Blitz move

[WILD BILL]

This is just a concept, but I’m looking to develop a different mechanic that will allow for a second combat move for units that are eligible to do so (mechanized units and air mostly). I also want to be able to immediately reinforce these positions so you don’t break-thru the enemy lines just to get your expensive units killed in a counter attack. To do this I’m also looking at allowing all units to move 2 spaces in NCM to simulate rail or mobility. There is also some talks about a special forces (SF) unit that would be able to move 2 spaces, so I’m including this unit in this “blitz move” concept.

My though is that your mech and tanks could perform as they do now (move 2 spaces and attack, or your traditional blitz an unoccupied enemy territory then attack). If they moved 2 spaces in the normal combat phase, they wouldn’t be eligible to do a “blitz move” (second attack) because they would have no movement left. However if your tanks and mech moved only one space, or didn’t move at all in the normal combat they would be able to perform a “blitz move” (second combat).

So if you break-thru the enemy lines you can have eligible units make a “blitz move”, or second combat. Units are eligible as long as they still have movement left, even if they were used in the normal combat phase.

Eligible units would be tanks, mech, SF and air that still have movement left (air would still have to land safely with in their original movement restrictions). I’m also probably going to allow a mech to bring an inf or art into the “blitz move”.

The NCM will allow any unit that didn’t move in the combat or blitz phase to move 2 spaces. Again this gives some rail or mobility capabilities to the game as a whole, and allows you to reinforce your new territorial gains with less risk to your break-thru units.

Like I said it is only a concept to me, but I’m sure others have implemented similar house rules into G40. I realize this will be quite an advantage to the dark side, and would need a pretty good tweak to the set-up so Russia, India and China don’t get over ran. It could help the allies some though, like the Russians getting the Siberians home double time, or UK moving inf through Africa-Middle East-India-China faster. Any thoughts?

[Narvik]

the game do have rules for breakthrough and reinforcing, but you need a friend to cooperate with you. Like you are Germany and want to move from Poland to Baltic to Belarus, and the two latter are occupied by the Red Army. Then use Italy as a can opener to capture Baltic, and then you just blitz through to Belarus, and then let Italy land some fighters there to protect you. This is basically the quintessence of what you say in your post, man. Except you want to do it alone, with no help from friends. I figure the game is designed this way because Larry want it to be a team effort. Its like you dont win individually neither. You play and win as a team.

But you already know this, man, so IMHO you should try to make houserules that are close to the classic A&A mechanic. its simple, just say you can use your own units as can opener, and the units you did not use can blitz through the newly captured territory. Then make a rule that let your fighters land in any newly captured territory. Lets imagine they do combat air patrol over the newly captured place. Its not like you can land heavy bombers there, just fighters for protection. This will not break the game, the total of German and Italian units are the same, you just dont gather them together any more.

To phrase the rule, I suggest you must declare all combats before you resolve them, so you need to commit a specific force to can open Baltic, and then commit another force with two move units and or airborne troops to blitz through Baltic and fight in Belarus. Of course if the can opener in Baltic fails, your main force headed for Belarus are stuck. that is obvious, man

[WILD BILL]

I was also thinking of a rule that allowed you to make a second attack w/mechanized units that still have movement left if you killed the enemy in one round of battle (kinda eliminate the 1 inf picket). Maybe restrict it to 1 break-thru battle per turn?

The thing is that you would also need to be able to NCM some units (inf) in to protect your expensive units at the front. That’s why I was thinking about allowing all units to move 2 spaces in NCM. Allowing ftrs to land in newly taken territory is also interesting.

[A Former User]

Blitz Combat:

An attacking force that includes tanks and mech units against a defending force that does NOT include tanks, mech, or aircraft, can continue on to another territory after the 1st first round of combat.  Procedure:  Any surviving tank and mech units after the first round of combat can do a blitz move as a combined force to any one unfriendly territory that is or was not contested by any other initial moves by your land units (ie. it can be under attack by air, but not under attack by land).  After the blitz move is completed, combat goes back to be completed in the initial territory.  If the 1st territory is not captured, then the blitz units in the 2nd territory are automatically eliminated (out of supply).  Blitzing units can only do this move once.  Mech units cannot do this move without tanks.

