New to 1941, some questions for a noob


  • I’ve played 1941 a couple of times now with a friend, but there are still some things I don’t really understand in the rules…

    1.) Can sea units attack land? Or can they only attack what is in a sea zone… i.e ships or planes that take part in the sea battle?

    2.) I don’t understand the sub surprise strike. What is the advantage of this? From my understanding a sub can surprise strike another ship by attacking, then whether it hits or misses it can then submerge, giving the defending ship no chance to hit back? Can a sub surprise strike another sub?

    Thanks  :mrgreen:


  • A submarine either attacks or submerge.

    If it attacks and hits a unit with a surprise strike with no destroyer present. The ship that is chosen to be hit does not defend and is removed from the battle board. Exceptions are Battleships. They take 2 hits and the second hit removes of the battleboard.
    Repeat steps 2-7 if combat continues.

    If a submarine submerges it is not involved in any sea battle.

    General Combat Sequence
    Combat takes place over a number of rounds. Each battle round consists of several steps.
    1. Place units along the battle strip
    2. Submarine surprise strike or submerge (sea battles only)
    3. Attacking units fire
    4. Defending units fire
    5. Remove defender�s casualties
    6. Press attack or retreat
    7. Conclude combat

    step 2.
    submarine surprise strike or submerge (sea Battles only)
    This step is specific to attacking and defending submarines.
    Before the general sea battle takes place (steps 3�5), both attacking and defending submarines choose to either make a
    Surprise Strike die roll or submerge. However, if your opponent has a destroyer in the battle, your attacking or defending
    submarines cannot submerge or make a Surprise Strike. Combat proceeds normally, and your submarines fire along with your
    other units in step 3 or 4.
    Submerge: Attacking or defending submarines that choose to submerge are immediately removed from the battle strip and
    returned to the game board in the contested sea zone, removing them from the rest of that sea battle.
    Players on both sides have to decide whether attacking and defending submarines will fire or submerge before rolling any dice.
    The attacking player decides first.
    Surprise Strike: Each attacking submarine conducting a Surprise Strike rolls one die, scoring a hit on a roll of �2� or less.
    After the attacker has rolled for all attacking submarines, the defender chooses one sea unit for each hit scored and moves it
    behind the casualty strip. (Submarines cannot hit air units.) Then each defending submarine conducting a Surprise Strike rolls
    one die, scoring a hit on a roll of �1.� After the defender has rolled for all defending submarines, the attacker chooses one sea
    unit for each hit scored and removes it from play.
    Once all Surprise Strike rolls have been made, remove the defender�s casualties. This step is over for this round of
    combat. Repeat this step during each round of combat as long as there are attacking and/or defending submarines and no
    opposing destroyers. Any hits made during this step that do not destroy units (such as battleships) remain in effect until the
    end of the combat.
    Note: In both cases, attacking or defending, transports can be chosen as casualties only if there are no other eligible units.
    You cannot choose submerged submarines as casualties since they have been removed from the battle.


  • Thanks for the copy and paste of the rulebook (which I have read already), but I’d prefer it if you could reply directly to the questions I have asked instead of just pasting part of the rules.


  • @Sir_Cala:

    A submarine either attacks or submerge.

    If it attacks and hits a unit with a surprise strike with no destroyer present. The ship that is chosen to be hit does not defend and is removed from the battle board. Exceptions are Battleships. They take 2 hits and the second hit removes it off the battle board.
    Repeat steps 2-7 if combat continues.

    If a submarine submerges it is not involved in any sea battle.

    well this was the reply directly above the post of the information from the rulebook which would hopefully make you understand the process.

    I will even can go further in the explanation.
    You cannot use surprise strike then submerge in the same combat sequence to avoid being fired upon.

    If you choose surprise strike you will be fired upon if any other ships remain on the battle board after your sub fires.
    Your subs fire first in step 2.

    If your surprise strike attack hits it eliminates an opponents ship and it cannot fire back in step 3 or 4.

    That is the benefit of surprise strike.

    General Combat Sequence
    Combat takes place over a number of rounds. Each battle round consists of several steps.
    1. Place units along the battle strip
    2. Submarine surprise strike or submerge (sea battles only)
    3. Attacking units fire
    4. Defending units fire
    5. Remove defender�s casualties
    6. Press attack or retreat
    7. Conclude combat

    Can a sub surprise strike another sub? Yes

    Subs can use its surprise strike another sub and they both fire in step 2. However if the attacker hits the defending sub 1st the defending sub is moved to the casualty strip gets to fire back and is not eliminated until the end of step 2.


