• 2024 '22 '21 '19 '15 '14

    I would suggest the following candidates if you wanted to take the total VCs on the AA50 board from 18 to 24.

    Germany: NorthWestern Europe - VC Antwerp
    Russia: Novosibirsk - VC Novosibirsk
    Japan: FIC Thailand - VC Bangkok (or Singapore if you prefer, in 1942)
    Britain: Egypt - VC Cairo
    Italy: Libya - VC Tripoli
    USA: Brazil - VC Rio de Janeiro

    All reasonable as major city centers, and all strategically placed to make the gameplay more interesting.

    This would increase each player nation by 1 extra city on an even split 3 and 3 (Italy finally gets a second VC under its control, with Cairo nearby as well.) This expansion can be adapted for the All VC Factories HR too (where all VCs have a starting factory, but no new factories can be purchased), to introduce 12 additional points of production onto the board if desired. The overall split at the start would be 15/9 in favor of allies, but with more than 3 VCs in range of Axis during the first round that would bring it to 12-12 after the opening. 24 total VCs would give a larger spread, more area to defend or attack, and more potential paths to victory for either side.

    Basically the lowest threshold of victory would be 16 total (for the Allies to reclaim all their starting VCs and then take one more), but the spread could make Victory options more nuanced as well, and equal for both sides. Such as victory at 18, 20, 21 or 22. 22 is all VCs +1 capital conquered, which would be more or less a victory lap. The lower end 16-20 is the same for basically both sides. Above 21 would be more challenging for Axis (on account of needing W. USA or a capital) so basically Total Victory. But at 16, 18 and 20, you could conceivably have more narrow games that don’t require the capital capture dynamic to play out.


  • Interesting idea.


  • I like the idea of additional VCs, especially for creating more strategic options.

    Rather than, or perhaps in addition to Cairo, I’ve always thought it would be interesting to add a VC in South Africa, perhaps Cape Town or Joburg. I think it would make the African theater more interesting, instead of just a major battle in Egypt followed by an Italian tank blitzing through sub-Saharan Africa. Egypt is going to be a focus of action either way (whether it’s a VC or not). A VC in South Africa could mean more Japanese and British involvement in the Indian or South Atlantic Ocean, and also prevent a large chunk of the map being relatively empty.


  • @EvenkiNatlOkrug:

    A VC in South Africa could mean more Japanese and British involvement in the Indian or South Atlantic Ocean, and also prevent a large chunk of the map being relatively empty.

    And on a related subject: in WWII, the Axis and Allied powers both had their eyes on Madagascar as a potential base from which to exert control over the Indian Ocean.  Madagascar was under Vichy rule after the fall of France – the same Vichy government which hadn’t made too much of a fuss when Japan had taken over French Indochina – and the Allies were worried that the Japanese might grab the island (something which Germany was supposedly encouraging Japan to do).  The Japanese had already demonstrated their interest in the Indian Ocean by seizing the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and by conducting carrier task force raids in the area, including a raid against Ceylon; furthermore, their long-range subs had the capacity to reach and operate in that part of the world.  The Indian Ocean was also on the 70-degree east dividing line between the spheres of interest of Japan and the European Axis countries which had been specified in (if I recall correctly) a secret annex of the Tripartite Pact.  Madagascar was conveniently close to South Africa and to the shipping routes that connected Europe to India and the Far East via the Cae of Good Hope, so it had strategic potential.  The Allies eventually decided to preempt any possible Axis seizure of Madagascar by grabbing it first, which they did between May and November 1942 (Operations Ironclad and Streamline Jane).  Unlike the attempted Allied preemptive seizure of Norway in 1940, the Allied move against Madagascar was successful and the island was eventually placed under Free French administration.  Madagascar might not rate having a VC, but it could potentially be a house rule National Objective for both the Allies and Japan.


  • I would love to know the functionality of this idea!  I am just about to print out the imperious leader map and home make my board.  My art guy can add and change anything, so i could potentially add these VC’s to the map!  I really like the idea of Rio…makes South America much more interesting!


  • @CWO:

    @EvenkiNatlOkrug:

    A VC in South Africa could mean more Japanese and British involvement in the Indian or South Atlantic Ocean, and also prevent a large chunk of the map being relatively empty.

    Madagascar might not rate having a VC, but it could potentially be a house rule National Objective for both the Allies and Japan.

    I would agree - anything to make that theater more interesting would help.

    My other idea was to potentially have Dakar (French West Africa) or Brazzaville (French Equatorial Africa) as a VC. This might be more applicable to Europe 1940, but Dakar was a significant objective for the Free French, and Brazzaville was their “capital” for a couple of years. The British made a significant attempt (Battle of Dakar) to take it from the Vichy forces.

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