Delta Deck: cards for playing G40 Delta house rules

@Young:

I like it because it shows 3 scrambling fighters in the air and a 4th getting prepped. It’s also a lot richer in color than the last image.

True. I do think the ‘scramble’ aspect is conveyed well.

@Young:

The service at artscow provides 54 blank cards in which to work with…

Here’s how I see the breakdown…

Total Cards in Deck = 54

PERFECT!

@Young:

Here’s how I see the breakdown…
Total Cards in Deck = 54

Maybe I’m not understanding something here…but of the 20 Strategic Advantages, 4 of them (Airborne Assault Troops, War Time Production, Long Range Aircraft and Modernized Shipyards) are available to 8 countries (Germany / UK / Russia / Japan / USA / Italy / ANZAC / France), so shouldn’t those cards say 8X rather than 1X?

@Young:

Cards for Airborne Assault Troops, War Time Production, Long Range Aircraft, and Modernized Shipyards (1 each) will be placed somewhere on the board face up. Nations will than place their roundel on top of the advantage card they choose for R1, and will than repeat the process later for R10.

Ah – I see.  Yes, that works then.

Here are a few minor points, in no particular order.

1. I think the terms below aren’t usually split into two words.  “Fatherland”, “Motherland” and “Homeland” would be better.

Germany: Father Land
USSR: Mother Land
China: Home Land
Italy: Home Land

2. This should say “US controls” rather than “America controls”.

The Americas
$10 - America controls Western, Central, and Eastern United States, as well as Mexico, Southeast Mexico, Central America, and West Indies

3. Two comments about this one:

Trade With USA
$10 - Peace with FIC, and the Pacific allies.

First, what does FIC stand for and could it be written out in full for clarity?  Second, why does the rule say “Pacific allies” when the title says “Trade with USA”?  Third, if “Pacific allies” is in fact what’s intended here, there’s the problem that the term is a bit vague (I assume it means the US, the UK, ANZAC and the Dutch East Indies, but that’s just a guess), and also the problem that these nations only became “Allies” when war broke out, which nullifies the concept of Japan being at peace with them.

4. “Allies” needs to be capitalized in the items below for consistency with the other rules.

Lend Lease
$5 - The allied powers control Archangel and there are no axis warships is sea zone #120

National Pride
$5 - There are no allied units on originally owned Russian territories

China
The Burma Road
$5 & Artillery Production - The allied powers control the Burma road.

UK
The Burma Road
$5 - The allied powers control the Burma road.

Naval Superiority
$5 - There are no allied warships in the Mediterranean.

@Young:

I’m on the hunt for a better “Blitzkrieg Tactics” image of a German truck pulling an artillery unit.

I found an alternate photo (not painting), but it’s only so-so.  On the other hand, I found a potentially better painting for Around the Clock Bombing.

@CWO:

@Young:

I’m on the hunt for a better “Blitzkrieg Tactics” image of a German truck pulling an artillery unit.

I found an alternate photo (not painting), but it’s only so-so.  On the other hand, I found a potentially better painting for Around the Clock Bombing.

I don’t know… I love the image, but I think a night time city-bombing picture like YG has is very good. B-24s bombing Romanian oil fields doesn’t say “around the clock bombing” to me.

@LHoffman:

I don’t know… I love the image, but I think a night time city-bombing picture like YG has is very good. B-24s bombing Romanian oil fields doesn’t say “around the clock bombing” to me.

I was looking at it from the perspective that the strategic bombing campaign against Germany only became an around-the-clock campaign when the original British nighttime bombing was supplemented by American daylight bombing – so a picture of an American daylight bombing raid, to me, depicts the required added element.  But perhaps a daylight raid over a German target would be more appropriate…and perhaps a picture that shows a US bomber in flames isn’t quite the right motivator for picking this advantage.

@Young:

I’m on the hunt for a better “Blitzkrieg Tactics” image of a German truck pulling an artillery unit.

What about re-titling the Advantage as:   “Mechanized Blitzkrieg”

To me that sounds a little more legitimate and descriptive. Particularly since Germany already can blitz with their tanks, so how about make it obviously specific to mechanized infantry or Artillery?

I like the image you have already, but here is one I found. It is a little crowded though.

@CWO:

and perhaps a picture that shows a US bomber in flames isn’t quite the right motivator for picking this advantage.

:lol:  Yeah, my philosophy is that it is best to avoid images showing you Advantage being blown up. A subtle psychological message of doom is not what we are looking for. Relates to my comment about the Trans-Siberian Railway card.

However, I do understand your perspective and I agree with it. I will say that most people will think of nighttime when they hear “around-the-clock”, which is why I suggested that one.

Found this one too. Looks like an actual photo, but it is hard to tell at this size. You might be able to put it through a filter to dirty it up a bit though.

@LHoffman:

@Young:

I’m on the hunt for a better “Blitzkrieg Tactics” image of a German truck pulling an artillery unit.

What about re-titling the Advantage as:   “Mechanized Blitzkrieg”

To me that sounds a little more legitimate and descriptive. Particularly since Germany already can blitz with their tanks, so how about make it obviously specific to mechanized infantry or Artillery?

I like the image you have already, but here is one I found. It is a little crowded though.