  • @Meltdown:

    I’ve played 1941 a couple of times now with a friend, but there are still some things I don’t really understand in the rules…

    1.) Can sea units attack land? Or can they only attack what is in a sea zone… i.e ships or planes that take part in the sea battle?

    In this game version Battleships do not get to “Bombard” like other games. So no they do not get to fire once during the landing of the land units. Our players house rule and play the Bombard rule.

    In this game sea units only battle in sea zones against opponents.


  • @Sir_Cala:

    Can a sub surprise strike another sub? Yes

    Subs can use its surprise strike another sub and they both fire in step 2. However if the attacker hits the defending sub 1st the defending sub is moved to the casualty strip gets to fire back and is not eliminated until the end of step 2.

    So in that case a surprise strike from one sub to another is pretty pointless then?

    And to take out a battleship, I would need to surprise strike with at least 2 subs and them hitting to prevent the battleship firing back?

    PS : You previous post quoted me but had no answer?


  • Can sea units attack land units?

    No.

    In other versions of Axis and Allies their is a bombardment rule that lets you attack land units on an amphibious assault.

    –------------
    Surprise strike from one sub vs another.

    Its pointless. Especially when a sub can submerge and not have to defend against an attacking sub.

    see the General Combat Sequence.
    2. Submarine surprise strike or submerge (sea battles only)


    You are correct 2 subs with surprise strike that both roll hits against a Battleship will prevent it from firing back.


  • @Sir_Cala:

    A submarine either attacks or submerge.

    If it attacks and hits a unit with a surprise strike with no destroyer present. The ship that is chosen to be hit does not defend and is removed from the battle board. Exceptions are Battleships. They take 2 hits and the second hit removes of the battleboard.
    Repeat steps 2-7 if combat continues.

    If a submarine submerges it is not involved in any sea battle.

    so is that to say that if a sub scores a hit with a surprise attack it destroys whatever unit it hits, with the exception of battle ships which would need to be hit by two surprise attacks? cause battle ships have a defence of 4

    General Combat Sequence
    Combat takes place over a number of rounds. Each battle round consists of several steps.
    1. Place units along the battle strip
    2. Submarine surprise strike or submerge (sea battles only)
    3. Attacking units fire
    4. Defending units fire
    5. Remove defender�s casualties
    6. Press attack or retreat
    7. Conclude combat

    step 2.
    submarine surprise strike or submerge (sea Battles only)
    This step is specific to attacking and defending submarines.
    Before the general sea battle takes place (steps 3�5), both attacking and defending submarines choose to either make a
    Surprise Strike die roll or submerge. However, if your opponent has a destroyer in the battle, your attacking or defending
    submarines cannot submerge or make a Surprise Strike. Combat proceeds normally, and your submarines fire along with your
    other units in step 3 or 4.
    Submerge: Attacking or defending submarines that choose to submerge are immediately removed from the battle strip and
    returned to the game board in the contested sea zone, removing them from the rest of that sea battle.
    Players on both sides have to decide whether attacking and defending submarines will fire or submerge before rolling any dice.
    The attacking player decides first.
    Surprise Strike: Each attacking submarine conducting a Surprise Strike rolls one die, scoring a hit on a roll of �2� or less.
    After the attacker has rolled for all attacking submarines, the defender chooses one sea unit for each hit scored and moves it
    behind the casualty strip. (Submarines cannot hit air units.) Then each defending submarine conducting a Surprise Strike rolls
    one die, scoring a hit on a roll of �1.� After the defender has rolled for all defending submarines, the attacker chooses one sea
    unit for each hit scored and removes it from play.
    Once all Surprise Strike rolls have been made, remove the defender�s casualties. This step is over for this round of
    combat. Repeat this step during each round of combat as long as there are attacking and/or defending submarines and no
    opposing destroyers. Any hits made during this step that do not destroy units (such as battleships) remain in effect until the
    end of the combat.
    Note: In both cases, attacking or defending, transports can be chosen as casualties only if there are no other eligible units.
    You cannot choose submerged submarines as casualties since they have been removed from the battle.

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