscow.
Nothing is gained in the game by removing USSRs chance to defend and making a German attack on Russia go faster. On the contrary.
The huge stack isn’t an automatic win.

Well, not having the huge stack gives the Axis a bit more of a chance to blitz and take the necessary 8 victory cities quickly.

Well - of course. And removing the Russian troops entirely would equally.
You cannot remove the turtle. You shouldn’t IMO make it easier to take Russia.
We should however figure out why turteling is so strong and address that cause instead of just the symptom.

If you make it any easier to take Russia, you’ve effectively turned Germany into a one trick pony and removed most strategy from the European board.

@Maddog77:

What’s w/ all the whining going on about the “new” tank rule? It’s not a new one either. 3-2-2-5 is the “old” rule since the game was marketed in the early '80s. It’s only a buck more now. Big deal. Simmer down folks and relize it’s only a game. Getting you panties all bunched up and calliing names is pretty lame and infantile. Do some of you need a time out? Or do I have to get the belt out?  :-D

As far as the “rule” goes, I like the current 3-3-2-6. Only for the defense factor. But when I play the original, it’s 3-2-2-5. So I don’t rely on tanks for defense as much as I do a stack of Infantry.

Amazing! when tanks defend at three I use them for defense
when tanks defend at two I use infantry for defense

@deadbunny:

the USA can build a massive fleet and either take Rome or move into Africa(I have seen both done in a single turn).

Do you mean building the fleet and taking Rome and Africa in the same turn? I must be misunderstanding this post.

Well, if I had written it, I think I would have been referring to SZ 92 which is where the US may want to be at the end of turn 4. It can dump troops into both Italy and Egypt. Maybe as a turn to take away victory cities? Otherwise, I’d just go straight for Italy and reinforce it next turn.

@AdmiralNagano:

The way I remember it is that, if a plane can theoretically land at the very end of the turn, it can attack.

The only exception to that is a retreat. If you use a carrier in an attack, you can’t assume that you will retreat on some combat round and thus allow your fighter land on it. Other than that, yes, if it can theoretically land, even if a battle is required to be won (like 1 sub versus 1000 battleships) then it can land.

Thanks, I appreciate it.

More Allied trickery going on.