Naval Changes

In my version the oil tanker is the only new unit added.  Well, apart from Radar installations and Rocket pieces. But then one key rule I introduce is that all ships must refuel every turn, tying them to friendly land areas.  With tankers it becomes possible to carry out long range naval operations, but the pieces themselves are expensive and have no combat value. I’m not convinced that cruisers are anything more than a piece for the sake of having a 3-3 ship, with destroyers becoming 2-2, but we’ll see what LH has come up with in Guadalcanal.  Eventually. The problem with cost reduction is that you might create naval cannon fodder units bought in vast quantaties just to soak up hits.  A ship costing 4 IPCs and having no combat value would probably be a good buy.

Give Russia a starting fleet!  :evil: For use in games when the bosphorus and sz 16 “the Black Sea” is closed to all surface ships (only subs can pass through.) Add 1 Russian Battleship, 1 destroyer and 1 transport to sz 16. Add 1 Cruiser and 1 transport to the Caspian sea which becomes a normal sz. Now the Russians have a little mini fleet of their own! This bolstered Soviet navy gives them a new attack route into Romania and a few chances to conduct annoying bombardments into Ukraine, Romania, Persia or Kazakh! The fleet is still fairly small, and it can’t “escape” into the open ocean, but it gives the Russians a few more sculpts to play with. Axis still have air attack options against this new Russian navy (and sub attacks in the case of the Black Sea) but it gives them another distraction on the march towards Moscow. Who knows maybe the Russians could even buy a carrier deck at some point, if they manage to keep their Black Sea fleet alive, for late game transports against G? Finally because sz 16 is open to subs it is even possible for the Red October to sail all the way from sz 4 to sz 16, to link up with the main fleet! This would serve no real purpose at all, but would surely be deamed a grand accomplishment worthy of Soviet prestige hehe. What do you guys think? You like idea of a little Russian naval action?

…which were quickly wiped out by Japan and not replaced. The Soviet Navy had to build ships in Russia then sail them out to form the Pacific fleet. I don’t buy the idea of complexes as staging areas - this can apply to any area where you build up forces, and doesn’t need a factory.  To me, “Industrial Complex” means a vast industrial base of economic production in which weapons of war are forged.  To establish such a base overseas from scratch is simply not realistic. Much, much cheaper and quicker to ship/rail the units from their base of origin in your home territory which is exactly what the game should reflect. Industrial complexes (at least building new ones and using other player’s) are one of those hangovers from the original game design that somehow haven’t been updated because they feel like too much a part of the A&A tradition.  But, like the Sinai peninsular being in Trans-Jordan, or the disturbing re-appearance of the Hiberno-Caledonian land bridge, they don’t belong in a game which purports to represent World War II.

We use this rule. If fighters are in a territory with a air base, they may scramble to an anjacent sea zone. TAC or Bombers may not scramble. Good rule.

@Uncrustable: Tac bombers need something, they are rarely produced relative to fighters and strat bombers I would also suggest letting tanks roll a 4 for each tac bomber present if air supremacy has been achieved, that is for each tac bomber one tank rolls at 4 instead of 3. Tac bombers do not change This even further increases air buys and also gives tanks a buff which they need We already have a round of combt befor normal combat (AAA) just add all planes to that round, everything hitting on 1s. Easy Air supremacy is checked for each round of combat, before any dice are rolled for that round These rules will magnify both fighters and tac bombers buys as well as tanks, and also promote a combined arms approach to purchases similar to artillery and infantry You want enough fighters to achieve air supremacy, but also a good even amount of tac bombers and tanks to maximize air supremacy when you do achieve it This kills multiple birds with a single stone It should reduce somewhat the infantry/mech spam with sprinkles of artillery that we see now It also indirectly buffs AAA as each AAA adds 3 more dice to the air battle in defense, and increases your chance of gaining control of the skies Very thoughtful ideas. I like them. However my first impression is your HR change much more the balance. I’m looking for just small changes. I will come back on this. You have some compelling reason like this one: We already have a round of combt befor normal combat (AAA) just add all planes to that round, everything hitting on 1s. Easy Thank you very much for your challenging ideas.

Now it sounds so good I will try this next time.

This sounds like an interesting idea, but why just BBs and cruisers?

yeah smaller territories with the World at War variant starting with OOB you actually want to WEAKEN SBR rules you can make German bleed in a way thats too powerful for both gameplay balance and realism hitting things during production is a great idea it doesn’t make sense to be able to destroy IPC at an unused IC but I wouldn’t make it actual units but remain as IPCs its not easy to make a nice rule for OOB though the income and production is all messed up by the USSR,Germany,UK,Japan,US play order