I’d argue that “Mechanized Blitzkrieg” is redundant because Blitzkrieg tactics inherently depend on the use of mechanized ground forces: tanks, mechanized/motorized infantry and vehicle-towed or self-propelled artillery.  Blitzkrieg tactics can’t be carried out with foot soldiers and horses because they lack the required speed and punch.  Great picture, however – it conveys better than a single vehicle the massing of forces which Blitzkrieg requires.

@LHoffman:

I will say that most people will think of nighttime when they hear “around-the-clock”, which is why I suggested that one.

This raises an interesting point.  Should the cards be designed on the assumption that A&A enthusiasts are a typical cross-section of the general population when it comes to their familiarity with WWII, or on the assumption that they probably know more about the war than the average person?

@CWO:

I’d argue that “Mechanized Blitzkrieg” is redundant because Blitzkrieg tactics inherently depend on the use of mechanized ground forces: tanks, mechanized/motorized infantry and vehicle-towed or self-propelled artillery.  Blitzkrieg tactics can’t be carried out with foot soldiers and horses because they lack the required speed and punch.  Great picture, however – it conveys better than a single vehicle the massing of forces which Blitzkrieg requires.

I certainly agree, however since we are playing Axis and Allies I was hoping the term “mechanized” would be viewed more as a noun than an adjective… since mobile infantry units in the game are called “mechanized infantry” and denoted by half-tracks. My intent was to form an association between game play terms and those used on the cards. Though, in reality, it is redundant.

Even an experienced player such as myself, (assuming I had never heard of Delta before) would be more comfortable in grasping the point of any Advantage if it related to and used words already in the game. If I read “Mechanized Blitzkrieg” I think, oh, okay like for Mechanized Infantry? If I read “Blitzkrieg Tactics” I think, Well that sounds kind of boring and I can already blitz anyway. Not that I or anyone else would not read the card and figure out what it pertains to, but a quick association through words and images is best whenever possible.

@CWO:

This raises an interesting point.  Should the cards be designed on the assumption that A&A enthusiasts are a typical cross-section of the general population when it comes to their familiarity with WWII, or on the assumption that they probably know more about the war than the average person?

Well, I think that to even be an Axis and Allies player (let alone enthusiast), one is by default more knowledgeable about WWII than the average person. However, that knowledge level varies considerably from person to person in my experience. My feeling is that the use of certain terms should be accurate, but also obvious and consistent; and weighted more towards a layman’s understanding for the purpose of clarity and mental association. (Which is why I suggested “Mechanized Blitzkrieg”)

For example, a boob off the street may not even know the difference between a battleship and an aircraft carrier, but I routinely play A&A with guys who, while somewhat knowledgeable (and very intelligent otherwise), don’t know the difference between a cruiser and a destroyer. Let alone know the names of certain ship classes or aircraft types. Plus, they routinely get rules confused or don’t remember them. In this way, having terms that relate back to specific ones used in the game would be helpful whenever possible.

@LHoffman:

I certainly agree, however since we are playing Axis and Allies I was hoping the term “mechanized” would be viewed more as a noun than an adjective… since mobile infantry units in the game are called “mechanized infantry” and denoted by half-tracks. My intent was to form an association between game play terms and those used on the cards. […]  For example, a boob off the street may not even know the difference between a battleship and an aircraft carrier, but I routinely play A&A with guys who, while somewhat knowledgeable (and very intelligent otherwise), don’t know the difference between a cruiser and a destroyer. Let alone know the names of certain ship classes or aircraft types.

If the aim is to highlight Germany’s mechanized infantry element, the term Panzergrenadiers might work.

I like the part about “a boob off the street may not even know the difference between a battleship and an aircraft carrier” because it reminds me of the Calvin and Hobbes cartoon in which Calvin hold up an alleged dinosaur fossil in class and says “To the untutored eye of the ignorant layman, this may look like a simple piece of driveway gravel….”  And it’s funny to think that Wittman’s little daughter seems to know more than the average adult about what unit types the A&A sculpts represent.  :-D

@CWO:

If the aim is to highlight Germany’s mechanized infantry element, the term Panzergrenadiers might work.

That would certainly be appropriate, and more accurate. I think it becomes an issue of font and space to print such long German words.

But, I am not sure which should be highlighted more, a) the ability for mechs to blitz without a tank, or b) the ability to transport an artillery piece? The way the wording is currently, it seems to be (a) however I personally think (b) is far more valuable. Especially since the use of mechs blitzing alone is relatively limited. Either because there is little opportunity or because you usually have tanks in your forces.

If (b) were the focus, the card should probably say something like “Mobile Artillery”. I do like the use of ‘blitzkrieg’ though. Much more German and much more intimidating.

@CWO:

I like the part about “a boob off the street may not even know the difference between a battleship and an aircraft carrier” because it reminds me of the Calvin and Hobbes cartoon in which Calvin hold up an alleged dinosaur fossil in class and says “To the untutored eye of the ignorant layman, this may look like a simple piece of driveway gravel….”  And it’s funny to think that Wittman’s little daughter seems to know more than the average adult about what unit types the A&A sculpts represent.   :-D

I love Calvin and Hobbes. Nice association there. And as I understand it Wittman’s daughter is pretty sharp.

@LHoffman:

That would certainly be appropriate, and more accurate. I think it becomes an issue of font and space to print such long German words.

Let’s be glad that the cards aren’t being designed for the 1914 game.  In WWI, the German word for tank was, if I remember correctly, Schutzengrabenvernichtungsautomobil.