I would like for the US and UK to be able to send lend lease (LL) to Russia, and the US to also be able to lend lease to the UK. With that in mind I’m sticking to the Euro side (but you could expand). My intention is to replace the existing Russian lend lease NO, and allow the Western Allies to give Russia IPCs and units. I’m not sure if it would keep UK ftrs out of Moscow but you could install a 3 IPC NO strictly for no western allied units in Russia to help with that as well (maybe 5 IPCs if needed).
Here’s my thoughts:
Sending nation doesn’t have to be at war, but receiving nation needs to be at war with one of the Euro axis powers (either Germany or Italy). Lend lease can be units, IPCs, or combination of both. Certain conditions need to be met for the nation to get the lend lease, and there is designated territories where the LL shows up (see later).
As the sending nations the US and UK can buy lend lease dice for 2 IPCs each during their purchase units phase (paid to the bank). US can buy up to 3 LL dice, but can only allocate 2 LL dice to any one nation (either UK or Russia), and UK can buy up to 2 LL dice (for Russia). You then roll the dice to determine the amount of lend lease that each nation will receive from the bank (sum of dice that was allocated to that power). The sending nation will ship the lend lease immediately, but it doesn’t arrive until the receiving nations turn (considered at sea and held out of play). At the beginning of the receiving nations turn if the following conditions are met the lend lease will arrive.
For the UK, there can be no German subs/war ships in the Atlantic (excluding sz112), and LL is received in United Kingdom (London). For Russia there can be no axis war ships in sz125, and LL is received at Archangel (must obviously be controlled by Russia).
Using the US for an example they buy 1 LL dice for 2 IPCs (pay bank). They roll a 5, so that is what Russia will get in units/IPCs through LL (the bank pays this not sending power just like it was an NO). If you rolled a “1” then Russia gets 1 IPC (guess the rest is considered lost at sea lol). For the 5 IPCs in LL the US decides to send an art (use Russian art) plus the extra 1 IPC (for a total of 5 IPCs LL). Again the LL is considered at sea until Russia’s turn (held out of play). In the beginning of Russia’s turn if there are no German war ships in sz125 the new Russian art is placed on Arch, and the 1 IPC is added to Russia’s bank. The art can move during Russia’s combat move phase, so it is probably better to send units if you can, otherwise it takes a while for the Russians to buy units and get them placed.
If sz125 is not clear, or Arch is taken then LL continues to be held out of play and you can attempt to deliver LL on Russia’s next turn. You could also re-appropriate it and send it to the UK next turn (swap Russia art for UK). However the nation that was unable to deliver LL can’t send more LL until it is delivered. If LL can’t be deliver after 2 attempts it is lost.
If you rolled 2 dice for LL to Russia (paid 4 IPCs) and ended up with a sum of 10, you could ship a ftr or a mech & tank etc…of coarse you could get screwed and roll snake eyes.
To make it more interesting you could add in other lend lease routes to Russia with similar conditions. Like through Persia (sz80) or Amur (sz5) so you have other ways to get LL to Russia if the northern route is cut off.
Could also lay out actual lend lease routes from US to UK/Russia, and from UK to Russia for the allies to keep clear of axis war ships. If not not clear can’t use that route, or allow enemy ships to attack lend lease because it would have to pass through a hostile sz.
Hi WB,
I think it’s a great idea. Concepts I liked:
I would change:
Thanks for your response,
As for units and IPCs being sent, both have value, and I want to be able to send everything rolled. Units can participate right away from Archangel in combat. If it is cash it goes to the Russian bank at the beginning of Russia’s turn (can be used to purchase units that turn). So with the cash it would take a bit longer for units to get into action, but the Russians might need the units in Moscow or Ukraine (not in Arch). I think of it like they rail the lend lease to these areas rather then buying units.
The dice thing is pretty cool, and it can add quite a bit to the Russian’s income (could just be the gambler in me though, I love the dice LOL). I think of it like the NO for 5 IPC which is like free money to the Russians. It just makes the allies pay some for the Russians to get some, but it could go the other way and the allies don’t benefit all that much. If you roll high its like winning the lottery, if you roll low then well at least they got something. Say you paid for 2 dice (4 IPCs) and got a 4, and 5 (9 IPCs). That is a pretty good roll, but it is really the same as giving them a net of a 5 IPC NO as far as the allies big picture goes. Of coarse it can be repeated in one round of play because both the US and UK can do it, but it does cost them each something.