[Imperious Leader]

Well to do this right…

All mech units that just conquered the territory can move into one additional adjacent territory and make combat. unused planes can participate as well.

[Narvik]

Double combat move and double battle, not sure if I can endorse this, man. Still in favor of my own suggestion a few comments up, that you need fresh units to do the extra blitz move. You need a rational reason ? How about game balance when a cheap 4 IPC unit can roll dice in two different battles during the same turn, and the expensive units can not. One Destroyer can stall a huge fleet of Battleships and Carriers at sea, but nothing can stop a cheap Mech unit from blitzing into the next territory. Really it should be the other way around. It is warships that should be allowed to move around from battle to battle, as the true maneuver warfare unit. In the books I read about WWII battles it looks like a Tank could need a stay at the workshop after a battle, and in no way could it rush into the next country for an unlimited number of battles. If we take a closer look at the orders of battle, it looks like one unit punch through the line for a breakthrough, while the other unit stay in reserve, and if the breakthrough is successful, then the other unit can move through the newly captured place, and start fighting the next line. At least this is how I like to see it.

[General 6 Stars]

I agree. 8-)

[A Former User]

Well, they move 2 now, and can battle more than once now.  So, not really breaking any rules.  Just trying to represent an overrun of armor through an infantry/artillery only region.

[Imperious Leader]

OK then. Unused units in combat along with air units can move into a newly occupied ( captured in combat) area and attack into another area. Sure.

[WILD BILL]

Ok, so this would basically be like setting-up contingency battles. If you win the first battle, your mechanized/air units held in reserve (didn’t participate in battle) could move through the newly conquered territory to perform an attack. I would probably also allow mech to drag an inf or art with it into battle. I think this is pretty good, and units don’t get to pull double duty.

You would still leave your expensive units exposed though attacking deep into enemy lines, so should all ground units be allowed to move 2 spaces in NCM to help protect your gains (part of my original post). This would take some planning and maybe some limits could apply?

Because it would be a powerful tool for the attacker (can’t picket as defender), maybe a defender retreat should also be considered after each round of battle (I think air should for sure be given a def retreat option)

As for navy, yea I think something like this could be done there too, but a defender retreat option would be needed.

[Der Kuenstler]

We have recently put in place what we call a “Rollover” victory. This is a victory where you wipe out every defensive unit in the first combat round. (land or sea) If you do this, any units that have movement left can move another space and attack, or even retreat a space. Reasoning is if you wipe everything in the first round your units would have time to move on for more.

We have tested this in two games and so far it is received well. This also discourages the one unit blocking move that is so often done, as one unit will usually get wiped in the first round.

[GeneralHandGrenade]

So far Der Kuenstler’s idea makes the most sense to me. I’m still not totally sold on the idea that one unit can make 2 different attacks in the same turn though. It’s great for attacking but at some time you have to defend that move as well. There’s value in having a front line to protect a capital or expensive units in behind it. I’d be more inclined to accept the “Rollover” option but make it so that units could retreat instead of advancing in another attack. That way you could leave infantry in the newly acquired territory (or nothing in) and retreating your expensive units away from a counterstrike but only if you succeed on the first roll in wiping out the enemy.

[Der Kuenstler]

@GeneralHandGrenade:

So far Der Kuenstler’s idea makes the most sense to me. I’m still not totally sold on the idea that one unit can make 2 different attacks in the same turn though. It’s great for attacking but at some time you have to defend that move as well. There’s value in having a front line to protect a capital or expensive units in behind it. I’d be more inclined to accept the “Rollover” option but make it so that units could retreat instead of advancing in another attack. That way you could leave infantry in the newly acquired territory (or nothing in) and retreating your expensive units away from a counterstrike but only if you succeed on the first roll in wiping out the enemy.

yes that’s what we do - you can move forward (or backward) with any units that have movement left. There is a downside of doing 2 attacks - your second land attack will be with all more expensive units that are exposed without infantry support.