Larry Harris 1914 Tournament Rules ( "potential rules" using his language)

  • Official Q&A

    It makes no difference if there’s a sea battle.

  • Customizer

    @Krieghund:

    The territory must not have been hostile or neutral at the beginning of the turn in order for units to move two spaces into it.

    Does this apply to fighters in the same way; i.e. we ignore the separate fighter movement rules from OOB?

  • Official Q&A

    No.  Fighters are not land units.


  • "Remove the following units from the OOB setup
    British infantry in Rhodesia and British East Africa,
    French infantry in French West Africa
    French battleship and transport SZ15
    German infantry in Togoland and Kamerun
    Italian infantry in Somaliland

    Add the following units to the setup:
    Russia- 3 infantry in Sevastopol, 3 infantry to Livonia
    France- Cruiser SZ15
    Britain- Cruiser SZ 9"

    What was the reasoning behind these changes?

  • Official Q&A

    With the rules changes, the setup needed to be adjusted for balance.


  • @Krieghund:

    With the rules changes, the setup needed to be adjusted for balance.

    The changes for Europe and the Med are great but I dont get it why Africa has to be so empty now.

    Its a dead place and even more useless space when I think of the small tts in Western Europe.

    Dont get me wrong Krieghund you did excellent work with the mechanics, the Setup and its still the best game of all A&As in my eyes  :wink:

  • Customizer

    Just started a game using these rules. More options for the CPs early on, but getting the 2-space movement right is tricky  - had to restart when we realised we’d been moving some units 2 spaces into hostile tt.

    Italy was in economic collapse before it had a turn!

    Naval retreats is an improvement, but I’d prefer one round of naval combat only. This would have left the RN with the chance to repair its crippled BB and save the transport, as it is they’ll still have to build a new fleet off Wales every time. Germany inflicting a round of damage then retreating behind its own minefield seems more realistic than a fight to the death. Like air combat, ships had only limited fuel; it seems a lot neater to make all combat one round only and speed up the game.

  • Customizer

    @Krieghund:

    No.�  Fighters are not land units.

    So just to be crystal:

    On G1 the German fighter in Berlin can join infantry from Prussia & Silesia in an attack on (hostile) Poland, but infantry from Berlin cannot take part in this invasion.

    However, if there was a single Austrian infantry contesting Poland with Russia, all the units in Berlin could move into Poland.


  • @Flashman:

    we realised we’d been moving some units 2 spaces into hostile tt.

    Italy was in economic collapse before it had a turn!

    :lol:

    let me guess how that happened: did you took Switzerland with units from Tyrol, attacked Venice from Triest and Tyrol, landed some troops from Triest in Toscany and attacked Piedmont later with Germany from Alsace/Munich via Switzerland ?

  • Official Q&A

    @Flashman:

    So just to be crystal:

    On G1 the German fighter in Berlin can join infantry from Prussia & Silesia in an attack on (hostile) Poland, but infantry from Berlin cannot take part in this invasion.

    However, if there was a single Austrian infantry contesting Poland with Russia, all the units in Berlin could move into Poland.

    Correct.

  • Customizer

    @Chacmool:

    @Flashman:

    we realised we’d been moving some units 2 spaces into hostile tt.

    Italy was in economic collapse before it had a turn!

    :lol:Â

    let me guess how that happened: did you took Switzerland with units from Tyrol, attacked Venice from Triest and Tyrol, landed some troops from Triest in Toscany and attacked Piedmont later with Germany from Alsace/Munich via Switzerland ?Â

    Exactly so. At this point we realised something was wrong…

    I still think Tuscany needs more units, though. And Switzerland at 1 is so wrong.


  • @Krieghund:

    @Flashman:

    So just to be crystal:

    On G1 the German fighter in Berlin can join infantry from Prussia & Silesia in an attack on (hostile) Poland, but infantry from Berlin cannot take part in this invasion.

    However, if there was a single Austrian infantry contesting Poland with Russia, all the units in Berlin could move into Poland.

    Correct.

    So in the above scenario you can move ground units two spaces (through a friendly territory) to attack or reinforce a contested territory even if you had no units there to begin with (you weren’t the power contesting it when your turn started, your ally was).

  • Customizer

    I’m assuming the Berlin units can attack or reinforce.

  • Official Q&A

    Yes.


  • Exactly so. At this point we realised something was wrong…

    I still think Tuscany needs more units, though. And Switzerland at 1 is so wrong.

    Giving the one Artillery in Libya to Toscany would be enough. Pre-emptive strike + 2 dices on 3 against max 2 units and Offshore Bombardement. Still possible for AH but more 50-50 chances for both.


  • As the co-champion in the Origins 1914 tournament I might have a little insight here maybe…
    My partner at the time also won the GenCon 1914 tourney as well…so I know how he plays.
    By now he has probably over 30 games of experience…6 games in tourney format.
    I myself have played the game 10-12 times- 3 in the tourney format.

    The tourney format at GenCon and Origins were slightly different than Larry tourney rules (here -->

    (http://www.harrisgamedesign.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=44&t=18335)

    …GenCon/Origins adopted them but changed 2 things:

    1. They didn’t use the new setup

    2. They allowed US to enter at turn 3 instead of 4.

    This yielded in an average 18-20 IPCs given to the Allies in order for the other side to take the Axis.  However, personally I like the tournament rules AS written by Larry WITH the setup changes and the US still entering on round 4.  This makes the bid much lower too- balancing the game better IMHO.

  • Customizer

    First game under PTR; ended on the third Russian turn with a crushing Allied victory.  I’d really like to know these CP winning strategies, as I still can’t see them having much of a chance.

    The extra Russian infantry in the new setup make a big difference; they can take Mesopotamia R1 which is a hammer blow to the Turks. Holding the line Livonia-Belarus-Ukraine with big armies and artillery concentrated in the centre was too much for the CPs to break down.

    Germany needs to buy 3 fighters round one or face air supremacy against them in every big battle.

    I very much believe naval combat should be one round only, and/or that the attacker should have the option to retreat even after wiping out the defender; Germany destroyed the British fleet but was left with a single crippled battleship in British waters which then fell to a French cruiser, leaving the German coast vulnerable to Russian invasion.

    I’d also suggest moving Turkey up the turn order between France and Britain. This at least gives it the chance to deal with a R1 Russian invasion before the Brits attack. Or bring Turkey into the war only at the start of its own first turn, with R & B forbidden to attack it.

    Berlin is still too far from the western front even with 2 space movement - make Munich a PC.

    Also a bit pissed off about a single infantry being able to hold up a 30 unit stack. Needs something like an overflow rule whereby a small force contesting a tt can only pin down 4 times its own numbers - the remainder being free to move out and attack hostile tt.


  • A lot of board games I have played had an 8_1 advantage was an automatic  (steamroller)  victory. Maybe something like that might be what you want Flashman.
    my friend and I will start a Tournament rules game soon. Am looking forward to it. I will go all out France or all out Russia for once.

  • Customizer

    I would suggest taking Switzerland with Austria to give you a double turn on the western front.

    Make sure Germany has two fighters on each front.

    Beware of leaving Russia to build an artillery/fighter stack.


  • If France activates Albania on F1 can Italy use the Albanian troops to attack Trieste or Serbia on I1?

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