My over all thing is to possibly ban the West from putting units into Russia (other then lend lease), so it needs to allow the Russians to stand on their own, but cost the allies some to do it. An even trade+2 IPC wouldn’t do that IMO, it would just make the western allies weaker so they might not voluntarily do it at all. It needs to have some risk, but good reward IMO (dice can do that).
I like the die roll for ICP’s only for LL. Makes Russia or UK wait a turn before they can buy and place unit on board. I would like to use 1 D8 or D10 die.
Lend Lease:
The US player can build units for Russia, UK, and ANZAC. The units that can be built are; tanks, mech, and aircraft. There are separate Lend Lease IPC pools that are allocated by the US player during each turn.
Procedure: While US NOT AT WAR, can spend 2 IPCs to roll 1d6 for each leasing player and add that number to the LL IPC pool for that power. WHEN AT WAR, the US player can spend an additional 2 IPCs for another dice roll for each power and add that to their LL IPC pool. During the lending player’s turn, they may spend these pools to build units in the US, and get them transported to a territory under their control.
1. The leasing player purchases and builds the units in either SZ10 or SZ101. Place the unit with a LEASE marker.
2. Movement is done by the US player. Transport destination SZ is; UK: SZ109 or SZ119;
RU: SZ127, SZ5, or SZ80; AN: SZ62 or SZ63. Once in the destination SZ, offloading is done by the leasing player, and cannot move any farther that turn. Offloading is a non-combat move.
3. Movement is a 2 or 3 sea zone step process. 2 step movement to UK is done via SZ106;
to RU-SZ127 is done via SZ123 or SZ119; to RU-SZ5 is done via SZ8; to AN is done via SZ48 or SZ50. 3 step movement to SZ80 is done via SZ88 and SZ71.
4. If there are screening defensive warships, any number of the attack dice can be pre-allocated to rolls against the lease units. However this will incur a defensive dice roll of 1d6 with hit on 1 for each lease unit. If there are NO screening warships, the is still a defense roll of 2d6 with hit on 4 for each.
@WILD:
Could also lay out actual lend lease routes from US to UK/Russia, and from UK to Russia for the allies to keep clear of axis war ships. If not not clear can’t use that route, or allow enemy ships to attack lend lease because it would have to pass through a hostile sz.
I didn’t see this the first time I read it, but that’s a neat idea! Similar to the Birma Road, you could have actual convoy lanes on the map that you can protect/disrupt.
I think you have plenty of ideas to try and test :-D They sound good, I would just try it and if something’s overpowered reduce the benefits/increase cost.
We have a house rule that allows for a LL event to occur. During our “events” phase (before the German turn begins, we have world events that can occur, PM me and I can send you the setup) If USSR rolls a 10 they collect 10 IPC on collect income phase for LL. If not at war with Germany they collect 5 IPC for “peaceful trade with Germany”
A&A Europe 1999 edition had The Sovjet Patriotic War rule that was kind of a Lend Lease rule. US and UK could noncombat move planes or land units to any Russian territory, and in the Russian non combat move this allied units were turned into Russian ones. Not the worst rule I have seen. Some standard strategies back in those days was UK moving a lot of Fighters to Leningrad to give Russia an air force. Of course you see this with G40 too, but now the Fighters stay UK property.
Try this house rule I used to do. US and UK can attach money or units to transports, the transport is no different than any other transports in the rule. It has to be sent to a Soviet factory before the money or unit can be used. The transport is allowed to land the units anywhere they want to. The money moves only one space per turn or two if it is attached to a tank or mech. Once that unit gets to the factory, the money is now USSR and the unit is converted to Soviet use. Aircraft is allowed to be attached to a transport but it only moves one space. Naval units are NOT allowed for balance. If the money and/or units get captured on their territory, they become axis. Thoughts on this?
