Global 1940 Combat Engineer Unit

[The Captain]

Re: Global 1943 House Rules Expansion

As part of the Global 1940 & 1943 House Rules Expansion, we have been play testing a new Mechanized Infantry unit: Combat Engineer unit.

The purpose of this unit is to increase mobility for other Land Based Combat Units as well as perform certain specialized tasks.

As with other specialized Land Combat Units the Combat Engineer unit is limited in numbers in order to keep the play balance - and still keep some Historical aspect.

The number of Global 1940 & 1943 Play Test Games with this new unit is 21 games.

G40 Combat Engineer Unit.pdf

Combat Engineer Markers.pdf

[SuperbattleshipYamato]

@the-captain

Awesome! I can’t wait for it!

[The Captain]

The Combat Engineer Unit is now available.

See attached pdf file at the initial post at this thread.

Note:
This new unit for use with the Global 1940 Expansions and Global 1943 Expansion has not yet been fully play tested.

Play testing will commence on December 7th, 2021 - and is expected to be play tested during 10 games of Global 1943 Expansion, until January 8th 2022.

[SuperbattleshipYamato]

@the-captain

Great! I read it, and this is a very welcome addition to your house rules! The new unit, with so many different abilities, is definitely an important buy for most powers (maybe only the ones that don’t need to transport units a lot, taking advantage of the unit’s two space move ability).

[barnee]

@the-captain right on. Pretty involved unit. Probably wait til you’re done playtesting before I add it. We’ll see.

Could be pretty effective against small minefields. If they come in on a LCV the mine still defends ? After they unload they remove 1 ?

[The Captain]

@barnee

Yea - its a busy unit - always needed on the battlefield.

If the Combat Engineer unit is onboard a Landing Craft - and this Landing Craft crosses a minefield, the Combat Engineer unit is considered cargo - in the same way as all other units onboard Landing Crafts or Transports.

So, in this case the Combat Engineer cannot remove a Landmine.

We already encountered that issue today - and initially, a Combat Engineer unit cannot clear a minefield that is placed on a coastal line - since the Combat Engineer unit cannot pass through this minefiled by itself.

[SuperbattleshipYamato]

@the-captain

Are you going to add this topic to your list of your house rule expansion topics? If not, did you add it to the rest of your rules in the rulebook yet? Thank you!

[The Captain]

@barnee

For now, the Combat Engineer unit is play tested only for Global 1943.

One major reason is, that most other specialized units are already on the game board in the Global 1943 setup.

This makes it easier to manage the Combat Engineer unit - and assign tasks for this unit when it enters the game.

Depending on play test results, the Combat Engineer unit will initially be part of the Optional Rules section in the Axis & Allies Global 1940 House Rules Expansion - earmarked for use with Global 1943.

[barnee]

@the-captain yea makes sense. I was gonna roll a 43 triplea test, as all are the same for both 40 regular and it. Probably do it next update test game. Too many changes this time.

Eddie Van Halen tribute distracting me right now lol

[The Captain]

@barnee

By now, we have completed 4 games of Global 1943 with the Combat Engineer unit.

So far, Germany has from game start produced the Combat Engineer unit.

During the fighting on the Eastern Front, the German Combat Engineer unit is highly effective - transporting Landmines & Artillery units - as well as preparing Landig Strips for Fighter & Tactical Bomber units.

We have even seen an attempt to move the Minor Industrial Complex in France further to the East.

The United States also produced the Combat Engineer unit, mostly for constructing Landing Strips in Africa and a few islands in The Pacific.

A question came up during Play Testing:
“Does a Landing Strip, constructed by a Combat Engineer unit, increase the Flight Range of Air Units?”

The answer is no.
A Landing Strip is an “improvised” airfield for Air units - constructed with only the materials at hand in order to make the Air unit land - and without extensive support units, fuel, facilities etc. that an Air Base contains.

[barnee]

@the-captain right on. I’m almost done with the test game. I’ll go ahead and add it as an optional rule as well as the Desert Army when I do the next update.

Should I just hardwire it into 43 ?

[The Captain]

@barnee

Great,

Yea - you could hardwire it into Global 1943 - I’m convinced that both the Combat Engineer unit as well as the Desert Army formation will be permanent in both G40 and G43 versions.

[barnee]

@the-captain right on I’ll keep it as an option for 40 but turned on to start with.

[barnee]

Updated to triplea

18. Combat Engineer
    Adds the Combat Engineer Unit. Use Edit for moving Minor Factories and removing Landmines. Also for landing at Landing Strips.
    Land the Air Unit in a legal area and then edit after Non Combat Move.

Unit Image courtesy of Hepps.

Forgot about making it an option lol. So just don’t use if you don’t want to : )

[The Captain]

@barnee

Axis & Allies Global 1943 game no. 10 is played this coming Saturday.

This is the final play testing game with the Combat Engineer unit.

Rules concerning this unit will be revised & ready for use next week.

[SuperbattleshipYamato]

@the-captain

Man, I can’t believe how far time has passed.

[The Captain]

The Combat Engineer unit has now been fully play tested for Global 1943 as well as Global 1940.

The Combat Engineer unit will be part of the Axis & Allies Global 1940 House Rules Expansion.

Note:
The Combat Engineer unit is part of the Optional Rules in the Axis & Allies Global 1940 House Rules Expansion rulebook.

[VictoryFirst]

Are the markers for the combat engineer unit already available for cut out and use?

[The Captain]

@victoryfirst

The markers for the Combat Engineer unit will be ready for print & use within 24 hours:muscle:

[SuperbattleshipYamato]

@the-captain

Good!