Is 1941 better year than 1942 for WWII scenarios?

Re: Global 1942 Scenario by Larry Harris

We’ve played this version four times now, and it definitely is tilted towards the Allies. The US is simply too powerful, and Japan has no chance with the US getting 65-70+ income every turn. While it’s still our favorite, there are some challenges. Our thoughts:

I agree with the assessment that the USSR can knock out 1-2 territories right off the bat. This is similar to the traditional A&A, but Germany doesn’t have the forces to respond in any forceful way to retake anything. USSR is starting with 21+ infantry across the 3-territory front, and Germany can’t get its forces there fast enough. The USSR creates strongholds in Kaliningrad and Ukraine and churns out 10-12 infantry or 6 tanks that immediately come into play. The possible solution for this is for Germany to put a minor IC closer to the front for balance.

Germany has no chance to get transports out of the North Sea due to Britain’s fighter advantage. With France’s help, you would need to get 4+ destroyers/cruisers to protect the transports if you’re trying to go to Iceland and then to Canada/US. The key is to have sub packs hunting any transports that cross, and quick. Once the US takes Gibraltar (which it should do in R1), it becomes a fighter landing factory where they can spawn across the Atlantic and then pound Italy.

The US is just too powerful. The winning path we’ve seen is for the US to make 5-6 fighters per turn and fly them to the Hawaiian islands, then eventually take Wake and Midway. From there, it’s only a matter of time. Japan simply can’t put enough forces to fight through the fighters to get Hawaii, Midway and the islands to the south. The 15 bonus just for having the US each turn is too much. If Germany/Italy can put pressure on the US (which we have seen and done), it can help, but it’s really hard. Italy needs to get income fast, which means going hard and fast after Egypt and the consolidated forces there.

Our Allied player did a very interesting thing by putting a factory in Egypt along with an air base, which made it almost impregnable. Getting Africa quickly is perhaps the least understood key to the war - it allows Italy to prevent ships from coming through the canal and lets them pressure the US. Italy HAS to hold TransJordan to prevent UK ships from crossing the canal. I can’t emphasize enough how important a role plays in helping take pressure off of the UK, which can…

Build up an infantry fortress in India which is impossible to take - UNLESS you build a minor IC on R1 in Malaya. Why Malaya (which is much harder to defend)? Because, under the rules, it can be upgraded to a MAJOR IC - producing 10 units per turn - so India can be overwhelmed. The challenge is that Malaya can be hit (and taken) with the British naval forces attached to India. However, if Japan can do it, they can then turn its attention to…

ANZAC - becomes an income suck very quickly for Japan by grabbing the East Indies. Getting Japan to take out India is probably the most important thing the Axis can do. It frees Japan to focus on island defense and ANZAC. If ANZAC starts getting fighters, they become a transport-hunting force which simply can’t be countered. Otherwise, ANAC spawns a transport and 1-2 infantry per turn that can grab IPC-rich islands. The way I’ve countered this is to flood the Pacific with subs everywhere, which will pick off any unattended transport immediately.

Germany - Has to focus on numbers to overwhelm Russia while hoping that the UK doesn’t undertake strategic bombing raids, which Germany should do anyway to minimize the UK’s strength. The USSR has been able to assemble 25-30 tanks in the last three games, and only an error by the Allied player which allowed me to grab Russia for a turn helped even the balance. I have found that blasting the UK’s IC into dust slows things down a lot.

All in all, a very solid game, but it needs some tweaks so the Axis have a chance.

Asking the community here which map version would be preferred from below, or there a combination not represented? The game is European theatre, but there is an Asian/Pacific half as well. Game will be offered through HBG.

