Hello Everybody!
I´ve been playing the AA 40 games FTF since they came out, OOB at first, then the different Alpha versions, and I must say the changed rules and setup have been great improvements to the game. (Although I had the feeling after all the time of original playtesting (presumably) and testing between different Alpha versions the word final came quite quickly after the most recent changes.)
But one issue that bothers some of my playgroup and has been adressed by many here I think as well has afaik never been considered for correction ( I have searched this one and the LH forum, but might have missed a lot):
The fact that you want to take as few french territories as neccessary as the axis, and that you never want to liberate france as the allies unless you outnumber the axis already in europe.
I´m fine with it as it is, it´s a strategy game not a ww2 reenactment, and I like the game with the current rules, but some in my group cry out “its not right” when I refuse to take normandy at all as the axis. Admittedly I got the idea from someone`s post here. (and it helps early barbarossa a lot, although I failed to kill baltic states due to superbad dice g1 which sucks for east poland tanks but thats another story…)
Anyway, do you feel this france thing is a big issue? Have there been suggestions for a fix?
Maybe you could let the british take over french territories like dutch, but you hardly could let them choose whether to free the capital or not once they take it as it would be huge for the allies and throw everything out of balance…
normandy is situational.
Lots of UK players don’t have a fleet off of london till about round 6 or 7 (they drop egypt minor and build fleet/fighter to convoy sz 97).
In which case you not taking normandy is 10 or 12 ipc you miss out on (I always skip it on round 1). Also if uk drops 10 a turn there… you going to want to kill that while it is easy to kill.
I also like to leave Normandy because it denies the Americans an IC. Same goes for French Indo China. I have even seen people who like to leave the North African French territories alone just so America can’t take them back from Italy and get the income later in the game.
I wonder what would happen if you made all French territories turn pro-allies or pro-axis neutral while Paris is axis controlled? France would still be played as a separate power in control of its ships and the units in UK. A power that activates a neutral former French territory would get the income until Paris is liberated. If an axis power activates a neutral former French territory, any French units in the territory are changed it into one of their own (e.g. Italy activates Tunisia so that French infantry becomes Italian). If an allied power activates a neutral former french territory, any units there remain French. When Paris is liberated France regains all territories under allied control.
zzzzz more rules
Nice idea. I like complicating things if it makes for historical accuracy. Those French units are annoying and I see it as my national heritage to remove them. ( I am English.)However, never considered not attacking them as Axis. Will try next time and deny US the income later on. Thanks.
I just dont think it would matter. The US’s income is alrdy ludicrous, 5-10 extra ipcs late game wont mean much if you ask me, especially since most of these places you can counter quickly as axis and they are very strategic if held. I would be more concerned if Uk gets them since the income will help him more, and he can bring it against you a turn sooner than the US can.
The US has strength, but the distance away hurts the allies, the UK is relatively weak for land forces, but is alot closer to the action. You dont want one of them to have both.
All 3, with Alex and Libya, give Italy a NO, but I can never keep them long enough. I have not seen a US player not land in NAfrica in T4. Used to attack Algeria on I1, but with Alpha 3.9 makes Egypt impossible to take if Italy divides its forces. Know what you mean about a rich enough US though. I am one of the few ( I believe) who thinks US peacetime economy is too high and that they begin with too many units.
No offense, but NOT taking french territories as the Axis, such as normandy (In Central Africa it’s a bit different) is kind of stupid.
So you don’t take normandy, “denying” the allies a factory there. Ok, so what? So now you let them land there, and station there, for free, totally unharrassed? And you allow a PERMANENT landing zone for their planes, right on your front lines? in fact, you allow them to land their units, and their planes, so they can’t even be countered in some cases? Then it becomes an Italian job, to keep them out of Southern France / Northern Italy? No thanks.
That said, when they do land and take it, you let them KEEP the factory for a turn? What a bunch of fluff, crap, and poor design. And NOT taking north Africa territories with the Italians is just dumb. You need those spots for your NO’s.
You might aswell take it.
I always find that by the time the allies arrive at Normandy in force I am running on fumes. Holding the line at West Germany/Paris/North Italy is all I can really do. It sucks even worse if the Americans can start mobilizing tanks there. Let them at least have the inconvenience of shipping everything from across the sea or across the channel and we can trade Holland and South France a few times while things get resolved in the East.
I would always take Normandy, but am considering leaving French North Africa. Italy only really needs to take and hold Egypt and stay alive to help Germany. Is too easy to get distracted and greedy!