Historical flags only on capitals or important cities. Territories outside of homeland use lighter shade of colour.
59ba889b-c1fa-496f-8e4c-a86a8c5b1bc4-image.png

Historical flags on capitals and small flags on territories to denote ownership along with colour. Territories outside of the homeland will use local flag.
4efd671c-9f95-454f-813a-ea2451814a57-image.png

Axis & Allies roundels used instead of historical flags. Territories outside of homeland still use local flags.
cfd708c4-c553-41be-9f7a-3d771ba2a601-image.png

Axis & Allies flags used for all spaces. Outside homeland is a lighter shade.
235eb1f3-3d3e-4a50-bde7-8d8a9c46bc50-image.png

I updated my setup cards to have a front and back side to them. The front being the setup and the back having purchase info, Attack and Defense, and Images to help with identifying pieces on the board…mainly the boats. We found we have had to get the rule book out to make sure we purchase the correct boats (Destroyer vs Cruiser). It can be difficult to identify and keep track of these units. You can print these out at a local print shop. I printed on thin PVC material and had them laminated. Here are the cards.

Fronts:
USA Card5x3.2.png

United Kingdom5x4.png

Russia Setup 5x2.75.png

Japan Card 5x4.3.png

Germany card5x4.png

Backs:
USA Card-01.png

United Kingdom-01.png

Russia Setup-01.png

Japan Card-01-01.png

Germany card-01.png

Hi.
Thanks to the collaboration of Piloto P-51’s youtube chanel, and the tests we have done on our part; We believe we have determined that Pieces and how many are used to play optimally 1941, and incidentally make it work as was intended: an introductory “cheap” game.
You know, There are problems of design and edition of the product, which are a shame: 1 the error on the map, 2 a manual that spends many pages with spaces and drawings, useless, and does not develop a full turn of a power (Germany or Japan, they can do in their hole turn all steps and combat movements) 3 a box that should be much more compact, 4 lack of player aids, 5 lack of pieces.
We have uploaded in another post, the help to players we have created. And now here, we put the pieces that should have come from the factory day first… but that we must acquire, copy, improvise or create, to have an ideal gaming experience.

Listas.jpg

This table is the result of several conscientious play test and an average of the data, we hope it serves to you.

Nota: Video en español, critica y soluciones.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KxFgBPiiDQY

@CWO-Marc said in Physically modifying 1942 2nd edition map.:

My pleasure. By the way, I wrote “acrylic” above but I’ve double-checked and the correct term is actually acetate sheets, a.k.a. projector transparencies; see: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transparency_(projection).

Thanks for letting me know. They’d probably give me a weird look if I asked for acrylic. 😆😆

Thanks MR, it was also because I had all the bits needed just sitting in a box.

If it catches on, I’ll move to Anniv. or 1942.2 and use the extra 1942.1 pieces as needed in those games.

I’m not a huge fan of unique/individual sculpts in the first place.
So getting 1941 for the sculpts isn’t appealing to me.
(I like the Pac. 1940 1st ed. ANZAC sculpts over the 22nd ed. ones-except the infantry)

To each their own.

Well done! Thanks for sharing your work.

Regarding prices, here are some quotes that I got from two different Southern California print shops  (I had posted this also on the thread entitled Ambilzi & Grasshopper’s 1940 Global Map)

The first print shop provided the following estimates (note the $52 set up fee):

SET UP:  $52.05 ( digital color file set up, latex printer set up)

48" x 105" vinyl $142.63  print digital color 4/0 on white smooth vinyl (15oz)

48" x 105" canvas  $300.13  print digital color 4/0 on canvas

48" x 105" versa fabric  $273.88  print digital color 4/0 on versa fabric

53" x 116" vinyl  $174.63 print digital color 4/0 on white smooth vinyl (15oz)

53" x 116" canvas $368.13  print digital color 4/0 on canvas

53" x 116" versa fabric $335.88 please note: print cannot be any larger, printing on a 54" rolld

A second set of quotes from a different Southern California printing company for printing on vinyl (the type of material used for advertising banners):

48"x105" ,  white 64" Roland EcoSol Banner, solvent 6 color Roland 4sf  $230.80

53"x116",    white 64" Roland EcoSol Banner, solvent 6 color Roland 4sf  $258.78

56"x122.5",  white 64" Roland EcoSol Banner, solvent 6 color Roland 4sf  $277.42

(I might check on the AliBaba website to see what I can find for printing services in China.  Also, I’m checking on the possibility of printing on upholstery vinyl and marine vinyl).